Today, the news programmes in India are all about one person: Bhupen Hazarika ভূপেন হাজৰিকা. Now, I know a number of people who read this blog are from / based in India, and I must ask your forgiveness for not knowing who he was before today, but something tells me that I'm going to be hearing a lot about him in the coming days.
This great Assamese singer passed away in Mumbai this afternoon. He sang in a number of Indian languages and was beloved all over India and in Bangladesh, but he has a special place in people's hearts here in his homeland of Assam. I'm told that he even sang in Karbi when he used to visit Karbi Anglong.
I was told that he received a doctorate in communication from Columbia University. According to Wikipedia, his thesis was titled "Proposals for Preparing India's Basic Education to Use Audio-Visual Techniques in Adult Education". From the stories I've been told, it seems that he was an advocate for tolerance and equality.
One story in particular, was about how in 1983, when there was massive violence in Assam against illegal immigrants (mainly from Bangladesh) [read more here], Bhupen Hazarika walked across the state from West to East, visiting villages and performing to people wherever he went. He sang a song about the Assamese not being a poor people that he'd written 10 years earlier and said that he had nothing new to tell people, because he'd already said what he wanted to say 10 years before.
I'm not sure how accurate the story was, but it's clear that most people here have been touched by him. I'm pretty sure over the next few days there will be a period of state-wide (if not nation-wide) mourning for him.
The Assamese song 'Buku hum hum kore'
The Hindi version 'Dil hum hum kare'
This great Assamese singer passed away in Mumbai this afternoon. He sang in a number of Indian languages and was beloved all over India and in Bangladesh, but he has a special place in people's hearts here in his homeland of Assam. I'm told that he even sang in Karbi when he used to visit Karbi Anglong.
I was told that he received a doctorate in communication from Columbia University. According to Wikipedia, his thesis was titled "Proposals for Preparing India's Basic Education to Use Audio-Visual Techniques in Adult Education". From the stories I've been told, it seems that he was an advocate for tolerance and equality.
One story in particular, was about how in 1983, when there was massive violence in Assam against illegal immigrants (mainly from Bangladesh) [read more here], Bhupen Hazarika walked across the state from West to East, visiting villages and performing to people wherever he went. He sang a song about the Assamese not being a poor people that he'd written 10 years earlier and said that he had nothing new to tell people, because he'd already said what he wanted to say 10 years before.
I'm not sure how accurate the story was, but it's clear that most people here have been touched by him. I'm pretty sure over the next few days there will be a period of state-wide (if not nation-wide) mourning for him.
The Assamese song 'Buku hum hum kore'
The Hindi version 'Dil hum hum kare'
I had d luk 2 listen him from front.He was my fav. Ur music will always 2 my heart sir.Apni valo thakben. Amar pronam neben.Amrai vabi projonmer hate apnar sangeet pouche die jabo. Take rest in peace.
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