Eminent Odisha musician Prafulla Kar passes away at 83
Eminent Odisha musician Prafulla Kar passes away at 83
admin
Bhubaneswar: Prafulla Kar, the legendary singer, died at his home in Satya Nagar in Odisha's capital around 10 p.m. on Sunday, according to family sources.
For quite some time, the 83-year-old has been suffering from old-age-related health issues. On Monday (tomorrow), his last rituals would be performed at Swargadwara in Puri, according to the sources.
Kar became a household name in Odisha with his song 'Kamala Desha Rajakumara,' and went on to score music for over 70 Odia films, as well as countless Odissi dance dramas and ballets, as well as four Bengali films. He performed in hundreds of film, radio, and album songs and was known for his mellifluous voice.
Kar has been a supporter of Odisha's rich cultural heritage, recording Odia Bhagabat and Odia Chhanda, a rare collection of Odia songs. 'Prabhukrupa,' a devotional music album directed by him and featuring Anuradha Paudwal, sold over 10 lakh cassettes under the T-Series banner. Vani Jayaram's rendition of his work 'Collection of Geet Govindam' was also a big hit.
Usha Mangeshkar, Kavita Krishnamurty, Suresh Wadkar, Md.Aziz, Kishore Kumar, Amit Kumar, Vani Jairam, S Janaki, Chitra, Yesudas, and S P Balsubramanyam are just a few of the well-known vocalists who have lent their voices to Odia music under his supervision. Apart from that, he has introduced the Odia film industry to around 20 playback singers.
Kar holds the uncommon distinction of having won best music director in state cinema awards eight times in a row, six times in a row.
In 2015, the legendary Odia musician was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour, for his contributions to the arts. In 2004, he received the Jayadeva Award for his excellent contribution to Odia cinema's growth and development.
One of his publications, 'Aniya Mala' and 'Krupajal,' is a collection of selected devotional songs.
