Assam showers love on Bhupen Hazarika

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Asif Ibrahim

08 September, 2010

Dr Bhupen Hazarika, fondly addressed as Bhupenda by one and all in Assam celebrates his 84th eventful years today on September 8. Born in eastern Assam's the then sleepy hamlet, Sadiya, Bhupen Hazarika was a child prodigy.

ON SEPTEMBER 8, 1926, one of the most illustrious sons of Assam was born, who later emerged as the uncrowned brand ambassador of not only the Assamese people but the whole humanity in general.

Dr Bhupen Hazarika, fondly addressed as Bhupenda by one and all in Assam celebrates his 84th eventful years today on September 8. Born in eastern Assam’s the then sleepy hamlet, Sadiya, skirting the borders of China, Bhupen Hazarika, a true son of the soil, took no time to emerge as a child prodigy. He wrote and sang his first song at the age of 10 and worked for the second Assamese movie, Indramalati, in 1939, when he was 12 years old.

Known for his crisp baritone voice and flawless diction, Bhupen Hazarika has emerged as a complete institution in himself – being a composer, lyricist, singer, filmmaker, social thinker and articulate human-being – all rolled into into being. As a lyricist, he is known for poetic compositions and parables that touch on a wide range of themes---ranging from the erotic to social and political commentary; and as a composer for his use of folk music with a touch of the contemporary.

In 2001, he was conferred with the prestigious Padma Bhushan by the Union Government. In 1992, he was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for lifetime achievements in cinema. He has been also conferred with "Sangeet-Natak Academy” award. Bhupen Hazarika is also the proud recipient of the coveted ‘Assam Ratna’ honour conferred on him for his immense role in advocating unity and culture not only in northeastern region, but also over maintstream India. He also won the National Award as best music composer in 1977 for his melody in the Assamese film, Chameli Memsaab.

Apart from these, Dr Bhupen Hazarika has been till date conferred with more than 200 hundred national and international awards, honours and accolades in the field of music, art, and other media. Last year, the most influential students body of Assam, the All Assam Students’ Union felicitated Dr. Hazarika in a grand way by erecting a life size statue in the heart of Guwahati. It was unveiled by Dr. Hazarika himself.

A multifaceted genius, he is a poet, music composer, singer, actor, journalist, author and film-maker of the very highest repute. In his words, Bhupen Hazarika writes, compose and sing his own creations – his music being endorsed as a unique new gharana called “Bhupendra Sangeet”.

He is also an interpretor, an illustrator of folk music emanating from all over the world with special emphasis on north eastern India, Bengal and Bangladesh.

Today, the whole world has hailed him as a living legend, a musical genius, a maestro, and one of the great bards and balladeers with an unparalleled voice possessing a world vision – almost a god in folk music.

But his journey from its inception in abject poverty through the corridors of power to what he is today has been arduous and painful – strewn with humiliation, rejection, bitterness, struggle and finally resulting in acceptance, adoration, understanding, reverence and euphoria of success.

A social thinker, Dr Bhupen Hazarika has been largely influenced by Karl Marx, Maxim Gorky, John Lenin and alongside Paul Robson, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Junior. He is also an avid admirer of Mahatma Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln as well. A visionary, Dr Hazarika used his voice, lyrics and music for social change – to steer nations riddled with poverty to be enlightened and uplifted.

His songs demand the society to be casteless, classless and to live in harmony, peace, progress, unity and non-violence – to live the romance of life. His songs also plead the society to breathe life into our democracy which in turn, he firmly believes will usher in a new dawn of integration, equality, fraternity, brotherhood, liberty and freedom of expression.

Unarguably, the oldest and the only living balladeer in the entire world, Bhupen Hazarika still possess the charisma to stir up not only an entire community but entire humanity through his inimitable compositions. Recently during his visit to his home state after a complicated by-pass surgery in Mumbai, Bhupen

Hazarika in his youthful jest quipped that his best is yet to come. Surprising one and all, he even recorded a couple of poems at a Guwahati based audio-recording studio during that brief sojourn.
Today, the 85th birth anniversary of music maestro, is being celebrated across Assam. Different cultural and social organizations throughout the state have organized colourful programmes to mark the occasion. In most of the places, day long programmes have been organized to pay respectful homage to the music icon of Assam.

The Assam government has also organized a cultural programme at Rabindra Bhawan, Guwahati on Wednesday in honour of Dr Bhupen Hazarika on his 84th birthday. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi currently in New Delhi after his heart surgery in Mumbai has also wished Dr Bhupen Hazarika on his birthday, apart from host of well-wishers and fans from not only the state of Assam but across the globe.

Today on his birthday, this is a sincere wish that Bhupenda continues to create more of immortal creations to awaken the entire humanity. Many happy returns of the day, Bhupenda– right from the core of my heart !