Playback maestro Andrew Kishore’s voice goes into silent forever

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DHAKA, July 6, 2020 (BSS) – Bengali playback legend Andrew Kishore, who attained a huge fame giving voice in several hundred Bangla movie songs and won National Film Award for eight times, died of cancer at a private clinic in Rajshahi this evening.

He breathed his last at 6.55 pm at the age of 65, family sources said.

Kishore was undergoing treatment at a clinic owned by his sister Dr Shikha Biswas in his hometown Rajshahi, for the last couple of days. He was kept at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the clinic.

The music maestro, who had been battling lymphoma (blood cancer) for long, returned home by a special flight on June 11 last after receiving treatment in Singapore for nine months.

Since then, he had been living in Rajshahi, said Dr Patrik Bipul Biswas, brother-in-law of the late singer.

Earlier, on September 18 last year, the prolific singer was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer that originates in the Lymphatic system, along with kidney and hormone related disease.

President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, meanwhile, expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of Kishore.

In separate condolence messages, they prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed profound sympathy to the bereaved family.

The celebrated playback singer, who was dubbed as Bangladesh’s Kishore Kumar for rendering songs of the eminent Indian singer Kishore Kumar, voiced in movie songs which became notable included “Jiboner Golpo Achhe Baki Olpo”, “Dak Diyachhen Doyal Amare”, “Haire Manush Rongin Fanush”, “Amar Shara Deho Kheyo Go Mati”, “Amar Buker Moddhe Khane”, “Amar Babar Mukhe Prothom Jedin Shunechilam Gan”, “Bhengeche Pinjor Meleche Dana”, and “Shobai To Bhalobasha Chae”.

He won Bangladesh National Film Award in best male playback singer category for eight times for the films Boro Bhalo Lok Chhilo (1982), Surrender (1987), Khotipuron (1989), Padma Meghna Jamuna (1991), Kabul (1996), Aaj Gaye Holud (2000), Saajghor (2007) and Ki Jadu Korila (2008).

Born on November 4 in 1955, Kishore, who studied at the University of Rajshahi, started taking music lessons at the age of six under Abdul Aziz Bachchu, the then chief music director of Rajshahi Betar, according to wikipedia.

After the 1971 Liberation War, he was enlisted in the radio in Nazrul, Tagore, modern, folk and patriotic songs categories.

In 1977, Kishore came to Dhaka to participate in a talent hunt project initiated by Shahidul Islam, the then director of Transcription Service of Bangladesh Betar.

At the programme, he rendered the song Soheli O Soheli, composed by Debu Bhattacherjee.

Kishore debuted in playback singing in the film Mail Train (1977) where he sang Ochinpurer Rajkumari Nei Je Tar Keu, composed by Saley Alam Khan.

Introduced by A.H.M. Rafique, Kishore made his breakthrough by the song Ek Chor Jay Choley from the film Protikkha, composed by Alam Khan.

Kishore worked in his Probaho Media, a production house, which produces television plays, commercials and other productions.

In his personal life, Kishore was married to Lipika Andrew Eti and together they have a daughter, Minim Andrew Songa, and a son, Jay Andrew Saptok.