The Hindu : National : Asom Ratna award for Bhupen Hazarika

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Asom Ratna award for Bhupen Hazarika

Sushanta Talukdar

Bhupen Hazarika

GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Monday announced the Asom Ratna award to ballad singer and a mass singer Bhupen Hazarika as a gift on behalf of the people of Assam on his 83rd birthday.

Announcing the award here Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said, that the state government would soon formally present this coveted award to Dr. Hazarika, a Dada Saheb Phalke award winner. The award was instituted on August 15 this year and Dr. Hazarika is the first recipient. The Chief Minister said that Dr. Hazarika has established Assam’s colourful culture and heritage through his creative works of musical compositions and performance worldwide. in 1987 he was awarded the Shankardeva Award by the Assam government for his contribution to music.

Though Dr. Hazarika was away in Mumbai, the entire state observed his birthday by organizing musical evenings, cultural nite and competition of his songs to convey their warm birthday wishes to the Living Legend. A multifaceted genius, Dr. Hazarika is an internationally famed music composer, singer, actor, journalist, poet, author and film-maker.

Born in upper Assam’s Sadiya in 1926 he began his career as a child actor in the second talkie film ‘Indramalati’ in 1939. He wrote and sang his first song at the age of 10 . He represented India in Berlin at the World Conference of Composers who used songs as an instrument in social change. A former chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademy he was given the honour of inaugurating the World Seminar in Congress Hall with his songs on the liberation of Bangladesh.

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