Nirupam Smart Addresses Racism with New Single ‘I’m Different’

Singer-songwriter Nirupam Smart recalls being mesmerized by a Gospel song in his hometown of Vidyasagar in Jharkhand over three decades ago. According to him, it was unlike anything he had heard previously in the form of the Bollywood hits he consumed at the time. He says, “That day, I understood that a song generally has four different parts: tenor, bass, alto and soprano. I didn’t learn to sing any of those parts then, but a dream was ignited, and I became interested in singing.”  

During his teen years, Smart moved to Hapur in Uttar Pradesh and was keen on picking up the guitar. However, much to his disappointment, he wasn’t given one due to financial constraints at home. It wasn’t until he moved to Pune to study at Spicer Memorial College that he found like-minded individuals. “This is the place where my musical career took off. I lived in a hostel and shared a room with five generous and kind musicians. There was always a guitar in the room. Moreover, these guys were willing to share their knowledge with me,” he says.  

By 2006, Smart moved to Finland and has since settled there. He even attended a private music school called Evangeliska Folkhögskola in 2011 in the city of Vaasa on the west coast of Finland. “It gave me the motivation to compose my own music and be proud of it,” Smart says. Currently based in Vassa with his wife Heidi and his two special-needs daughters, he began releasing his music with Heidi’s cousin and musician/producer Martin Holm.  

The singer-songwriter’s previous releases include two Hindi tracks – “Baat Hi Baat Mein” and “16/11/2020” (inspired by his father’s last day on Earth) – as well as “One Day At A Time,” written for his daughter Anni Gitanjali who suffers from a severe case of cerebral palsy. “The purpose of the song is to give Anni and others who live with different limitations a face and a voice,” says Smart.  

Now, the artist is out with a new single, the acoustic-rock offering “I’m Different,” which deals with Smart’s experience of having faced racism. He says, “I wrote the song to process the negative feelings I experienced during a horrible racial ordeal.” The singer-songwriter adds, “I still remember vividly how someone racially abused me and when not satisfied with the verbal abuse, tried to kick me and let loose his big dog. I apologized for disturbing the man and went straight to the place where I was living.”  

According to the musician, that event made him understand what racism feels like. “’I’m Different’ is a song that takes a polite approach of explaining the difficult feelings instead of venting just hate and anger. Hopefully, it can inspire people to come together in a peaceful manner to tackle racism.” 

Produced by Holm, the track features airy acoustic guitar strums as well as melodic electric guitar parts, an emphatic drum sound and Smart’s heartfelt vocals in which you can hear the emotional pain through his voice. The track is also accompanied with a music video that features Smart along with others calling for change in humanity.  

With around 10 songs in his locker lined up for production, Smart isn’t in any hurry for a follow-up due to his work at a school and Holm’s commitment as a nurse. “Music is our side hobby,” says the singer.  

Watch the music video for “I’m Different” below: