Brotee has made quite a splash in the radio jockeying scene in recent times. Her endeavours through ABC Radio 89.2 FM and gradual transition to ColoursFM 101.6 has elevated her to the position of a senior producer, adding a feather to her cap. Infatuated with RJ-ing, Brotee believes that the “show must go on.” Let’s have look at what the jovial performer has to share
Why RJing?
Once you get the thrill of the microphone, it gets hard to not want to get a hold of it again. These days I am doing more of the brainstorming for my shows on Colours rather than RJ-ing. I started my journey by RJ-ing at ABC Radio but gradually turned towards producing.
What are the good and bad sides of RJing?
It’s a pleasant feeling when someone recognises me through my voice. For example, recently, I was on a bus where the conductor recognised my voice and asked, “Accha, apni ki RJ Brotee?” That brought on a huge smile on my face. Previously, RJs were not exposed as much as they are now, when they are recognised through Facebook, posts of shows, features etc. I enjoy such publicity. Another treat comes when the listeners show their concerns. They end up having a sort of a bond with us. For example, sometimes I get SMSs asking how my kittens are doing, how my health is. These indicate that they follow me on my shows and I am grateful to them for that.
If you ask about bad sides, I would say that at times, it is disappointing to see harsh feedback and callous comments through SMSes and on Facebook. In our shows, we talk about a lot of social issues openly. Some listeners cannot take them positively and end up posting abusive comments online. Sometimes they post things that are completely off topic. Such actions are indeed, upsetting. However, we try to ignore them and rise with the tempo of the show, which is the job of the RJ. But it does leave some psychological impact on you. Then there are days when one can have personal issues, and be stressed out about them. But in this profession they always have to believe that the show must go on.
Do you have a fanbase?
Certainly! I have old listeners who have been with me since the ABC Radio days. Now I have many more pouring in. There are some people who follow my shows regularly and know updates of the show and me. On many occasions like Pohela Boishakh and my birthdays, they wish and send gifts. Sometimes they come to office to invite us to some of their events. After Eid last year, one listener even came to our office with sweets. All these things indicate how much they care about us.
How has RJing shaped your musical tastes?
Honestly, I sit on the hot seat mainly to listen to the music! Three of my shows are topic based which are about women, teens and career. Therefore, in those shows I have to play appropriate songs. For example, if we are talking about women empowerment, I would play something inspirational. In one episode of Haat Baralei Shokti, we were discussing about unmarried women above the age of 30. So, I played Single Ladies by Beyonce!
Personally, I am an omnivore when it comes to music. I like everything from eastern classical to Bollywood item numbers. I try to stay updated over what’s new. We, people at the radio station are constantly discussing about music of different tastes and times. There are shows that play retro tracks, then there are shows for international tracks. So this environment does have an impact on my taste for music. Through this job I also get free passes to go to different music festivals.
How do people react when they meet you off-air?
I have not received any negative reaction yet because I remain the same person on both sides (giggles). However, people sometimes do come up and ask me why I do shows on Hindi numbers, and listen to Hindi music. This is the most common response I have heard from people for a long time. Probably because during my time in ABC Radio, I used to lead a show called Hindi Hits, now I do Bollywood Bollywood on Colours. But my belief is that music itself is a language. I listen to music for myself and try to share with the listeners why I like a particular kind of music.
