Sudakshina Sarma (1934-2023) was an Indian singer associated with Assamese music. In a career spanning eight years, Salma has recorded songs in various classical and contemporary genres of Assamese music, including Borgeet, Kamrupi Lokgeet and Goalpariya Lokogeet. She was instrumental in popularizing Jyoti Sangeet and Rabindra Sangeet. She is famous for singing Assamese classic songs “Kotha Aru Shur”, “Jetuka Bolere” and “Sharatkalor Rati”. She is the sister of legendary Assamese singer Bupen Hazarika. She passed away on July 3, 2023 due to age-related illnesses.
Wiki/Biography
Sudakshina Sarma was born on Wednesday 8 August 1934 in Balarumukh, Guwahati, Assam, British India (now Guwahati, Assam, India) (Bharalumukh), formerly known as Nirupama Hazarika (aged 88; at the time of death). Her zodiac sign is Leo. Her paternal side is from Nazira, Assam. Sudakshina grew up in a culturally inclined artistic family with nine siblings, and her first exposure to music was listening to her mother singing lullabies and Assamese folk songs to her children. Her passion for music was later inspired by her singer brother Bhupen Hazarika. In an interview, she recalled hearing Bhupen’s songs on the radio as a child and said:
There are only two radios in the locality – one at Tarun Ram Phookan’s house and one at MP Rohini Choudhury’s house. Bupenda told us that no matter what time of day, we would rush to these two houses to listen to his songs. But sometimes it’s frustrating because we often miss the first half of the song when we go through the initial formalities at their house. “
She would accompany Bupen to his musical events in Dhubri, Tezpur, Sonitpur and Mangaldoi, exposing her to the arts and cultural events of Assam. During this period, she had the opportunity to interact with the stalwarts of Assamese culture such as Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Agarwala, Bishnu Prasad Rabha Bishnu Prasad Rabha, playwright Phani Sarma and others. As a child, she used to listen to gramophone records of Pankaj Mullick, Saigal and Kanan Devi. She attended Panbazar Girls High School in Guwahati. Her mother was an active member of the Assam Mahila Samiti. Sudakshina would accompany her mother to Samiti rallies, where she met various freedom fighters and activists like Chandraprabha Saikiani, Amalprava Das, Begum Abida Ahmed (wife of Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed), etc. She got married in 1954, when she was preparing to appear for her final examinations in BA, Handik Women’s College, Guwahati.
appearance
Hair color: gray
Eye color: black
Sudakshina Sarma performs with son Rishiraj Sarma
family
Parents and siblings
Her father Neelkantha Hazarika is a music composer and ACS officer. Her mother Shantipriya Hazarika was an active member of the Assam Pradeshik Mahila Samity. Sudakshina was the fourth of ten children of her parents. The eldest son is Sudakshina’s younger brother Bhupen Hazarika (1926-2011), popularly known as Sudha Kontho, was a famous playback singer, lyricist, musician, poet, actor, artist, editor, film producer, professor and politician. Bhupan was eight years older than Sudakshina.
Bupen Hazarika
Her brother Samar Hazarika is a playback singer and an employee of Food Corporation of India. She has a younger sister named Sushma Hazarika. Her brother Balen Hazarika is a cultural activist and educator. He served as music secretary of Cotton College and retired professor of St. Anthony’s College, Shillong. Her brother Jayanta Hazarika (singer-composer) was the ninth of 10 children. One of her brothers is Nripen Hazarika.
Samar Hazarika, brother of Sudakshina Sarma
Sudakshina Sarma’s brother Jayanta Hazarika
Sudakshina Sarma’s brother Balen Hazarika
Nripen Hazarika and Sudakshina Sarma
husband and children
In 1954, she married singer-songwriter Dilip Sarma, founder and editor of the Assamese magazine Awahan Dinanath Sarma Son of (Dinath Sarma).
Dilip Salma and Sudakshna Salma
Dilip first met Sudakshina in Kolkata in 1943, when she was recording Kalaguru’s song Nahor Phule Nusuwai Tagar Phule Suwabe under Senola Records. Dilip recalled his first meeting with Sudakshna and said:
In one such show organized at Kumar Bhaskar Natya Mandir in Uzan Chowk, Uday Shankar performed a novel dance drama along with his troupe members and performed robotic art moves. That night, she (Sudakshina) also performed a beautiful classical dance piece. “
The couple has two sons, Rituparna Sarma and Rishiraj Sarma, and a daughter, Rijushree Sarma Majumdar. Her late sons Rituparna Sarma and Rishiraj Sarma were both famous singers. Rishiraj Sarma is also a lawyer. Her daughter Rijushree is married to famous writer Paramananda Majumdar.
Sudakshina Sarma performs music with son Rishiraj Sarma
Rituparna Sarma, son of Sudakshina Sarma
Rijushree Sarma Majumdar and her husband Paramananda Majumdar
caste
She was born into the Jalia Kaibarta family and belonged to the Dom fishermen caste in Assam. Historically, they were considered an untouchable caste. Doms are classified as a reserved caste in India.
