Mayukh Hazarika (centre) performs at a function in the city

As she travels down memory lane and recalls the last song composed by her husband and legendary singer-composer, Jayanta Hazarika — Aakash aaji mur nai...(the sky is no more with me…) — veteran singer Manisha Hazarika grows nostalgic about her long relationship with the city.

The poignant song that has almost become symbolic with Hazarika’s life is the legacy that her husband, the iconic figure of the Assamese music world left for her, when he died at the age of 34 on October 15, 1977.

“Jayanta is my life and after he left us, his music and his home, the city, have become my life,” said Hazarika, with a tinge of pain in her eyes, sitting on the verandah of her Nizorapar residence in the city. “I came to the city after my marriage in 1969. Since then it has been my home. And in my home lies my heart,” she adds.

Born and raised in a respectable Bengali family, from a composite musical background in Calcutta, Manisha is not just a melodious singer, but a wonderful mother, friend, philosopher and guide as well. Moreover, she is the true inheritor of the legacy of music bequeathed by Jayanta Hazarika.

All those who are acquainted with Manisha admire her for her sheer guts and strength to stand against all odds and rise triumphant.

Even after her husband’s sudden demise, Manisha did not pack her bags and leave for Calcutta to stay with her parents. Instead, she started her battle for survival from scratch and made every effort to give the best possible upbringing to their only child, Mayukh.

She has sworn to keep the memorable songs of her husband alive and inspire the next generation to follow in her husband’s footsteps.

“I don’t believe in looking at the dark side of life. I would rather take up a challenge and emerge a winner in any situation. Today, when the entire city is cribbing about the lack of amenities, I compare it with the old days when the city hardly had any modern facilities. Problems are obviously there, be it waterlogging or potholed roads. Any growing metropolis has to endure these difficulties. But things are undergoing a change and hopefully the administration will rectify these defects,” says Manisha.

The popular singer and cultural activist is happy that the music industry in the city is now fully independent, with the best of infrastructure available for the artistes.

The commercial success of the industry is also an aspect that makes the veteran proud.

“The commercial success of the music industry has come as a big relief for all of us. Now, music has become a promising career option. But creativity is on the wane. We are now left with very few new talents. We need new and upcoming musicians and singers who are original and can experiment with their work,” she says.

Some of the memorable songs by Hazarika that are still chartbusters are Aai lo jitiya monot pore, and Bohag hoi judu phulore hahe, a duet with Jayanta Hazarika.

Currently she is busy reviving old Assamese melodies, especially those of her husband, which influenced an entire generation of Assamese youths in the sixties and seventies.

Manisha is also heading Sur Bahini, a mobile musical brigade, to collect funds in cash and kind for the victims of natural calamities.

Jayanta Hazarika had founded Sur Bahini in 1976.

The organisation remained defunct for two decades, but was revived by Manisha in 2004 when floods wreaked havoc in the state.

Manisha feels that in times of crisis, artistes cannot remain aloof to people’s woes. “The people reeling under floods are our patrons. They are the ones who listen to our songs and watch our movies,” she had said on behalf of the entire art fraternity at the time.

“We will try to attract the attention of the people through songs,” said Manisha.

Manisha recalls the days when she had accompanied her husband on a three-day tour to flood-affected areas on a truck. “Singer Mahananda Mazinder Baruah had accompanied us and we used to sing songs and call on the people to be more sensitive to the needs of the flood victims,” she said.

The veteran singer and music activist is now all geared up to reach out to more and more people and spread love, happiness and of course, music, among one and all.

A staff reporter