Guwahati, May 21: Renowned dhulia (drummer) Proshen Bora, who passed away here this morning, was a victim of the collapse of the once-thriving cassette industry.

"There were days when cassette producers used to book studios only if Bora was free. He was a pioneer of playing the dhul (drum) scientifically on Bihu cassettes. As the cassette industry died, Bora's economic condition deteriorated," said Ranjit Gogoi, a prominent bihua of the state who trained youths on Bihu with Bora for several years.

Bora, 55, who was suffering from septicaemia, passed away around 12.15am at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital here. He was a resident of Bhagadattapur near Kahilipara and is survived by his wife and two sons.

No wonder, because of the magic that Bora's fingers created on the dhul, that in the nineties he was one of the busiest folk artistes in Assam catering to the needs of the music industry.

"He set the record of playing dhul on 96 cassettes in just one Bihu season. It was so much work that he went to five to six studios in one day," said Parameswar Basumatary, the flutist who worked with him for years.

This morning, the lean and thin body of the busy artiste was lying still in the courtyard of his residence.

Bora's neighbours were arranging money for his last rites owing to his family's weak financial condition and their love for the artiste who had made every raax and bhaona of the area successful.

The economic condition of the family deteriorated so much that the school where Bora's son studies (Class X) decided not to ask him for admission fee.

However, the All Assam Students' Union came forward to help and took Bora's body to Jyoti Chitraban, Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, Rabindra Bhawan and then Swahid Nyash so that everybody can pay tribute to the "down to earth" artiste before his cremation at Nabagraha crematorium.

The dhul, which was his life source and gave him a livelihood, brought Bora to Guwahati. He was born in Dergaon on April 2, 1960. Dandeswar Barua, also from Dergaon, was his guru.

"He was a real gentleman. Dhul was his life till his last day," said guitarist Kamal Kataky.

But Bora's neighbours love and admire him for other reasons too. "In the namghar of Kalyani locality, we organised raax for the first time in 2002. Bora and his wife Nibha were the main persons behind making that event and its successive editions successful. The beats of his khol still ring in my ears. A mesmerised Kamal Hazarika, famous for his song Senai moi jaogoi, said that night Bora's khol was talking," said Brajen Hazarika, a neighbour.

On a few occasions, Bora also visited some foreign countries to perform in cultural events. But neither Bora nor his family thought it important to keep a record of these performances.

Relatives said Bora fell in the bathroom on Tuesday morning and bled profusely from his head. He was rushed to Hayat Hospital where doctors gave him 10 stitches.

Yesterday, his family members brought him to Nemcare Hospital after one of his legs had swollen badly. He was subsequently referred to GMCH.