A happy song, that’s what life was all about

Feelgood. That’s the word that comes to mind while remembering Debi Banerjee.

Debi stood out as someone who carried about her, a sense of “life is good”. With happy banter and unaffected laughter, her bright personality drew heads wherever she went.

Of course she was recognised as a star in Sydney’s Indian community.

Most people knew of Debi as a singer, having entertained the community for 20 years now.

It was the peppy songs that she excelled in: the naughty, teasing numbers that put everyone in a happy mood almost instantaneously. If you knew Debi was going to take the mic, you would expect something light and merry such as Babuji dheere chalna, Mera naam chin chin choo or Tadbeer se bigdi hui or Jaiye aap kahan jayenge or Saiyan dil mein aana re, all songs she sang at her 500-odd concerts over the years. She didn’t have to put any effort into these songs because they suited her to a T, and her vibrant personality shone through when she sang them.

She researched extensively to prepare her shows, making sure to pick peppy songs that would uplift the mood and involve the audience. Often towards the end, she would pick foottapping numbers and invite the audience to dance along, such as to Kajra re or Beedi jalaye le. Her kind of entertainment was solely designed to spread happiness and she revelled in the audience’s enjoyment.

Of course Debi sang in other genres as well. Nothing could stand in her way of embracing a diverse range of musical styles in her concerts, always upholding a performance standard full of style and dignity. On one occasion her clear and crisp rendition of the soulful Tujhse naraaz nahin zindagi hairaan hoon main simply blew the audience away.

What many of us didn’t know was that Debi also made inroads into other areas of the arts. A couple of years back she took part in a Bengali theatre production called Noti Binodini; a famous epic story among the people of Bengal. Debi acted in the lead role, on live stage in Sydney, Melbourne as well as India, performing in Kolkata’s legendry Star Theatre on 3rd January 2010. It was the first of its kind; artists from Sydney joined hands with artists in Kolkata to stage this renowned play.

Debi’s compassion, combined with her sweet voice, naturally led her to sharing it for charity. Debi’s most notable charity event was the large cast theatre production of an old Bengali folk tale called Tasher Desh. Debi not only sang but also co-produced this dramatic piece and donated all proceeds to the Fred Hollows Foundation. The production was so loved by Sydney’s Bengali community that there were numerous encore performances.

To marvel us even further, Debi was never classically trained in singing or acting. Clearly the courage and fire in Debi begged all those talents out of her.

Debi’s pioneering not only extended to her love of the arts but also her personal life. Choosing between California and Sydney, Debi’s thirst and aspiration for a better lifestyle for her family, led her to the shores of Sydney with husband Swapan and daughter Shoma in October 1982. Debi had ambitiously arrived from London, where she had shared her first five years of wedded life with Swapan. With son Shumit born shortly thereafter, Debi dedicated her life to motherhood in the years that followed.

She adored travelling and so in between visits back to her favourite destination India, she would lead family road trips up and down the east coast of Australia, often luring numerous friends along. Not surprisingly, as Debi’s children turned to adults, Debi indulged in luxury holiday experiences almost annually, to most continents of the world.

Debi came from a family of ardent politicians and entrepreneurs. Having been born and raised in India’s City of Joy, Kolkatta, Debi’s appetite to succeed flourished in her early years as she boarded at Darjeeling’s Loreto Convent.

School friends of Debi described her as a leader and one who thrived and flourished in the arts, be it drama, opera singing or dancing. As such it is no surprise that later Debi drew on these loves of her life as enthusiastically and gallantlysinging became Debi’s true love and ultimate accomplishment. Debi then followed through on her family’s course as she studied Political Science at Kolkata’s prestigious Lady Brabourne College.

To her own family Debi embodied sweetness, was the epitome of strength, the wild one without a doubt. Debi had given her family something that was conspicuously lacking: she brought audacity. With the energy and persistence to conquer anything, nothing was impossible; she would either find a way, or was determined to make one.

She held nothing back. She was far too open-hearted to bottle up her feelings. If a project caught her interest or a song her heart, she would seize the moment and persevere to accomplish it. She always wanted to go the extra mile and managed, in her particular style, to bring a method to the madness of it all.

Behind the glamour of Debi’s voice, the whopping jokes and the radiant smiles lay the passions which made Debi the extraordinary woman that she was. Debi was and always will be the apple of their eyes.

Her other family – her large circle of friends – described Debi as stimulating and charismatic, bringing spark and splendour to any dull or dusty situation. For Debi, good humour was a tonic for mind and body, and she happily shared that any time and any place. At community functions or at weekend gettogethers, you only had to scan the room to know which section was having the most fun; it would be where Debi was. Debi would be the first to get up and dance at any occasion, always turning up in a dazzling sari of the newest design (her striking collection of saris made up an enviable wardrobe indeed). Her unpretentious laughter, witty remarks and good-natured teasing of those around her, helped people warm up to her instantly, and won her many admirers. She had a fantastic way with people and the world loved her.

Debi’s life, as gallant, inventive and dynamic as it was, was taken away just as overwhelmingly, at age 58. When Debi became sick she accepted the reality and instead of dwelling on what might have been, accepted her life for what it would be. Her determination in life did not fade as she contested her illness. She maintained a fiery determination, self-motivated energy and might that truly demonstrated her adoration of life. She continued to dream and persevere. For Debi, the world changed in an instant, but not the way she chose to see it. And thus she succeeded in becoming a symbol of pure grace and harmony.

Whether it is a joke, a text, a phone call, a song, a hug or a kiss that is our lasting memory of Debi, let this fleeting memoir leave a smile on our faces, one that we would always see on Debi’s face. Let us draw on our favourite memory of Debi; her laughter, and tap our feet to the beat of her favourite song Sheila ki Jawani. There are just two things that Debi wanted to be remembered by, her love for merriment and her passion for life. She once shared those with us, and although we can no longer hold her hand the way we did, we can smile, because she lived.

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