Assam Royal Global University (RGU) released the anthology “Bhupen Hazarika: Twenty Songs and Seven Portraits” as part of centenary celebrations for the Bard of the Brahmaputra, in an event organised by the Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Centre for Creativity at the university. The morning programme combined scholarship, music and film, drawing scholars, artists, students and admirers to reflect on Hazarika’s life and legacy.
The programme featured a screening of the 65-minute biographical documentary “Bhupen Da Uncut,” directed by Bobeeta Sharma, which includes rare digitised footage shot in the United Kingdom in 1999. The film formed a visual complement to the new volume and the scholarly conversations at the event.
Edited by theatre personality and RGU Deputy Dean Sattyakee D’com Bhuyan, the anthology offers English translations of twenty songs by Arkupal Ra Acharya and includes seven reflective essays by regional writers. The volume is illustrated with rare photographs by Labu Senapati and sports a cover designed by Champak Borbora, aiming to introduce Hazarika’s ethical and aesthetic world to contemporary readers.
Welcoming attendees, Dr. Amarjyoti Choudhury, Chair Professor of the Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Centre for Creativity, called the publication “a significant intellectual offering in honour of the centenary year.” He added, “This anthology reflects the extraordinary breadth of Bhupen Hazarika’s creative genius-vast like an ocean,” and said the work invites renewed engagement with the maestro’s moral and cultural vision.
Editor Sattyakee D’com Bhuyan underscored the continuing relevance of Hazarika’s music. “The twenty songs included in this volume have shaped the ethical and aesthetic imagination of our society,” he said, calling Hazarika “not merely a composer of melodies; he was a chronicler of conscience” and noting the anthology’s role in bringing the Bard’s voice into dialogue with younger generations.
The event opened with a faculty choral rendition of “Manuhe Manuhor Babe” and included a dance recital by Kristi Saikia of “Godavari Noi re Parore Pora,” a piece popularised in Lata Mangeshkar’s voice that highlighted the pan‑Indian reach of Hazarika’s songs. A standout performance came from guest singer J. P. Das, whose rendition of “Shillongore Monalisa Lyngdoh” drew prolonged applause; Das also shared an anecdote about introducing the whistling interludes that became a signature element in several of Hazarika’s recordings.
Journalist Rahul Karmakar offered reflections on Hazarika’s ongoing socio‑cultural relevance. Distinguished guests included Smt. Monisha Hazarika, Dr. Nripen Barkataki, Bobeeta Sharma, Labu Senapati and artist Champak Borbora. Dr. A. K. Pansari, Chancellor of RGU, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to preserving and advancing the cultural legacy associated with the Centre.
The ceremony closed with a collective affirmation of Hazarika’s message that “culture is not ornament, but orientation.” With the release of “Bhupen Hazarika: Twenty Songs and Seven Portraits,” RGU has contributed a scholarly tribute to the centenary observances, seeking to carry the Bard’s songs beyond memory into classrooms, conversations and the public conscience.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/entertainment/story/bhupen-hazarika-twenty-songs-and-seven-portraits-released-in-centenary-tribute-to-the-bard-of-the-brahmaputra-1352010-2026-02-26?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-02-26 16:09:00
