Bard of Brahmaputra’s legacy comes alive at London event
The multi-faceted life, words and music of Bhupen Hazarika resonated at the Nehru Centre here as people from India, Bangladesh and Britain passionately recalled his contribution to social justice, human values and a new genre of music.
Nahid Afrin, the teenage singer from Assam who won the hearts of millions with her performance in a recent Indian TV song contest, travelled from her home state to render some of the most popular numbers of Hazarika, who died in 2011 aged 85.
“He was an immense inspiration through his songs, particularly during our war of independence. We are grateful to him, we gave him the Friends of Liberation award. We think of him as one of our own,” Bangladesh high commissioner Khondker M Talha told the gathering on Friday.
Called the “Bard of Brahmaputra” to reflect the many references to the river in his work, Hazarika is credited with creating a new genre called “Bhupendra sangeet”.
Talha said, “Hazarika is a household name in Bangladesh. His words carried the message of social justice, social reform. He had a unique way of inspiring the masses. His simple lyrics touched the common man.”
In an illustrated presentation, former Assam minister Pradyot Bordoloi detailed the many aspects of Hazarika — singer, composer, lyricist, editor, illustrator, politician. It included footage of mass grief witnessed when his body was taken to Guwahati in November 2011.