Pratima Barua Pandey
Encyclopedia
Pratima Barua Pandey was a popular folk
singer from the royal family
of Gauripur
in lower Assam
's Dhubri district
. Barua Pandey, a national awardee, best known for her immortal Goalpariya songs Hastir Kanya and Mur Mahut Bandhure, was the niece of filmmaker Pramathesh Barua
of Devdas fame.
. She pursued her early education in the city’s Gokhale Memorial School, after which she came to Assam
to study at the Girls’ High School
, Gauripur
, home of the royal family
. She mostly spent her early years in between the din of Kolkata
and the soothing environments of riverside "Gadadhar" at Gauripur
. Although she learned Rabindrasangeet at school
, but she never took any formal training or teaching in music
except the encouraging words from her father Prakitesh Chandra Barua (Lalji). The most crucial point in her life came when Dr. Bhupen Hazarika visited Gauripur
in 1955 and attended a jalsa organised on a social occasion, the shy young Pratima, though tongue-tied with fear, let her voice and the lyrics
of the lokageet in Goalpariya dialect
flow in tune with the strings and rhythms of the dhol, junuka, dotora, darinda, dhuluki and Bashi which are musical instrument
s in Goalpariya culture. Dr. Hazarika was highly impressed and predicted that this voice would definitely take Goalpariya lokageet
to great heights. Later he continued his tireless moral and material support to establish that Goalpariya lokageet
was a part of greater Assamese
geet. Indeed, he first presented Goalpariya folk
song in his film
Era Bator Sur. Besides the mahout songs, Barua Pandey used to sing Paul Robeson
’s evergreen hit We are in the same boat brother in stage shows. She married to Gauri Shankar Pandey, a retired principal of the Gauripur
P. B. College
.
for her pioneering efforts in popularising Goalpariya lokageet. A documentary flim made on her life and works by noted filmmaker Prabin Hazarika, Hastir Kanya, won nation
al award for best biographical film in 1997, earned great appreciation and created waves at the South Asia
film festival in 1998.
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer from the royal family
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
of Gauripur
Gauripur
Gauripur is a town and a town area committee in Dhubri district in the state of Assam, India.-Geography:Gauripur is located at . It has an average elevation of 26 metres . The nearest airport is situated at Rupsi adjacent to the village Khudimari.Gauripur is a small beautiful town in the...
in lower Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
's Dhubri district
Dhubri District
Dhubri District is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. The district headquarters are located at Dhubri town which is situated at ~290 km from Guwahati, the state capital. This was also the headquarters of erstwhile Goalpara district which was created in 1876 by the...
. Barua Pandey, a national awardee, best known for her immortal Goalpariya songs Hastir Kanya and Mur Mahut Bandhure, was the niece of filmmaker Pramathesh Barua
Pramathesh Barua
Pramathesh Chandra Barua was a famous actor, director, and screenwriter of Indian films in the pre-independence era.-Early life:...
of Devdas fame.
Early life
Barua Pandey was born on October 3, 1935, in KolkataKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. She pursued her early education in the city’s Gokhale Memorial School, after which she came to Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
to study at the Girls’ High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, Gauripur
Gauripur
Gauripur is a town and a town area committee in Dhubri district in the state of Assam, India.-Geography:Gauripur is located at . It has an average elevation of 26 metres . The nearest airport is situated at Rupsi adjacent to the village Khudimari.Gauripur is a small beautiful town in the...
, home of the royal family
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
. She mostly spent her early years in between the din of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and the soothing environments of riverside "Gadadhar" at Gauripur
Gauripur
Gauripur is a town and a town area committee in Dhubri district in the state of Assam, India.-Geography:Gauripur is located at . It has an average elevation of 26 metres . The nearest airport is situated at Rupsi adjacent to the village Khudimari.Gauripur is a small beautiful town in the...
. Although she learned Rabindrasangeet at school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, but she never took any formal training or teaching in music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
except the encouraging words from her father Prakitesh Chandra Barua (Lalji). The most crucial point in her life came when Dr. Bhupen Hazarika visited Gauripur
Gauripur
Gauripur is a town and a town area committee in Dhubri district in the state of Assam, India.-Geography:Gauripur is located at . It has an average elevation of 26 metres . The nearest airport is situated at Rupsi adjacent to the village Khudimari.Gauripur is a small beautiful town in the...
in 1955 and attended a jalsa organised on a social occasion, the shy young Pratima, though tongue-tied with fear, let her voice and the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
of the lokageet in Goalpariya dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
flow in tune with the strings and rhythms of the dhol, junuka, dotora, darinda, dhuluki and Bashi which are musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
s in Goalpariya culture. Dr. Hazarika was highly impressed and predicted that this voice would definitely take Goalpariya lokageet
Goalpariya lokageet
Goalpariya lokageet is a regional folk music of Assam basically from the erstwhile Goalpara district. It is due to the folk singer Pratima Barua Pandey who popularised and integrated-hitherto little known, the genre of Goalpariya lokageet into the mainstream Assamese music and even to the national...
to great heights. Later he continued his tireless moral and material support to establish that Goalpariya lokageet
Goalpariya lokageet
Goalpariya lokageet is a regional folk music of Assam basically from the erstwhile Goalpara district. It is due to the folk singer Pratima Barua Pandey who popularised and integrated-hitherto little known, the genre of Goalpariya lokageet into the mainstream Assamese music and even to the national...
was a part of greater Assamese
Assamese people
The Assamese people are a well-defined subgroup of People of Assam. Though sometimes they are defined as the Assamese-speaking Indo-Aryans of the Brahmaputra valley,, this definition is not legally binding...
geet. Indeed, he first presented Goalpariya folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
song in his film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Era Bator Sur. Besides the mahout songs, Barua Pandey used to sing Paul Robeson
Paul Robeson
Paul Leroy Robeson was an American concert singer , recording artist, actor, athlete, scholar who was an advocate for the Civil Rights Movement in the first half of the twentieth century...
’s evergreen hit We are in the same boat brother in stage shows. She married to Gauri Shankar Pandey, a retired principal of the Gauripur
Gauripur
Gauripur is a town and a town area committee in Dhubri district in the state of Assam, India.-Geography:Gauripur is located at . It has an average elevation of 26 metres . The nearest airport is situated at Rupsi adjacent to the village Khudimari.Gauripur is a small beautiful town in the...
P. B. College
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
.
Awards
Pratima Barua Pandey was awarded the Padmashree and Sangeet Natak AkademiSangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
for her pioneering efforts in popularising Goalpariya lokageet. A documentary flim made on her life and works by noted filmmaker Prabin Hazarika, Hastir Kanya, won nation
Nation
A nation may refer to a community of people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, descent, and/or history. In this definition, a nation has no physical borders. However, it can also refer to people who share a common territory and government irrespective of their ethnic make-up...
al award for best biographical film in 1997, earned great appreciation and created waves at the South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
film festival in 1998.