Voice artistes are now having their heyday melodically canvassing for candidates in the polls of the country's three important city corporations.
Though a bit noisy, many say it comes as a comic relief from high tensions triggered by political standoff over the issue of national elections in the recent past.
Candidates are carrying out their traditional campaigns too, making door-to-door visit to woo voters.
But a wind of change is now blowing -- a number of candidates are using recorded voices with sweet words to win the hearts of millions of voters in Dhaka and Chittagong.
Mayoral and councillor elections will take place on April 28 in three key city corporations -- two in the bifurcated capital city of Dhaka and the other in the port city of Chittagong.
With the countdown already on, candidates are using the audio products largely.
Canvassing voices along with songs and parodies are being played all around the capital city and the commercial capital mainly through loudspeakers, usually allowed between 2pm and 9pm.
People familiar with the audio studios in Dhaka told the FE that professional voice artistes, musicians and singers have been passing very busy days with the works, cashing in on a growing demand for the musical products.
And the capital's around 200 audio-recording studios, which had gone through a slump for lack of customers in the absence of such occasions, have been doing brisk business as well.
The studios, mostly in downtown Dhaka, have by now turned into meeting places of all the creative voice artistes for the recording of voices, parodies, songs.
Mazharul Islam's is a voice familiar with all that pay a hearing to innovative advertising. The ad artiste tells the FE: "The demand for the audio products this time is all-time high.
"At least I've never seen it before."
Famous for his sweet voices in cinema commercials in the 1980s, Mr Islam said: "I've given voices for such type of audio products for a number of candidates, including some mayoral candidates."
He also owns an audio studio named Sethu Audio Recording at Bangla Motor crossing. He says the pressures of recording of such voices and songs have occupied all day's schedules.
Studios preferred doing this boom-time job to take the cash in hand by shelving usual recordings for later dates after the windfall.
Md Toha, another professional voice artiste in the city, is also busy composing canvass music. "Yes! We're earning a handsome amount this time, which never happened in poll campaigns before," he told the FE correspondent.
He claimed he had worked for at least 50 voices for the councillor hopefuls so far.
He said councillors are using this type of campaigns as voters get comfort to hear attractive voices mixed with background music -- all edited professionally.
Mr Toha said this is much easy to afford than the video products. And video advertisements are strictly prohibited under the electoral code of conduct.
They are charging Tk 10,000 to Tk 70,000 for such type of work, involving scripting, payments to artistes and studio charges and mastering.
Aiaz Md Khan (Chanchal), executive director at the Tara Recording in Shabagh area, told the FE that his studio had recorded at least 60 pieces of such voice work.
They are charging Tk 3,000 for an hour's recording.
Usually, the audio artistes and the studios have good understanding between them and they work many times on a lump-sum basis.
Sources said the creative audio products are not being used only by loudspeakers -- these have been used in different social media, too, including the facebook.
They said these recorded voices memorised with the mobile phones are also played at public places to catch the attention of voters.
A little ill luck befalls Jaid Iqbal, another renowned professional voice artiste. He says there is a huge demand for the works but he is unable to do it for his illness at this high time of music bonanza.
Mr Iqbal, also a listed newscaster at the BTV, said: "I'm really missing it."
He rues: "Bad luck for me. How can I avail myself of this opportunity"!
Jasimharoon@yahoo.com
