Ramkanai Das ( bn, রামকানাই দাস; 1935 – 5 September 2014) was a Bangladeshi folk and classical musician. He was awarded

Ekushey Padak Ekushey Padak ( bn, একুশে পদক; lit. "Twentyfirst Award") is the second highest civilian award in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of the martyrs of the Bengali Language Movement of 1952. The award is given to recognize contribut ...

by the

government of Bangladesh The Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh ( bn, গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ সরকার — ) is the central executive government of Bangladesh. The government was constituted by the Con ...

in 2014.

Early life

Das was born in

Sullah Upazila Sullah ( bn, শাল্লা, Shalla), also spelt Sulla, is an upazila (sub-district) of the Sunamganj District, located in Bangladesh's Sylhet Division. Its headquarters is located in Ghungiargaon. History It is generally thought that the ar ...

Sunamganj District Sunamganj ( bn, সুনামগঞ্জ) is a district located in north-eastern Bangladesh within the Sylhet Division. History In the ancient period, Sunamganj was part of the Laur Kingdom. After the conquest of Sylhet (Kingdom of Gauiurh) ...

(in present-day

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

) in 1935 to his parents Rashiklal Das and Dibyamoyi Das. They were folk singers, lyricists, and composers. He was one of 6 children with two older sisters and three younger brothers. Das's grandfather, Prakash Chandra Talukdar, and great-grandfather, Ramcharan Talukdar, were all also musicians. He married Subarna Das in 1960.

Death and legacy

Das died on 5 September 2014. He wrote and composed almost one hundred songs including "Shuno Kokilaye Koirache Dhoni," "Manushe Manushe Keno Bibhedh Hoye," and "Shuno Bokule Boshiya Gahe." He has also composed popular songs such as "sadher lao banailo more" and "Ore Mon Dorachar." Das inspired his wife, Subarna Das, to start composing songs. His elder sister, Shushama Das, has started gaining more popularity as a folk artist. His only daughter, Kaberi Das, is a singer and president of Sangeet Parishad, New York. Her two daughters, Paromita, and Shrutikona are also renowned musicians in America. Pandit Ramkanai Das's elder son, Arun Chandra Das, is a musical instrument businessman and his younger son, Pinusen Das, is a tabla artiste. Pinusen's wife, Anindita Chowdhury, is a Nazrul Sangeet artiste in Bangladesh.

References

1935 births 2014 deaths People from Sullah Upazila Recipients of the Ekushey Padak 20th-century Bangladeshi male singers 20th-century Bangladeshi singers Bangladeshi Hindus Honorary Fellows of Bangla Academy Meril-Prothom Alo Lifetime Achievement Award winners {{Bangladesh-singer-stub