Sambalpur: The composer of popular Sambalpuri song Rangabati, Prabhudatta Pradhan, passed away at his home here on Monday following prolonged illness, family sources said.

Pradhan was 75. He is survived by wife and two sons Ashish and Aseem.

Pradhan, who had been active in music for 45 years, is credited with popularising Sambalpuri music and bagged 14 awards for his contribution to it.

He was an expert in percussion instruments such as dhol and madal. Rangabati, the song which earned him fame in 1975, was written by Mitrabhanu Gountia and sung by Jitendra Haripal and Krishna Patel.

Born in 1943, Prahan started learning music under his father at the age of three. He was influenced by his father, Pravas Chandra Pradhan, to sing bhajans (Hindu devotional songs) at home even though they were Christians.

Pradhan learnt tabla from Jadunath Supkar at Benaras in Uttar Pradesh.

He joined the All India Radio station in Sambalpur as an instrumentalist in 1969 and soon gained popularity.