Anima Choudhury (born 28 February 1953) is a singer from the Indian north eastern state of

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

. Her musical career over more than four decades has focussed on folk and modern Assamese songs. She has been awarded local and state level musical and cultural recognitions and titles including. "Luit Kuwari", and "Jan Dimali". Some of her most popular songs are 'Dikhou noir parore', 'Log diyar kotha asil' and 'E pran gopal'. Supplementing her musical career, Choudhury has also led a parallel academic life, with a Doctorate degree in history conferred by

Gauhati University Gauhati University also known as GU, is a collegiate public state university located in Guwahati, Assam, India. It was established on 26 January 1948 under the provisions of an Act enacted by the Assam Legislative Assembly and is the oldest un ...

Early life

Choudhury was born on 28 February 1953 to Dandiram Choudhury and Hemalata Choudhury in a small village of Niz Pakowa,

Nalbari Nalbari is a small town in Nalbari district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Assam. Nalbari is also the headquarters of Nalbari district, Nalbari District. Etymology The word ''Nalbari'' is derived from and . is a ...

Assam. Her father was a government officer posted at

Nagaon Nagaon is a city and a municipal board in Nagaon district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Assam. It is situated east of Guwahati. With a population of 1,16,355 as per 2011 census it is an AMRUT City and 4th biggest city ...

for an extended period where the child was raised as the fifth child in a family of seven siblings. Her elementary education as well as her musical lessons started at Nagaon. Her household was full of musical influence and her mother began her early awareness of traditional Assamese music . Her father was a devotee of Indian classical music who encouraged her to get professional training in Hindustani classical music. She received her early training in music at the music school of Sushil Banerjee. In 1963, when her father was transferred to

Guwahati Guwahati () the largest city of the Indian state of Assam, and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the seat of the Government of Assam. Th ...

, she started training in classical music under Hiren Sarma. She eventually acquired Visharad in classical music. After Sarma's death, she continued her classical training under Damodar Bora. She also took training from classical singer Nirod Roy, and training in

Thumri Thumri () is a vocal genre or style of Indian music. The term "thumri" is derived from the Hindi verb ''thumuknaa'', which means "to walk with a dancing gait in such a way that the ankle-bells tinkle." The form is, thus, connected with dance, dram ...

and

Bhajan Bhajan is an Indian term for any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Dharmic religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root w ...

under Nripen Ganguli, a classical singer of

All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...

Academic career

Choudhury graduated from

Cotton College Cotton College was a Roman Catholic boarding school in Cotton, Staffordshire, United Kingdom. It was also known as ''Saint Wilfrid's College''. The school buildings were centred on Cotton Hall, a country house used by religious communities fr ...

, Gauhati with Honors in History in 1972. She gota Masters in Arts degree from

in History in 1974, and a Doctorate (PhD) degree from that university in 1999 for her thesis on "Temples and Shrines in and around Guwahati – A Sociological and Folkloristic Exploration". Until her retirement in 2013, she was Associate Professor and later as Head of Department of History at Chhaygaon College, Kamrup, Assam. She has been invited to many International, national and state level seminars, and has presented research papers on several topics involving culture and music.

Musical career

In 1969, Choudhury participated in Cotton college's inter college music competition. Her performance in the statewide event caught the attention of music director Ramen Baruah. In 1970 Barua offered her an opportunity as a playback singer in the Assamese film Mukuta, singing all the female songs of the film. The songs became chart-busters all across Assam, specially the song "E pran gopal, Patila mayare khela" . After the success of the film, the record company

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...

invited Choudhury to have songs and albums recorded under their label. She recorded several Assamese modern songs and Kamrupi Lokagit with His Master's Voice. She was a playback singer in other Assamese films including Putalaghar, Prem Janame Janame, Agnibristi (VDO Film), Mor Maramere (VCD), and Siba Mahima (VCD). She also provided playback singing for the

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

film Tridhara in 2013, and has given her voice for TV serials Maa Manasa, Devi, Vandanand others. Since her childhood, she been a regular voice in

, rendering performances first in 'Akanir Mel' and then in 'Chemoniar Chora'. In 1972 she became an AIR approved artist. Currently she is an 'A-Grade' artist of All India Radio and

Doordarshan Doordarshan (), abbreviated as DD, is India's State-owned enterprise, state-owned public broadcasting, public television broadcaster. Established by the Government of India on 15 September 1959, it is owned by the Ministry of Information and B ...

and performs regularly for AIR and Doordarshan, and also invited by other private TV channels. In 1989 she represented Assam in the National program of Doordarshan organized by

Cuttak Cuttack (, or officially Kataka in Odia ), is the former capital, deputy capital and the 2nd largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. It is also the headquarters of the Cuttack district. The name of the city is an anglicised form of the Od ...

Doordarshan. She has been invited many by Indian/Assamese organizations in the United States to perform as an ambassador of the Assamese musical heritage.

Awards and recognition

*"Jaan Dimali Bota" 2016 by Jaan publication, Bamunigaon, Kamrup, Assam. She has been honored as "Luit Kuwari" as part of the felicitation. *"Dr Upen Kakoti Sowarani Bota" 2016 by Dergaon Kendriya Rangali Bihu Utsav. *"Xangkhadhwani Sanman" 2016 by Xangkhadhwani Samajik Sanskritik Mancha Kahilipara, Guwahati. *'LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, 2019' BY 'BASHANTAR EDIN' at Niz Pakowa, Nalbari. On 2 February 2013, Chhaygaon College organized an inter college competition on Choudhury's modern songs where competitors across Assam from several colleges under Gauhati University participated. Similarly, the cultural organization Jontara Kalakendra organized a program called 'Anubhab Mor Pritir Smriti' to honor her at Bejera. She was adjudged the best singer of Cotton College for the period 1969–70. She became the best singer of Gauhati University in the year 1973. While in the university, she was the first recipient of the 'Brajen Baruah Award' which had been instituted by the Directorate of Youth Welfare, Gauhati University. Jontara Kalakendra.

Musical works

Following is the list of audio albums released during Choudhury's career.

Assamese modern songs

*Asolore Baa *Tezimola Xare Ase *Pritir Smriti (Vol I & ll) *Smriti Anupom *Ai Tor Pujar Bedi *Hiya Jui *Madhoi Maloti *Ei Bohagote *Supohi *Ramdhenu *Kokal Bhangi Nach *Jaan *Majoni *Sapon *Nirabadhi

Folk songs

*Xubash *Amol Mol *Maniki Madhuri *Surar Jinjiri *O Bandhure (Goalporia) *Ram Nam Porene Monot *Antaryami *Tupuni *Manjori *Pran Gopal *Pushpanjoli *Mohon Kanai *Bhakti Sagar *Bin Borage

Bargit

*Madhura Murati *Ram Name Mukuti

Biyanaam

*Anima Choudhury r Biyanam *Na Kaina *Sukanya *Ajoli Boari *Prabhati Kanya

Jyoti Sangit

*Jyotir Gaan *Agnixur Volume III *Sonar Xarai

Bishnu Rabhar Geet

*Agnixur Volume VI *Uti Ja Rupali Nao

Bihu

*Jiyori *Patgabharu *Nayantora

References

External links

Bio on Rupaliparda
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Choudhury, Anima Singers from Assam 1953 births Assamese playback singers Assamese-language singers 20th-century Indian singers Living people Indian women historians 20th-century Indian historians Indian women folk singers Indian folk singers 20th-century Indian women singers 21st-century Indian women singers 21st-century Indian singers Women musicians from Assam Educators from Assam Women educators from Assam 20th-century women writers