Majuli to pay tribute to Bhupen Hazarika :

Post Bureau, Jorhat (Sept 4): In 1968, the then Assam Sahitya Sabha president Late Ananda Chandra Baruah honoured music maestro Bhupen Hazarika with the title, “Hudhakantha”, at a programme held at Banshi Gopal Natya Mandir in Majuli.

Now, the residents of Majuli, the world’s largest river island, is all set to pay its tribute to the great musician by organising an All-Assam Bhupendra Sangeet Competition at Kamalabari on October 6.

Kalpana Lajmi, long-time friend and companion of Bhupen Hazarika, will be the guest of honour at the event.

The competition is being organised by the Sanmilita Shilpi Samaj, Majuli, a socio-cultural organisation of Majuli in collaboration with the Asom Sanskritik Mahasabha and the Majuli District committee.

Amarjyoti Borah, one of the organising members, said the contest will be held under two sections — lower and upper.

“The lower section of the competition to be held at the Majuli level and shall be open for participants below 14 years of age who can choose any song composed and tuned by Bhupen Hazarika for rendition.”

“The competition of the upper section will be held at the all-Assam level on certain selected songs of the maestro only and will be open for candidates above 14 years of age,” he said.

The organisers said the event will be attended by artists such as Manisha Hazarika, Kamal Katoky and Pankaj Bordoloi.

The open meeting and prize distribution ceremony on October 7 shall be held under the chairmanship of Dr Anil Saikia, renowned researcher of folk music. “Total prize money of more than Rs50,000 will be distributed among the winners of both sections of the contest,” they added.

A souvenir under the editorship of Amarjyoti Borah will also be released during the programme, organisers said.

(News from Seven Sisters Post )

-Abakash Majuli