Jayanta Hazarika

Whenever I think of Jayanta Hazarika, I am filled with sadness; I am reminded of so many young people who leave behind a whole body of work almost as a reminder of how much more they could have done, had they lived a few years longer. I was once asked by a friend from Rajasthan, why Jayanta never became as famous as his elder brother Bhupen, and the only answer I could give was that he died at the young age of thirty four. Many people have given many other reasons for this--his music does not have the depth of that of Bhupen, he did not experiment as much as Bhupen, his music is not as socially committed or as hard hitting as that of Bhupen...it just goes on.

True, Jayanta's music has a lighter touch than that of Bhupen, and mostly appeals to younger listeners. But let us put and end to this comparison game. Jayanta's music is beautiful in its own right. He has often been given the credit of being a pioneer in introducing Western musical instruments in Assamese music in the 1960s and 70s. But what is better, is how he uses those instruments. What amazes me is that in spite of these innovations, his music still remains close to the Assamese soil.

I first realised the beauty of his music on a road journey around the Assamese countryside. We were travelling by car, with my father at the wheel and my mother by his side, while I had the whole backseat to myself. Although we had a variety of music to entertain ourselves with, we finally ended up listening only to Jayanta's songs. And that is when I realised, his music reflects everyday Assamese life most beautifully. He sings about nothing phenomenal, just about ordinary things like love, time, family, sorrow, happiness, hills, rivers, trees, flowers and life. It is this simplicity that is so endearing. His melodies and rhythms echo the undulating surface of the land, the meandering of the rivers and the greenery of the fields. In short, if you are travelling through Assam, you must carry Jayanta's music with you.

Wondering what triggered off this emotional tribute to Jayanta? Well, while surfing through Youtube today, I came across a video of one of my favourite Assamese songs, 'Xar Paam Moi Puwoti Nixate' (I will wake up at the crack of dawn), sung of course, by Jayanta. A very well made video, because it has black and white photos of Jayanta, which made me even more nostalgic. I am attaching the clip here:



This song has been subsequently covered by his only son, Mayukh, and that is also perhaps one of the reasons I like this song so much.

I couldn't resist translating this song. I know I might have killed the song in the process, but what the hell, that is one of the few things I know how to do. Translating is my way of making something my own, my way of connecting with the creator of a great piece of work. So here goes:

                  Xar paam moi puwoti nixate

I will wake up
At the crack of dawn
When dewdrops are falling;
That hour, which moistens
The dry dust lying on the road.
Mother, won’t you wake me up?

I want to see
How the crimson sun
Vanquishes all the darkness;
How it casts a spell
On each budding flower,
So it blooms in all its glory.
How it fills the heart
Of the vacant air
With sweet fragrances.
Mother, won’t you wake me up?

Mother, I want to learn
The secret spell of creation
I want to know,
What is that skill
That can drive away
All emptiness?
I too have a wish:
To open up and bloom,
Like a glorious sunflower.
Mother, won’t you wake me up?