Prafulla Kar |
For more than four decades Prafulla Kar has audiences and fans in
Odisha and abroad with his distinctive singing, compositions and lyrics.
His Position as a performer is prominent the compelling power of his
music continues to attract a large cross section on the listening
public. Added to this oblivious talent, his precocity as Music Director
and Poet have gradually transformed him into a Cultural Icon of
formidable standing.
Born
in 1939 into a family of Musicians, Prafulla Kar showed early promise
as a singer at home in Puri, the abode of Lord Jagannath. His fathers
elder brother Sri Kshetra Mohan Kar was a renowned Tabla player, who
could bring down the artistes of National repute Like Hirabai Barodekar,
Maitra, A Kanan & Malabika Kanan and many others as family
friends to their home. This adorable child of Baidyanath Kar and Sushila
Kar had opportunity to listen such veterans from childhood and music
started flowing in his blood at a tender age, but he lost his father at
an early age. His career started growing under the guidance of his
maternal uncles. His grand father Bhagban Mishra and grand mother Aparna
Devi rightly brought him up with moral and spiritual influence.
Education
To
his and L.L.B degrees from Utkal University he subsequently added the
Sangeet Visharad from Akhil Bharat Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Maharastra,
under the guidance of Pt. Markandeya Mohapatra, Odishi Music from noted
gurus of Puri and had deep culture in it. His professional Career in
music took off in 1960 and he rapidly established himself as an
acclaimed A-Grade Vocalist , Composer and Lyricist for All India Radio .
Achievements in Film Music
Prafulla
Kar has given music direction in more than 70 Odia films (Released and
unreleased) as well as four Bengali films. For his outstanding
contributions to the field of film music, the Govt. of Odisha has
honoured Sri Kar with Best Music Director Award for Odia films on eight
occasions, out of which six were given on consecutive occasions, a
record achievement even at the National level.
For Best Music Director
- Mamata (1975)
- Sesha Srabana (1976)
- Bandhu Mohanty (1977)
- Mukti (1977)
- Sati Anasuya (1978)
- Tapasya (1980)
- Sita Lavakusha (1981)
- School Master (1985)
For Best Playback Singer
- Balidan (1979)
For this feat, he earned recognition as a celebrity and was honoured by the Cine Musicians Union, Chennai. In 1979 the Govt. of Odisha awarded him as the Best Playback Singer for the Odia Film Balidan and the Critic Circle of India awarded the Best Music Director Award to Shri Kar in 1980 for the Odia film Ramayana. Today he “is a colossus in the World of pan Indian Music.
Under
his music direction many playback singers of national repute like
Anuradha Paudwal, Usha Mangeskar, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Suresh Wadkar,
Md. Aziz, Kishore Kumar, Amit Kumar, etc. (from Mumbai) Vani Jayaram ,
S. Janaki, P. Sushila, K. S. Chithra, Swaranalatha, Yesudas, S. P.
Balsubramanyam, Manu, etc. (from Chennai), Arati Mukherjee, Nirmala Mishra, Shipra Bose, Ajaya Chakraborty, Haimayanti Shukla, etc.
(from Kolkata) have rendered their voice for Odia and Bengali Films. He
has introduced more than twenty playback singers of Odisha in his films.
More
over six eminent playback singers have been awarded the Best Playback
Singers Award by the Govt. of Odisha under his music direction over the
years:
- Pranab Pattanaik, for Sindura Bindu (1976) & Tapasya (1980)
- Raghunath Panigrahi, for Mukti (1977)
- Prafulla Kar, for Balidan (1979)
- Ajaya Chakraborty, for School Master (1985)
- Vani Jayaram, for the film Debajani (1981)
- Gita Dash, for Gruhalakshmi (1985)
Achievements in Non-Film Music
Sri
Prafulla Kar has recorded hundreds of disks, cassettes and CDs for
different companies, Govt. of Odisha and music institutions, Notable
among them are:
- Odia Bhagabat (Set of seven cassettes published by HMV)
- Odia Chhanda (Rare traditional songs of Odisha in set of three cassette published by Odishi Research Centre)
- Krutanjali (An album sung by a team of blind singers of Odisha, a pioneering endeavor for the handicapped in the field of music for the first time in India by HMV)
- Patriotic Songs (Written by eminent Freedom Fighters of Odisha, by Govt. of Odisha and also by Sangeet Natak Academy, Odisha
- Collection of Geeta Govindam of Jayadev (Rendered by Vani Jayaram, published by Vani Music Company, Chennai)
He has compose the
music for numerous Odishi Dance Drama, Ballet and music for Odishi Dance
form. Notable among these are the following.
Choreographed by:
Padma Bibhusan Guru Sri Kelu Ch. Mohapatra
- Yajnaseni (Ballet)
- Lavanyabati
- Ashoka
- Ekalavya
- Swapna Nayaka
Smt. Sharmila Biswas
- Sampurna
- Katha Surpanakha
- Panchabhoota
- Moorchhana
- Jagannath Priya Natakam
Smt. Kumkum Mohanty
- Devi Nrutya
- Aranya
- Mahapralaya
- Jaya Yatra
- Bhakta Dasia
- Kranti
Guru Sri Gangadhar Pradhan
- Mana Bhanjan
lleana Citarist
- Shva Tandava
- Bakula Bharan Pallavi
Smt . Sandhya Deepa Kar
- Malashree
- Arabhi Pallavi
Achievements as Lyricist & Writer
He
was written thousands of hit songs for each of his films, commercial
records, cassettes and CDs. He has established him self as a ‘A’ Grade
own Odissi Dance ballets and Odissi Drama . His books published,
compiles of selected devotional Lyrics titled as "Aniya Mala" and
"Krupajala" and a dedication to Odia literature. His creative writings
has been highly acclaimed by the eminent writers and people of Odisha.
Honourary Positions & Jury in Different Important Institutions
Apart
from the achievements in his field, Sri Kar is also involved as a
important member and jury in different institutions, notables among them
are:
- President - Srikshetra Kala Prakashika, Puri
- President - Sanskar, Bhubaneswar
- The only Music Director of Odisha who was Formerly Vice-President of Cine Musician's Union, Chennai presently continuing as an active life member
- The only Music Director of Odisha to be a life member of The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd., Mumbai
- Jury - National Scholarship Board Examination, conducted by The Center for Cultural Resources & Training, New Delhi
- Jury - National Scholarship Board Examination for different artist conducted by Ministry Audition Board, Katak
- Jury - All India Radio Audition Board, Katak
- Member - Academic Council of University of Culture, Bhubaneswar
- Member - The expert committee board for formation of Odissi Classical Music conducted by Odishi Research Centre, Bhubaneswar
- Jury - Odisha Sahitya Academy Award, Odisha
Performance Outside India
Apart
from his extensive tour in India, Prafulla Kar has represented India
many times to promote Indian and especially Odishi Music in foreign
countries.
- USSR (in 1972)
- Australia (in 1977)
- Fiji (in 1977)
- US (in 1986, 1988, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004)
- UK (in 1997)
- Brazil (in 2007)
- Dubai (in 2008)
Sri
Kar is currently involved in research on Odishi Music in an effort to
establish it as recognized Classical Music form of India. He is also
trying to bring out the young talented singers of the state in order to
establish them in the national music scenario through his institution
Sanskar.
His other interest include painting, creative writing and traditional gourmet Odia Cooking.
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