Bhubaneswar, July 28: Legendary Odia vocalist Sikandar Alam's songs are very much alive even after his death.

Memories of his golden voice kept coming back at an event hosted to pay tributes to the celebrated singer on the occasion of his birth anniversary at Rabindra Mandap on Monday.

The concert was hosted by the state culture department through Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Odissi Research Centre with support from the Sikandar Alam Foundation.

Known for his devotional songs, especially those dedicated to Lord Jagannath, Alam has sung various compositions and left an indelible impact. The show began with ' Patita pabana bana au kete belaku,' one of his most touching songs praising Lord Jagannath. His evergreen romantic songs and unforgettable numbers such as 'Mayabini bana jochana', 'Sapanara pathe pathe' and ' Sinhabahini shakti pradayeeni maa' were also played at the concert.

Prominent personalities from the music fraternity such as Pranab Patnaik, Prafulla Kar and Shantanu Mohapatra were present on the occasion.

Alam passed away in 2010. His family has kept the tradition alive and all of the members are associated with music. His wife Naima is a trained singer while younger daughter Nazia has rendered her voice in classical music. Elder daughter Sofia is a well-known TV artiste. Nazia performed at the concert dedicated to her father.

Alam began his singing career at the tender age of 18. He worked with the All India Radio, Cuttack, in 1957 and went on to sing in more than 50 Odia films, recording over 2,000 songs including a number of ghazals . The BBC also aired his songs.

The musical programme marked Alam's 76th birth anniversary.