Janam Raj

Janam Raj
জানম ৰাজ
Raj in 2003
Pronunciationjaanam rajⓘ
Born
Mohendra Deka

1 March 1965
Bilasipara, Dhubri district, Assam, India
Died29 April 2023(2023-04-29) (aged 58)
Guwahati, Assam, India
Education
Occupations
SpouseMinu Baruah (m. 2009)
ChildrenRhythm Kashyap
Parents
  • Harendra Chandra Deka (father)
  • Bimala Deka (mother)
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
Years active1996–2023
Labels
Signature

Mohendra Deka (1 March 1965 – 29 April 2023), known professionally as Janam Raj, was an Indian singer, composer, lyricist and an advocate from Assam. He released albums and songs from the late 1990s until the early 2020s, and recorded for All India Radio and Doordarshan as a B-High grade artist for Bhajan and Ghazal. He practiced as an advocate at the Gauhati High Court from 2002 until his death in 2023. He sang in several Indian languages, including Assamese, Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Marathi, Rajasthani, and Sanskrit, and performed bhajans and ghazals and chanted mantras.

Born in Bilasipara, he was the youngest son of Harendra Chandra Deka and Bimala Deka. He earned B.Sc. and B.A. degrees from Arya Vidyapeeth College, a B.Mus. degree from Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya in 1988, and later an LL.B. from J.B. Law College in 2002. His ghazals and bhajans were broadcast on All India Radio and Doordarshan, respectively.

Early life, family and education

Janam Raj was born on 1 March 1965 in Bilasipara, Dhubri District, Assam, to parents Harendra Chandra Deka and Bimala Deka. His father was a businessman and his mother was a teacher, and both were music lovers. His elder sister, Renu Chowdhury, was a playback singer in Assamese films, while her husband, Bijoy Chowdhury, was a film editor who worked on several Hindi films directed by Shakti Samanta, including Aradhana, Kati Patang, and An Evening in Paris.

Introduction to music and education

Raj began his musical training during childhood in Bilasipara and was influenced by folk singer Pratima Barua Pandey after meeting her. His father arranged for Guru Sanatan Das of Alipur to teach him, and he began formal training in classical music at the age of five, studying with Das for ten years.

He afterward received advanced classical music training from Pandit Santanu Biswas. He completed a Bachelor of Music at Bhatkhande Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Lucknow in 1988. In addition to his musical education, he earned a B.Sc. and a B.A. from Arya Vidyapeeth College in Guwahati, and later obtained an LL.B. from J.B. Law College, Guwahati, in 2002.

Career

Music

Studio portrait of Raj with Tanpura

Early years

In 1996, Janam Raj moved to Mumbai for advanced training in classical music and modern singing under playback singer Suresh Wadkar. During this period, he performed Gita-Stuti at Shanmukhananda Hall in Mumbai. Bhupen Hazarika initially assumed that Raj was a Marathi singer because of his Sanskrit pronunciation and addressed him in Marathi, before learning that he was from Assam. He performed at music programmes in several Indian cities, including Kolkata, Jaipur and Jaisalmer.

Raj with Suresh Wadkar in Mumbai, 1996

Breakthrough and recognition

In 1998, he released his debut Assamese album, Premanjali. In 2004, he sang the track "Mon Kiyo Chanchal" with playback singer Usha Uthup for the album Rimjhim and another track "Priya Anjana" for a television serial. That year, he was the music director for the television serial Preyoshi. In February 2005, he received the Best Music Director award at Jyotirupa-Oil India Joint Media Awards for the serial. The award was presented by Assamese actor Biju Phukan.

Raj with Usha Uthup in Kolkata, January 2004
Raj receiving the Jyotirupa-Oil India Joint Media Award for Best Music Director (Preyoshi) from actor Biju Phukan on 25 February 2005

He received the Best Singer award from Moonlight Media for the television serial Astitwa. He sang and composed for several television serials telecast by Doordarshan Kendra Guwahati, including Preyoshi, Sanghat, Atmasamman, Parinati, Natun Asha, and Ma Manasha, as well as the Assamese telefilm Ma Mahamaya, for which he performed with singer Tarali Sarma.

