Famous for his soundtracks, folk songs and Christian hymns, the 65-year-old musician was a member of the country’s Anglican church. He battled a lymphoma for a long time. For Card Patrick D’Rozario, the singer and his music will always live in people's hearts.
Dhaka (AsiaNews) – Music legend Andrew Kishore died of cancer in a private clinic in Rajshahi last night.
The 65-year-old musician was famous for hundreds of film soundtracks, for which he won eight National Film Awards. He was also a member of the (Anglican) Church of Bangladesh
Kishore had been battling a lymphoma (blood malignancy) for a long time. On 11 June, after nine months of treatment in Singapore, he came home on a special flight.
In two separate messages, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed their sadness at his passing. Last year, Prime Minister Hasina gave the musician some money to pay for the treatment.
In the Muslim-majority country, when he sang, Kishore always wore a cross.
For Card Patrick D'Rozario, Archbishop of Dhaka and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh, the singer and his music will always live in the hearts of the people.
“On behalf of Catholics, I express sincere sympathy to his dear ones”. Kishore was much loved by the whole country.
Upon hearing of Kishore’s death, Mukti Gomes, a famous Dhaka Catholic singer, was left almost speechless, noting how sincere Kishore's music was.
Bangladeshis will never forget his interpretation of popular songs like Jiboner Golpo Ache Baki Olpo, Haire Manush Rongin Fanush, Dak Diachen Doyal Amare, Amar Shara Deho Kheyo Go Mati and Shobai To Bhalobasha Chae.
Kishore was also known for his Christian hymns. He “sang some hymns that were popular. His voice could attract people easily,” said Fr Kamal Corraya, a former director of the Christian Communication Centre, which makes Catholic videos and audio production, at the Banidipti multimedia studio.
“In addition to being a great musician, he was a good human being. His death is a big loss for the Christian community and the country,” Fr Corraya told AsiaNews.