Remembering the legacy Of Rana da

The state pays rich tributes to legendary musician Late Jayanta Hazarika (Rana da) on his 42nd death anniversary.

Born in 1943 in Mangaldai, the talented singer who had set a song to music at the age of nine years, passed away in 1977 at the age of 34. He was a blooming star when he met with his death. Jayanta Hazarika was the first Assamese composer to have fused western musical forms such as rock and roll, jazz and western classical music with traditional Assamese melodies and created a new sound. He was fondly called Ra by his companions.

His ever-green numbers are still popular among the youth. His numbers do have the smell of the soil, culture, and way of life in Assam. A number of present-day singers and musicians still recall him and say 'had Rana da been alive, we could've learned a lot'.