Pannalal Bhattacharya
Encyclopedia
Pannalal Bhattacharya was one of the finest Bengal singers. Most of the songs he sang were written by Ramprasad Sen
and Sadhak Kamalakanta
, both of whom were Shakta poets of Bengal
. He was eight years younger than his elder brother Dhananjay Bhattacharya
. He developed a special style of singing Shyama Sangeet
, that continues to be very common and bears the signature of his distinct legacy till now. He committed suicide at the age of 36.
, where they encountered the same problem. Then both sang in Megaphone. At first he sang modern Bengali songs, until a friend of Sanat Sinha named Bishwanath Kumar recruited Pannalal to sing his first Shyama Sangeet, "Aamar sadh na mitilo aasha na purilo, sokoli phuraye jay ma..." (None of my desires were fulfilled, nor my hopes have come true, O mother...). This rendition is now acclaimed as a classic in Bengal.
and always remained engrossed in her thoughts. Pannalal and his elder brother Dhananjay Bhattacharya, another eminent singer of Shyama Sangeet
, wanted to please Kali by offering her their songs. One doesn't need to necessarily know Bengali to empathize with his unparalleled tune dripping with devotion regardless of belief. One will feel his climbing, devoted prayer to Mother Kali mounting in his own heart.
, the Exalted, but Pannalal didn't, and so he committed suicide on 27 March 1966, in his house on Kakulia Road. He died only at a very young age of 36, but he has claimed a paramount position in the hearts of thousands of Kali devotees since his first Shyama Sangeet
performance.
Ramprasad Sen
' was a Shakta poet of eighteenth century Bengal. His bhakti poems, known as Ramprasadi, are still popular in Bengal—they are usually addressed to the Hindu goddess Kali and written in Bengali...
and Sadhak Kamalakanta
Sadhak Kamalakanta
Sadhaka Kamalakanta was a poet of India of the late 18th century. He is often considered to have followed the example of Ramprasad, both in his poetry and in his lifestyle.-Early life:...
, both of whom were Shakta poets of Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
. He was eight years younger than his elder brother Dhananjay Bhattacharya
Dhananjay Bhattacharya
Dhananjay Bhattacharya,son of Surendranath Bhattacharya was one of the finest Bengal singers. He was a great versatile Shyama Sangeet singer. He was eight years elder than his younger brother Pannalal. He studied in Rivers Thompson School, Bally, Howrah....
. He developed a special style of singing Shyama Sangeet
Shyama Sangeet
Shyama Sangeet is a genre of Bengali devotional songs dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shyama or Kali. It is also known as Shaktagiti.Shyama Sangeet appeals to the common man because it is a musical representation of the relationship of eternal and sublime love and care between the mother and her child...
, that continues to be very common and bears the signature of his distinct legacy till now. He committed suicide at the age of 36.
His Childhood
Very little is known about his background. Even the Bengali 'Cąritavidan' is insufficient to provide information about his early life or childhood.First Appearance
Pannalal started singing in 1947 with Sanat Sinha, another renowned musician, only at the age of 17. The elder brother of Pannalal, Prafulla took both of them to a function, where none of them were selected because voice immaturity, and then to the HMVHMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
, where they encountered the same problem. Then both sang in Megaphone. At first he sang modern Bengali songs, until a friend of Sanat Sinha named Bishwanath Kumar recruited Pannalal to sing his first Shyama Sangeet, "Aamar sadh na mitilo aasha na purilo, sokoli phuraye jay ma..." (None of my desires were fulfilled, nor my hopes have come true, O mother...). This rendition is now acclaimed as a classic in Bengal.
Personal life
Pannalal was married and he took care of his family well until his death in 1966. After his death his elder brother Dhananjay bore the responsibility of Pannalal's family, along with his own.At the peak of popularity
Pannalal developed a special style of singing with devotion. His distinct singing voice and his devotional spirit have melted the hearts of countless devotees of Mother Kali across Bengal. He became a great devotee of KaliKali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
and always remained engrossed in her thoughts. Pannalal and his elder brother Dhananjay Bhattacharya, another eminent singer of Shyama Sangeet
Shyama Sangeet
Shyama Sangeet is a genre of Bengali devotional songs dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shyama or Kali. It is also known as Shaktagiti.Shyama Sangeet appeals to the common man because it is a musical representation of the relationship of eternal and sublime love and care between the mother and her child...
, wanted to please Kali by offering her their songs. One doesn't need to necessarily know Bengali to empathize with his unparalleled tune dripping with devotion regardless of belief. One will feel his climbing, devoted prayer to Mother Kali mounting in his own heart.
The last years
In the last years, Pannalal looked morose for some unknown reason. It is claimed by some that Dhananjay, received the divine grace of Mother KaliKali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
, the Exalted, but Pannalal didn't, and so he committed suicide on 27 March 1966, in his house on Kakulia Road. He died only at a very young age of 36, but he has claimed a paramount position in the hearts of thousands of Kali devotees since his first Shyama Sangeet
Shyama Sangeet
Shyama Sangeet is a genre of Bengali devotional songs dedicated to the Hindu goddess Shyama or Kali. It is also known as Shaktagiti.Shyama Sangeet appeals to the common man because it is a musical representation of the relationship of eternal and sublime love and care between the mother and her child...
performance.