Subhadeep wrote on Jun 11 2008 1:35AM
The most prolific and complete musician of the Bengali language, both in movies and solos.He mesmerised an entire millenia, with his deep set barrytone voice, which has never failed to enchant its listeners, and also with his array of musical compositions, which have ranged from light Adhunik music, fleeting folk tunes, deeply meaningful adhunik songs, and film songs, with touches of the Divine Talent that e possessed. Overtly exuberant in his creations, he had been one of the main frames of the musical division of the then booming and prospering Bengali Film Industry.The greatest exponent of Rabindrasangeet since the legendary singer Pankaj Kumar Mullick, composed and sung in 138 Bengali films, and was a devoted musician throughout his life.Hemanta Mukhopadhyay was born in the city of Varanasi, India. His family hailed from the village Baharu in West Bengal. They migrated to Calcutta in the early1920s. Hemanta grew up there and attended Mitra Institution school of Bhawanipore area. There he met his longtime friend, Subhas Mukhopadhyay who later became a Bengali poet. After passing the intermediate examinations (12th grade), Hemanta was admitted to Jadavpur University to study Engineering. However, he quit academics to pursue a career in music, despite paternal objection. He briefly tried his hand at literature and also published a short story in a prestigious Bengali magazine called Desh, but by the late-1930s he was committed entirely to music.Under the influence of his friend Subhas Mukhopadhyay, Hemanta recorded his first song for All India Radio in 1933. The first line of the song was AMAR GAANETEY ELO NABRUPEY CHIRONTONI. Hemanta's music career was mentored by the Bengali musician Sailesh Duttagupta.In 1937 Hemanta got his first break uarly struggling musician in nder the label of a recording company Columbia, where he recorded the songs JANITEY JODI GO TUMI, and BHALO GO BHALO MOREY.Though not running successes, they etched an image on the minds of the listeners, that of a young seventeen year old boy named Hemanta Mukherjee.