In December 2007, he released the Hindi remake album Tum Bin, which consisted of Bollywood songs originally sung by Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar in the 1960s and 1970s, in collaboration with Gitanjali Goswami.

He was a B-High grade artist for bhajan and ghazal singing on All India Radio and Doordarshan.

Later work

In 2009, he performed Ganesh Vandana and Nataraja Stuti at a national-level seminar at Krishnakanta Handique Sanskrit College in Guwahati. On 30 October 2009, in the occasion of the inauguration of a memorial arch at Kachari in Guwahati, Janam Raj performed a Shiv Vandana on the first anniversary of the 2008 assam bombings. Press reports said that his recital moved the families of the victims and others in the audience. In 2011, he released the Assamese devotional album Om Hari Om with singer Anima Choudhury. The album was released at the Gauhati Press Club on September 28, with music director Ramen Baruah attending as the chief guest. The album contained 50 tracks, most of which lyrics written by him.

Raj with Anima Choudhury during the recording of Om Hari Om, 2010

In 2018, he was the music director for the Bengali film Tridhara.

Law

Raj practiced as an advocate at the Gauhati High Court from 2002 until his death, after completing his LL.B. from J.B. Law College. Before entering legal practice, he worked for Vikram Tyres and Goodyear Tyres.

During the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act protests, Janam Raj participated in the 'Raj Bhawan Chalo' rally organized by the All Assam Lawyers' Association outside the Raj Bhawan in Guwahati, where he performed the patriotic song Biswa Bijoy Noujawan in protest.

His work in music and law was featured in Dainik Janambhumi's weekly edition, Janambhumi, in December 2020.

Death

Raj was admitted to Nemcare Hospital in Guwahati on 26 April 2023 after suffering from prolonged heart disease, which led to a minor brain haemorrhage, and died there three days later, on 29 April 2023.

Tributes

Following his death, Janam Raj was remembered by fellow musicians, colleagues and associates. Singer Anima Choudhury paid tribute to Raj in a Facebook post, describing his death as a personal loss and writing that she had lost “a dear brother and well-wisher.”

"How can such a vibrant person suddenly disappear from among us? I cannot believe that my very dear Janam Raj has gone to an unknown place. I have lent my voice to several of Janam's songs. Many of the things he wanted to do remained unfinished. With Janam’s passing, Assam has lost a true musician. Personally, I have lost a dear brother and well-wisher."

— Anima Choudhury, in a Facebook post tribute to Janam Raj (translated from Assamese).

Discography

Albums

Singles

Notes

  1. ↑ While his name is pronounced with a double 'A' (Jaanam) in all languages (like in Assamese: জানম and in Hindi: जानम), he chose to spell it with a single 'A' (Janam) in English, which was his preferred stylisation. All of his music contracts, songs, and official records use this single-A spelling (Janam) but it has to be pronounced as /Jaa-nam/. His name is of Urdu origin and means darling .

