Nov 26, 2011
Nov 21, 2011
Nov 10, 2011
LIFE IS NOT DEATH
By Manash Pratim Gohain
"Kohua bon mur oxanto mon
aalphul hatere lua xaboti
O eti eti khon jen mukutare dhon
Eneye heruwale nahe ubhoti....." (my heart is just restless kohua grass; hold on to every passing moment like priceless pearls with love; they will never come back)
'Xudhakantha' (one with the magical voice) DR BHUPEN HAZARIKA: He was a leftist, he changed his politics to extreme right, but never played a central part; come what may he sang from his heart.
He drew blood for the soil, he appeased Bangladeshis, he dreamt of religious harmony, he was at a captive end, but he lived his life from his heart.
In your words you said it Bhupen da: "Mur gaan houk bohu asthahinotar biporite ek gobhir aasthar gaan..." (Let my songs be a source of inspiration amidst wide spread gloom)
Even at 85 his explanations and conversation are pregnant with innocence of a child, the rebel of the adult heart and obviously the maturity of a life complete.
He sang his life to glory, bringing tears, giving hope, bled many hearts, made the spring air dance in romance and mixed the fragrance of Kopou (foxtail orchid) with Assamese femininity.
He was inspired, he is an inspiration. He is educated and he educates, he was incited and he incites. He joined us when Assam was in a deep slumber and for seven decades and more he dawned on us as a guiding light.
Wasn't he the: "Kaal ratrir bukute lukai aasil ei probhat, buji la ne nai..." (In the heart of the darkest night lies a bright dawn)
The Bard of Brahmaputra, the man with his inseparable black Nepali cap with the khukuri pin till his death, is a celebration for one and all from the region we loosely refer as North East, as well as in Bangladesh, Nepal and Bengal. His sang for every occasion, for every reason, for every season, for every lover and specially for the river. The impact of his songs, words and presence in our socio-political-cultural milieu is nothing less than our mighty Brahmaputra.
Did I meet him once or those meetings continue? Personally a bouquet, which at death blooms into a recollection. It was my birth right to meet him. I met him first at the HMV and EMI cassettes, and I still live with those vivid memories of struggle to keep the magnetic running, met him at innumerable bihu tolis and in my mother's narration on his visit to Darang College when she was a resident there. His live composition of "xitore xemeka rati..." and the day she performed on the stage as he sang "shyam kanu..." Met him many a times in dejected hearts, or in the undying spirit of those ready to take the metal in the heart. And it has been simply musical.
But it was at his residence in Guwahati, where I realised the presence of a legend I know was always there, just like the river whose presence can be felt only when you feel its current. He didn't sing for me, neither for us (which is why I got an opportunity to meet him). But even that "no" offered a two hour journey of a life time (the year could be anything between 1991 to 1994). After restraining from music till the end, he did present a mushy romantic bihu to my delight as I walked out. And the last in flesh and blood was at Nehru Stadium (probably 1996) when the genius shared and enthralled us with Lata Mangeshkar.
His critics may say he faltered. They simply missed out on a good review of a masterpiece should I say. He loved the "megh", the neyor" and he found peace and harmony in "Pua Mecca". His poetry with Brahmaputra transcends caste, creed, religion and hatred. Needless to say this Assamese is a much a Mishing, as much as a Bodo, a Nepali forever, and someone whom the Bengalis think is a Bengali.
Bhupenda we remember your words: "hoitu nitou hazar jonor hazar xorai pam..tothapi kio bexex jonor morom bisari jam..." (I may get thousand accolades from others, but will always return to seek the love of my own)
He is the Assamese sentiment, he is the river himself, which is why he changed course.
"Ami axomiya nohou dukhiya" (we Assamese will never be poor). Indeed he left a tradition of richness, rich enough for us to dream big.
Factfile: (Not in order)
* Born on September 8, 1926 at Sadiya, Assam to Nilakanta and Shantipriya Hazarika.
* Died on November 5, 2011 at 4.23pm at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute, Mumbai.
* Xudhakantha - In 1968, then Assam Sahitya Sabha president Late Ananda Chandra Baruah honoured Assamese legendary singer, poet, music composer, filmmaker and a prominent litterateur Dr Bhupen Hazarika with a title "Xudhakantha" at a programme held at Banshi Gopal Natya Mandir in Majuli.
* Bangladesh Government has honoured Dr Bhupen Hazarika with Muktiyodha Padak, the highest civilian award of Bangladesh
* He first sang (Biswa Bijoy Nojowan) as a 10-year-old kid in cultural doyen Jyotiprasad Agarwalla’s second film “Indramalati” in 1939.
* Completed PhD from Columbia University in the early 1950s on how cultural tools can be used to spread the reach of adult education.
* He wrote, composed and sang more than 1,500 songs.
* In 1992 he was conferred with India’s highest honour in cinema, the Dada Saheb Phalke Award.
* He was conferred with the Padma Shri in 1977.
* Honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2001.
* Honoured as Assam Ratna in 2009.
* Edited a popular magazine 'Amaar Pratinidhi'.
* He also served one term in the Assam Assembly as a Left-leaning independent politician in the late 1960s. But his attempt to enter the Indian Parliament as a BJP candidate almost four decades later didn't materialised.
* He served as the chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
* President of Assam Sahitya Sabha in 1993.
* Award for the Best Regional Film (Chameli Memsaab; Music by Bhupen Hazarika) in the 23rd National Film Awards in 1975.
NOTE: As I board the New Delhi-Ajmer Satabdi for Rajasthan, Assam grieves on the final journey of Dr Bhupen Hazarika on November 9, 2011. It leaves me some six free hours. Here are a few thoughts on Dr Bhupen Hazarika from a novice who knows not how to pay tribute.
