Musicians mourn loss of a legend

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He took the song of the soil to another level. The folk songs of Assam got a new voice that spread all across the nation. Dr Bhupen Hazarika, who passed away on Saturday, not only introduced India to the melodies of Assam but also created some wonderful compositions.
Even as music fraternity of India mourns the loss of a legend, they say he will continue to live in the hearts of many with his melodious tunes and songs. Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya, who called Dr Hazarika just a day before his demise when he got to know about his ill health, was on his way to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital when we called him.
“It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t even meet him before he left,” says Abhijeet, who considers Dr Hazarika an angel. “He was one of the first persons who inspired me to take my interest in singing forward. As a young and aspiring singer early in 1980s, I had a chance to sing two songs on the same stage, in front of the same audience before Hazarika sahab’s concert,” says Abhijeet, reminiscing about a concert in Panagar, Madhya Pradesh.
Abhijeet says that Hazarika not only took Assamese music to another level but also introduced some of the contemporary styles of singing in Indian music. “Besides being a great musician, he was a great human being. At this Panagar concert, when I was unable to get a seat in the bus in which all the musicians were traveling, he offered me to sit in his car. After the concert was over, he called me and dropped me at the hotel where I was staying,” recalls Abhijeet.
Music composer Salim Merchant can’t stop raving about the compositions of Dr Hazarika. “We have lost a Bharat Ratna,” he says. Salim too had a chance to work under him. “It was more than 15 years ago. And I feel honoured to have taken the experience of someone so great. It’s a huge loss but he will always be around us. His music will make him live forever,” says Salim.
“No other person has done so much for music as he has done for Assamese music,” says singer Durga Jasraj, who met Dr Hazarika quite a few times but never worked with him. “He was one of the most humble persons I’ve ever met. But unfortunately, the last few times I saw him he was always under the weather,” says Durga.
This year has been a painful one for the music industry. After Jagjit Singh’s demise, Dr Hazarika’s demise has saddened many music lovers. Subir Malik of Parikrama, who admits not being too much into classical music, is also hugely saddened by the loss. “He has been an inspiration for thousands of youngsters across the country to take up music and do something for it. It’s a void that no one can fill,” he says.
Subir remembers a recent incident when he was organising Mohit Chauhan’s concert in Guwahati and Dr Bhupen Hazarika was a special guest. “There was information of not many people coming for the concert. But I told Mohit, ‘Even if nobody is coming you will have to do the show for Bhupen Hazarika,” says Subir, adding that the grandeur of Hazarika meant so much to him and other musicians.