Profession
Her career spanned eight decades, beginning in the mid-1940s. In 1944, when she was only 10 years old, her mentor Bishnu Prasad Rabha accompanied her to Kolkata (then Calcutta) where she recorded the songs Nahar Phule Nushuwai and Biswar Chande Chande with Assamese actor and music director Kamal Narayan Chowdhury . Composed by Bishnu Rabha, these songs became an instant hit. In the same year, she recorded two more hit songs: Duronir Hou Rini Rini composed by Anandiram Das and A’ Moina Ketia Ahili Toi composed by her father Neelkantha Hazarika. In 1946, Sudakshina had the opportunity to sing “E Joy Raghur Nandan” for Mahatma Gandhi at the Jubilee Gardens in Guwahati in front of a large crowd, which she considered one of the greatest moments of her life. In an interview, she recalled the same incident and said:
I will never forget that special moment in my life. Gandhi wanted to hear Assam Bhajan. Then Gopinath Bordoloi asked me to sing a song and Bishnu Rabha suggested E Joi Roghunandan. “
Another important moment in Nirupama’s life was when Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated and his ashes were ceremoniously placed on the Brahmaputra river at Shukreshwar Ghat. On this solemn occasion, she sang the song Prithibir Shirot Bajrapat Porile composed by her brother Bhupen Hazarika. She even appeared in plays and participated in folk dance performances. She became an artist after All India Radio was established in Guwahati in 1948. In 1954, she married singer and composer Dilip Sarma, opening new doors in her artistic career. The duo recorded brilliant albums together and produced hit songs like Moyu Bane Jao Swamihe, Nahar Phule Nushuwai, Kamalkuwari More Praneswari, Rati Puwaelre Kuruwai Pare Rao and Ur Ur Ur Neel Akashat.
Dilip Sarma and Sudakshina Sarma music album cover
Apart from folk and classical music, she has also worked as a playback singer in three theater recordings including Maniram Dewan in Prabin Phukan, Piyoli Phukan in Sarbeswar Chakraborty, Vishnu Shakti and Rakshya Kumar in Lakshyadhar Choudhury. She lent her voice to several Assamese films, including Chik Mik Bijuli (1969), Pargat and Abuj Bedona (1993), directed by her husband Dilip Sarma. She also rendered the Assamese version of Rabindra Sangeet – Arup Tomar Bani. Her other recordings include Jautijugiya, Aparup Tomar Bani, Geet Gau Ekelage, Sirasundarr Sanskriti and Nijara Parar Sur for labels including HMV, Columbia and Senola Records. The legendary singer is credited with preserving Assamese music by lending his voice to various genres such as Borgeet, Kamrupi, Goalparia, Bongeet, Biyanam and Bihunam. Later, she also served as a cultural ambassador. Even after she stopped singing in public, Sudakshina continued teaching music until old age stopped her ability. In 2020, Sudakshina Sarma collaborated with her son Rishiraj Sarma on the song “Aai-O-Aai”.
Aai-O-Aai by Sudakshina Sarma and Rishiraj Sarma
die
Sudakshina Sarma was admitted to the intensive care unit of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on June 23, 2023, suffering from pneumonia and bedsores. Later, her condition improved and she was moved to the cabin. On the evening of July 2, 2023, her health deteriorated again, and she passed away at 8:25 am on July 3, 2023. Her body will be taken to her residence for her family and well-wishers to pay their last respects. Sudakshina donated her eyes and body to Ellora Vigyan Mancha, a Guwahati-based NGO that promotes organ donation. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed condolences on social media and wrote:
I am deeply saddened to learn about the passing away of Sudakshina Sharma, a dazzling star in the cultural circles of Assam and a famous musician. She enriched the world of music by writing songs that touched people’s hearts, and her death is a huge loss to the country’s culture and society. “
Sudakshina Sharma’s last days
Facts/Trivia
- She was called Queen as a child. At the beginning of her career, she was known as Queenie Hazarika. In 1954, she changed her name to Sudakshina after her marriage to the famous singer and composer Dilip Sarma. Her sister-in-law Manisha Hazarika (wife of Jayanta Hazarika) revealed that Queenie was the name given to her by Bishnu Prasad Rava. Famous Assamese artist and revolutionary poet. After the marriage, her father-in-law Dinanath Sarma named her Sudakshina.
- Interestingly, Nirupama aspired to become a nurse during her childhood, influenced by a book about Florence Nightingale. However, her inability in mathematics prevented her from pursuing science.
- In 1943, she rehearsed the role of young Sankardev for a half-hour Assamese cultural program directed by Bishnu Rabha, to be broadcast by All India Radio (AIR) . However, she was unable to appear in the play due to typhoid fever.
- Sudakshina and Dilip are active members of the Assam chapter of the Indian People’s Theater Association (IPTA) (or Gananatya Sangha). The couple is known for their mastery of Rabindra Sangeet and works in various forms of music including folk, classical, light classical and contemporary music. During the fifties, they performed Jyoti Sangeet (a song composed by Assam cultural icon Jyoti Prasad Agarwala) in China under a cultural exchange program. In 1990, they started running Jayjayanti Kala Kendra, a music college and art school affiliated to Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh and Sarbabharatiya Sangeet O Sanskriti Parishad, India. They also established the Dilip Sarma-Sudakshina Sarma Cultural Institute.
- In 2002, Sudakshina Sarma and her husband Dilip Sarma received the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in recognition of their contribution to the study and practice of national folk music and Jyoti Sangeet. This is the first time a couple has received this award simultaneously.
- In 2022, she underwent leg surgery at Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) after she collapsed in the bathroom. She had previously undergone hip surgery.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education