"Kohua bon mur oxanto mon
aalphul hatere lua xaboti
O eti eti khon jen mukutare dhon
Eneye heruwale nahe ubhoti....." (my heart is just restless kohua grass; hold on to every passing moment like priceless pearls with love; they will never come back)
'Xudhakantha' (one with the magical voice) DR BHUPEN HAZARIKA: He was a leftist, he changed his politics to extreme right, but never played a central part; come what may he sang from his heart.
He drew blood for the soil, he appeased Bangladeshis, he dreamt of religious harmony, he was at a captive end, but he lived his life from his heart.
In your words you said it Bhupen da: "Mur gaan houk bohu asthahinotar biporite ek gobhir aasthar gaan..." (Let my songs be a source of inspiration amidst wide spread gloom)
Even at 85 his explanations and conversation are pregnant with innocence of a child, the rebel of the adult heart and obviously the maturity of a life complete.
He sang his life to glory, bringing tears, giving hope, bled many hearts, made the spring air dance in romance and mixed the fragrance of Kopou (foxtail orchid) with Assamese femininity.
He was inspired, he is an inspiration. He is educated and he educates, he was incited and he incites. He joined us when Assam was in a deep slumber and for seven decades and more he dawned on us as a guiding light.
Wasn't he the: "Kaal ratrir bukute lukai aasil ei probhat, buji la ne nai..." (In the heart of the darkest night lies a bright dawn)
The Bard of Brahmaputra, the man with his inseparable black Nepali cap with the khukuri pin till his death, is a celebration for one and all from the region we loosely refer as North East, as well as in Bangladesh, Nepal and Bengal. His sang for every occasion, for every reason, for every season, for every lover and specially for the river. The impact of his songs, words and presence in our socio-political-cultural milieu is nothing less than our mighty Brahmaputra.
Did I meet him once or those meetings continue? Personally a bouquet, which at death blooms into a recollection. It was my birth right to meet him. I met him first at the HMV and EMI cassettes, and I still live with those vivid memories of struggle to keep the magnetic running, met him at innumerable bihu tolis and in my mother's narration on his visit to Darang College when she was a resident there. His live composition of "xitore xemeka rati..." and the day she performed on the stage as he sang "shyam kanu..." Met him many a times in dejected hearts, or in the undying spirit of those ready to take the metal in the heart. And it has been simply musical.
But it was at his residence in Guwahati, where I realised the presence of a legend I know was always there, just like the river whose presence can be felt only when you feel its current. He didn't sing for me, neither for us (which is why I got an opportunity to meet him). But even that "no" offered a two hour journey of a life time (the year could be anything between 1991 to 1994). After restraining from music till the end, he did present a mushy romantic bihu to my delight as I walked out. And the last in flesh and blood was at Nehru Stadium (probably 1996) when the genius shared and enthralled us with Lata Mangeshkar.
His critics may say he faltered. They simply missed out on a good review of a masterpiece should I say. He loved the "megh", the neyor" and he found peace and harmony in "Pua Mecca". His poetry with Brahmaputra transcends caste, creed, religion and hatred. Needless to say this Assamese is a much a Mishing, as much as a Bodo, a Nepali forever, and someone whom the Bengalis think is a Bengali.
Bhupenda we remember your words: "hoitu nitou hazar jonor hazar xorai pam..tothapi kio bexex jonor morom bisari jam..." (I may get thousand accolades from others, but will always return to seek the love of my own)
He is the Assamese sentiment, he is the river himself, which is why he changed course.
"Ami axomiya nohou dukhiya" (we Assamese will never be poor). Indeed he left a tradition of richness, rich enough for us to dream big.
Factfile: (Not in order)
* Born on September 8, 1926 at Sadiya, Assam to Nilakanta and Shantipriya Hazarika.
* Died on November 5, 2011 at 4.23pm at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute, Mumbai.
* Xudhakantha - In 1968, then Assam Sahitya Sabha president Late Ananda Chandra Baruah honoured Assamese legendary singer, poet, music composer, filmmaker and a prominent litterateur Dr Bhupen Hazarika with a title "Xudhakantha" at a programme held at Banshi Gopal Natya Mandir in Majuli.
* Bangladesh Government has honoured Dr Bhupen Hazarika with Muktiyodha Padak, the highest civilian award of Bangladesh
* He first sang (Biswa Bijoy Nojowan) as a 10-year-old kid in cultural doyen Jyotiprasad Agarwalla’s second film “Indramalati” in 1939.
* Completed PhD from Columbia University in the early 1950s on how cultural tools can be used to spread the reach of adult education.
* He wrote, composed and sang more than 1,500 songs.
* In 1992 he was conferred with India’s highest honour in cinema, the Dada Saheb Phalke Award.
* He was conferred with the Padma Shri in 1977.
* Honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2001.
* Honoured as Assam Ratna in 2009.
* Edited a popular magazine 'Amaar Pratinidhi'.
* He also served one term in the Assam Assembly as a Left-leaning independent politician in the late 1960s. But his attempt to enter the Indian Parliament as a BJP candidate almost four decades later didn't materialised.
* He served as the chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
* President of Assam Sahitya Sabha in 1993.
* Award for the Best Regional Film (Chameli Memsaab; Music by Bhupen Hazarika) in the 23rd National Film Awards in 1975.
NOTE: As I board the New Delhi-Ajmer Satabdi for Rajasthan, Assam grieves on the final journey of Dr Bhupen Hazarika on November 9, 2011. It leaves me some six free hours. Here are a few thoughts on Dr Bhupen Hazarika from a novice who knows not how to pay tribute.
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