Sohrab Hossain (9 April 1922 – 27 December 2012) was a Bangladeshi singer and an exponent of

Nazrul Sangeet Nazrul Sangeet (), also Nazrul Geeti (; ), refers to the songs written and composed by Kazi Nazrul Islam, who is the national poet of Bangladesh. Nazrul Geeti incorporate revolutionary notions as well as more spiritual, philosophical and roman ...

. From his childhood, he was interested in music and started learning music. He met singer Abbas Uddin in a function in Ranaghat. Then he went to Kolkata. In Kolkata with the help of Abbas Uddin he started working on a music album but could not finish it. After the partition of India, he came back to Dhaka where he got a Government job. With the musical troupe of Abbas Uddin he performed all over Bangladesh. He worked as a playback singer in several movies. He was also a teacher of few musical institutions. Hossain received the

Independence Day Award The Independence Award (), formally known as the Independence Day Award or Swadhinata Padak (), is the highest state award given by the government of Bangladesh. Introduced in 1977 by President Ziaur Rahman, this award is bestowed upon Banglade ...

in 1980.

Early life

Hossain was born on 9 April 1922 in Ayeshtala village near Ranaghat in Nadia, Bengal. He was interested in music since his very childhood. At the age of nine, he heard ''Nazrul Sangeet'' in Ranaghat. His first music teacher was Jainul Abedin. When he was a student in grade five, one day he was going to Ranaghat by boat and met Khirod Pal, a ''zamindar''. Being impressed by talent of the young boy, the rich ''zamindar'' appoints Kiran Dey Chowdhury as his music teacher. But his family did not appreciate his fondness of music and stopped paying his school fees.

Musical career

In a local function of Ranaghat Abbas Uddin, Mohammed Hossain Koshru, Jasim Uddin and

Tabla A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...

player Bajlul Karim came to perform. In this function young Sohrab Hossain got an opportunity to perform. Then he went to

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

. There he started working at ''Shrirangam Theatre''. In Kolkata he met Abbas Uddin. Abbas Uddin gives him a job at the '"Songs and Publicity Department" where he joins at 6 June 1946. Then with help of Abbas Uddin, he makes agreement with ''Megaphonre Records'', a music record company to record a music album. But, because of the communal riots of pre and post independence they could not work on this music album. Hossain also passed in HMV's music audition.

After partition of India

After the

partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...

he went to Dhaka, Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). In Dhaka he got a Government job at the information department. Now he started to perform in different programs and radio programs and joined few music institutions like ''Bulbul Lolitokola Academy'', ''Chhayanot'', ''Shilpokola Academy'', and ''Nazrul Academy'' etc. as a music teacher. With the musical troupe of Abbas Uddin he performed in different cities and places of Bangladesh. He also worked as a playback singer in few Bengali movies. He also acted in a Bengali drama ''Chhnera Tar'' directed by Tulshi Lahiri.

Death

Hossain died on 27 December 2012 in a hospital in

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

. At the time of death Hossain was suffering from diabetes, respiratory problems, and various infectious diseases. After the death of Hossain, Bangladeshi cultural activist Kamal Lohani said "Sohrab Hossain was a humble and humorous person. He could perform all the diverse subgenres of Nazrul Sangeet—be it Kirtan or satirical songs. He would follow proper notations both in singing and in teaching. If we follow the right path showed by the artiste, we can then properly pay tribute to him"

Filmography

* ''E Desh Tomar Amar'' * ''Godhulir Prem'' * ''Je Nodi Morupothe'' * ''Matir Pahar'' * ''Shit Bikel''

Awards

(1980) * Nazrul Academy Award * Channel I award * Nazrul University honours (2009)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hossain, Sohrab 1922 births 2012 deaths People from Nadia district 20th-century Bangladeshi male singers 20th-century Bangladeshi singers Bangladeshi Nazrul Geeti singers Recipients of the Independence Award Singers from West Bengal