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Das, Apurba Kumar (22 February 2008). "Musical talent". Panorama (The Assam Tribune). Guwahati. p. 12. Janam Raj got extensive training under Sanatan Das for ten years. Then he went to Kolkata to learn more classical music under Guru Pandit Santanu Bishwas and completed B Mus (Vishar-ad) under Lucknow Sangeet Vidyapeeth.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Sarma, Dhiraj (May 2024). "In memory of the popular artist and advocate Janam Raj" [জনপ্ৰিয় শিল্পী তথা অধিবক্তা জানম ৰাজৰ সোঁৱৰণত]. Sajaag (in Assamese) (12th ed.). Guwahati: Lawyers' Association Guwahati (LAG). pp. 31–32. Born in Bilasipara, Dhubri district, Janam Raj got a musical environment at home since childhood. His father, late Harendra Chandra Deka, is a businessman and his mother, Bimala Deka was a teacher but a music lover.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Sarma, Dhiraj (25 February 2011). "Music was the Purpose of His Life - Janam Raj" [সংগীত সাধনাই যাৰ জীৱনৰ উদ্দেশ্য - জানম ৰাজ]. Jonaki Baat (Dainik Asam) (in Assamese). Guwahati. p. 8. সংগীত অনুৰাগী জানম ৰাজে বাল্য অবস্থাতে গোৱালপৰীয়া লোকগীতৰ সম্রাজ্ঞী প্রতিমা পাণ্ডে বৰুৱাৰ সান্নিধ্য লাভ কৰি অনুপ্ৰেৰণা লাভ কৰিছিল। তেওঁ পাঁচবছৰ বয়সতে আলিপুৰত গুৰু সনাতন দাসৰ ওচৰত শাস্ত্রীয় সংগীতৰ তালিম লৈছিল। তেওঁৰ ওচৰত দহ বছৰ সংগীত শিকাৰ পিছত গুৰু জীতেন দের, দিলীপ শর্মা, দেৱেন শৰ্মাৰ। [Janam Raj was inspired by the empress of Goalpara folk singer Pratima Pandey Barua as a child. He studied classical music with Guru Sanatan Das in Alipur at the age of five. After learning music from him for ten years, he also taught from Jiten Deb, Dilip Sarma and Deven Sarma.]
  4. 1 2 "Official Legacy Website of Janam Raj".
  5. 1 2 3 4 Goswami, Dr. Gokulendra Narayan Dev (12 May 2023). "মহেন্দ্ৰ ডেকা (জানমৰাজ)" [Mohendra Deka (Janam Raj)]. Asomiya Pratidin (in Assamese). Guwahati. p. 8 (Left-hand column profile). মহেন্দ্ৰ ডেকা (জানমৰাজ) এজন ভাল গায়ক আছিল। তেওঁ গজল আৰু ভজন গোৱাত পাৰদৰ্শী আছিল আৰু সকলো ধৰণৰ গীত পৰিৱেশনত নিপুণ আছিল। [Mohendra Deka (Janam Raj) was a good singer. He was skilled in singing ghazals and bhajans and in performing various types of songs.]
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Publicity-shy artiste - Janam Raj" [প্ৰচাৰবিমুখ শিল্পী - জানম ৰাজ]. Janambhumi Weekly (Dainik Janambhumi) (in Assamese). Jorhat. 2 December 2020. A biographical feature tracing Janam Raj's parallel careers in law and music, highlighting his work as a Gauhati High Court advocate and Assamese music artist.
  7. 1 2 3 "In the world of Assamese music" [অসমীয়া সংগীত জগতত]. Sabishes (Amar Asom) (in Assamese). Guwahati. 16 October 2011. p. 28 (Left-hand column profile). ১৯৯৬ চনৰ পৰাই মুম্বাইত সুৰেশ ৱাডেকাৰৰ সান্নিধ্যত থাকি শাস্ত্রীয় তথা পাশ্চাত্য গীতৰ তালিম লোৱা জানম ৰাজে ইতিমধ্যে 'তুম বিন' (হিন্দী), 'ৰিম্ ঝিম্', 'প্রেমাঞ্জলি', 'মা মহামায়া', 'মনে পৰে' (বাংলা) আদিৰ লগতে বিভিন্ন ভাষাৰ চিডি আৰু দূৰদৰ্শনৰ ধাৰাবাহিকত গীত গোৱাৰ লগতে ২০০৪ চনত 'প্রেয়সী' নামৰ ধাৰাবাহিকত সংগীত পৰিচালনা কৰি জ্যোতিৰূপা জইন্ট মিডিয়া এৱাৰ্ড লাভকৰিবলৈ সক্ষম হৈছিল। [Janam Raj, who studied classical and Western songs with Suresh Wadkar in Mumbai since 1996, has already sung in CDs and television series in various languages including 'Tum Bin' (Hindi), 'Rimjhim', 'Premanjali', 'Maa Mahamaya' and 'Mone Pore' (Bengali). He won the Jyotirupa Joint Media Award for his music for the serial 'Preyoshi'.]
  8. ↑ Janam Raj (20 December 2019). All Assam Lawyers' Association Takes Out 'Raj Bhawan Chalo' Rally Against CAA (in Assamese). DY365 via YouTube. Event occurs at 44:00. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
  9. 1 2 Choudhury, Anima (1 May 2023). "Anima Choudhury's tribute to Janam Raj". Facebook (in Assamese). Retrieved 1 May 2023. Translated from Assamese.