Guwahati: Samar Hazarika, a noted Assamese singer and composer and the youngest brother of legendary musician Bhupen Hazarika, passed away in Guwahati on Tuesday after a brief illness, family sources said.
He was 75 and is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
Samar Hazarika breathed his last at his residence in Nizarapar, where members of the Hazarika family have long lived in separate houses on a hillock.
Family sources said he had been unwell for some time and was recently discharged from hospital.
The youngest among the 10 Hazarika siblings, Samar carved a distinct identity in Assamese music, lending his voice and compositions to radio programmes, albums and films over several decades.
He played a key role in carrying forward the family’s musical heritage, closely associated with the ideals of humanity and universal brotherhood popularised by his eldest brother, Bharat Ratna awardee Dr Bhupen Hazarika.
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Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed grief over his demise, saying Assam had lost “another golden voice”.
In a post on X, Sarma said Samar Hazarika’s soulful singing enriched Assam’s cultural landscape and that he had significantly contributed to initiatives marking Bhupen Hazarika’s birth centenary.
Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal also condoled the death, calling it especially painful as it occurred on Uruka, the Magh Bihu feasting day.
He said Samar Hazarika’s mellifluous voice had touched the hearts of people and that his contribution to Assamese music would be remembered forever.
