Hemanga Biswas (14 December 1912 – 22 November 1987) was an Indian singer, composer, author and political activist, known for his literature in Bengali and Assamese, advocacy of peoples music, drawing from genres of folk music, including Bhatiali originally popular among the fishermen of Bengal.[2]
Biswas was born in Habiganj, Sylhet, British India (now in Bangladesh) on 14 December 1912 to Harakumar and Sarojini Biswas. He went to the Middle English School in Habiganj. He studied at the George Institution of Dibrugarh from 1925 to 1927 when Nilmoni Phukan was its headmaster. There he became interested in Assamese culture. He attended Habiganj Government High School in 1930. He also studied in MC College, Sylhet from 1930–1931. Biswas embraced the values of communism during his college years and wrote poems and plays on equal rights. During this time he started performing "gana sangeet." He did not complete his formal education. Biswas became involved in a movement to ensure the rights of tea garden laborers, farmers, and the underprivileged throughout the region. For his political convictions, he was arrested in 1930. He was also associated with the Indian People's Theatre Association.[3] He married Ranu Dutta, a high school teacher, in 1959. Their son, Moinak Biswas (professor of Film Studies at Jadavpur University & filmmaker), was born in 1960 and their daughter, Rongili Biswas (a writer & professor of Economics) was born in 1967.
Musical workedit
Hemanga with Debabrata Biswas, Omar Sheikh, Niranjan Sen and others.
Hemanga Biswas was responsible for a number of popular Bengali songs. A fierce debate once ensued between Salil Choudhury and him on the method of translating the ideal of people's art:[4]
He sang a duet with Bhupen Hazarika, Debabrata Biswas and Pete Seeger. Through his music, he had hoped to motivate the masses to fight for their rights, for them to be united, and for them to be vocal against any form of corruption. His beliefs in equal rights for all led him to repeatedly try to request and urge the then Congress Government headed by Siddhartha Shankar Roy to extend a helping hand to the labour class people. Banchbo Re Banchbo Amra was composed to motivate the laborers to improve their standard of living. His translation of The Internationale into Bengali and his singing of such songs as Amra Karbo Joy, Ajadi Hoyni Tor, and Negro Bhai Amar aided the Bengali leftist movement.[5][6]
He was influenced by Bhawaiya and Bhatiali, and generated his own style, which combined those folk traditions with Sylhet culture's, which he called Bahirana. He formed Mass Singers (a group for mass songs) in or around 1978.
Moviesedit
Hemanga Biswas was the playback singer in Meghe Dhaka Tara (The Cloud Capped Star) (1960), Lalon Fakir (Deha Tari Dilam Chhariyo), Utpal Datta's Kallol, and Komal Gandhar.
Rhyming Revolution: Marxism and Culture in Colonial Bengal
Translated chapter from Biswas's travelogue: "Abar Chin Dekhe Elam" (Trip To China Again), 1975
Hemango Biswas’s popular songs presented at University of Dhaka, in Bangladesh, celebrating his 99th birth anniversary
December 15, 2023
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Hemanga Biswas news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Hemanga Biswas 14 December 1912 22 November 1987 was an Indian singer composer author and political activist known for his literature in Bengali and Assamese advocacy of peoples music drawing from genres of folk music including Bhatiali originally popular among the fishermen of Bengal 2 Hemanga BiswasBiswas in the 1980sBorn 1912 12 14 14 December 1912Habiganj Assam Province British India Present day Bangladesh Died 1987 11 22 22 November 1987Calcutta West Bengal IndiaNationalityIndianOccupation s Musician author political activistSpouseRanu Dutta 1 Children2 Contents 1 Early life 2 Musical work 3 Movies 4 Partial discography 5 Bibliography 5 1 Bengali 5 2 Assamese 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksEarly life editBiswas was born in Habiganj Sylhet British India now in Bangladesh on 14 December 1912 to Harakumar and Sarojini Biswas He went to the Middle English School in Habiganj He studied at the George Institution of Dibrugarh from 1925 to 1927 when Nilmoni Phukan was its headmaster There he became interested in Assamese culture He attended Habiganj Government High School in 1930 He also studied in MC College Sylhet from 1930 1931 Biswas embraced the values of communism during his college years and wrote poems and plays on equal rights During this time he started performing gana sangeet He did not complete his formal education Biswas became involved in a movement to ensure the rights of tea garden laborers farmers and the underprivileged throughout the region For his political convictions he was arrested in 1930 He was also associated with the Indian People s Theatre Association 3 He married Ranu Dutta a high school teacher in 1959 Their son Moinak Biswas professor of Film Studies at Jadavpur University amp filmmaker was born in 1960 and their daughter Rongili Biswas a writer amp professor of Economics was born in 1967 Musical work edit nbsp Hemanga with Debabrata Biswas Omar Sheikh Niranjan Sen and others Hemanga Biswas was responsible for a number of popular Bengali songs A fierce debate once ensued between Salil Choudhury and him on the method of translating the ideal of people s art 4 He sang a duet with Bhupen Hazarika Debabrata Biswas and Pete Seeger Through his music he had hoped to motivate the masses to fight for their rights for them to be united and for them to be vocal against any form of corruption His beliefs in equal rights for all led him to repeatedly try to request and urge the then Congress Government headed by Siddhartha Shankar Roy to extend a helping hand to the labour class people Banchbo Re Banchbo Amra was composed to motivate the laborers to improve their standard of living His translation of The Internationale into Bengali and his singing of such songs as Amra Karbo Joy Ajadi Hoyni Tor and Negro Bhai Amar aided the Bengali leftist movement 5 6 He was influenced by Bhawaiya and Bhatiali and generated his own style which combined those folk traditions with Sylhet culture s which he called Bahirana He formed Mass Singers a group for mass songs in or around 1978 Movies editHemanga Biswas was the playback singer in Meghe Dhaka Tara The Cloud Capped Star 1960 Lalon Fakir Deha Tari Dilam Chhariyo Utpal Datta s Kallol and Komal Gandhar Partial discography editHemanga Biswaser Gaan ShankhachilBibliography editBengali edit Shankhachiler Gaan Hemanga Biswaser Gaan Lokasangeet Samiksha Bangla O Assam Abar Chin Dekhe ElamAssamese edit Kul Khurar Sutal Akou Sin Sai Ahilu Jiwon Xilpi Jyoti PrasadSee also editLeft Front The InternationaleReferences edit Late singer s wife found dead in pond The Times of India Retrieved 21 January 2019 Jasimuddin org Sos arsenic net Retrieved 10 October 2012 Shrivastava 2008 Broadcast Journalism Sterling Publishers Pvt Limited ISBN 9788120735972 Paper Aesthetics and Politics Scribd com 16 July 2009 Retrieved 10 October 2012 IPTA tribute to folk artiste Hemanga Biswas s birth centenary celebrations begin The Telegraph Kolkata Retrieved 21 January 2019 Death anniversary of Hemanga Biswas observed in Sylhet The Daily Star 25 November 2008 Retrieved 21 January 2019 External links editHemanga Biswas at IMDb Listen Songs by Hemango Biswas Rhyming Revolution Marxism and Culture in Colonial Bengal Translated chapter from Biswas s travelogue Abar Chin Dekhe Elam Trip To China Again 1975 Hemango Biswas s popular songs presented at University of Dhaka in Bangladesh celebrating his 99th birth anniversary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hemanga Biswas amp oldid 1140534795, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
