Eminent Assamese musician, flute player Prabhat Sarma passes away

His daughter Tarali Sarma, a National Award-winning singer, said her father woke up at 4:30 am and then went to sleep after talking to his wife.

“When my aunt came to wake him up at 6 am, he was no more,” she told PTI sitting beside the mortal remains of the doyen of Assamese folk culture at his home in Ambikagiri Nagar area of Guwahati.

Sarma is survived by his wife, three daughters and grandchildren.

যশস্বী সংগীতজ্ঞ, বাঁহীবাদক প্ৰভাত শৰ্মাদেৱৰ বিয়োগত মৰ্মাহত হৈছোঁ। অসমৰ সংগীতৰ চহকী যাত্ৰাত তেখেতে যি অনবদ্য অৱদান আগবঢ়াই গৈছে, সেয়া স্মৰণীয় হৈ ৰ’ব।

এই শোকৰ মুহূৰ্তত শৰ্মাদেৱৰ পৰিয়ালবৰ্গ আৰু গুণমুগ্ধলৈ গভীৰ সমবেদনা জনালোঁ আৰু তেখেতৰ আত্মাৰ চিৰশান্তি কামনা কৰিলোঁ।

ঔঁ শান্তি pic.twitter.com/QlSPkCkUUa

— Sarbananda Sonowal (@sarbanandsonwal) March 2, 2021

Expressing grief over Sarma’s demise, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said, it is an irreparable loss to the cultural arena of the state.

Political parties and several organisations also condoled the death of the leading musician.

Recipient of innumerable honours, the flutist had received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2003 for his contribution to folk and traditional music of Assam.

Sarma who had a collection of musical instruments, including a few that are now obsolete, built a museum in a miniature form, and later gave life to the obscure instruments
by conducting orchestras with them.

He was associated with several films as a music director, besides composing the background score of a number of TV serials and stage plays.

A folk singer of repute, Sarma was also engaged in research of Sattriya dance, a classical form innovated by Srimanta Sankardeva in Assam.

Distinguished personalities, including Sattriya dance guru Jatin Goswami, folk singer Loknath Goswami and lyricist Prasanta Bordoloi, visited Sarma’s house and paid floral
tributes.

The last rites of Sarma will be performed at the Nabagraha crematorium in the evening. Before that, his body will be taken to Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, All India Radio office, Rabindra Bhawan, Asam Sahitya Sabha and Shahid Bhawan of AASU.