Suprava Sarkar

Suprabha Ghosh was born on the 25th of September, 1919. Her father was Upendranath Ghosh and her mother Champaknalini. Suprabha's first training in music was from her parents, both music lovers. Champaknalini gave her lessons in devotional songs. Formal training started from Dhrupadia Shishir Guha and thereafter from Tarapada Chakraborty. Her entry into music world as a professional happened when she was only thirteen, with her participation in Galpadadur Asar in All India Radio, Calcutta. In the forties she was a regular in the live early morning programme Mahishashurmardini from A. I. R. and her association with the radio was almost life long. In the last years of her life Suprabha Sarkar was associated as trainer of Nazrul songs.

Earlier, in 1935, Suprabha had the historic opportunity to sing in the first playback song in Indian films along with Parul Biswas and Miss Harimati in Bhagyachakra (1935), the song being Mora Pulak Jachi Tabu Sukh Na Mani and the Hindi version Dhoop Chhayon (1935), the song Main Khush Hona Chahoon. Some research workers give the name of Umashashi as one of the singers. The other singers in this quite long song were Krishna Chandra Dey and Ahi Sanyal. Their names as playback singers have not been included probably because they sang for themselves.

Her first gramophone record was published from Senola Musical Products Company in February, 1936. The record number was QS 47 and the songs were Jadi Swapan Bhange Aji Nayan Jale, lyric by Hashirashi Devi and Alor Desher Bandhu He Mor, lyric by Batakrishna Dey. Both songs were set to tune by Nitai Ghatak.

From 1937 to April 1938, Suprabha recorded some songs for the short lived Bharatbani Records, a sister concern of Hindusthan, under the names Anjana Sarkar and Anuradha Ghosh. This was probably necessitated due to Suprabha's existing contract with Senola. As Anuradha Ghosh, she took part to sing and act in a one disc record play Bhorer Ashru, published from Bharatbani.

Several basic discs were published from Senola before she joined Hindusthan Musical Products as their regular artiste in June, 1938.

film Sapurey (1939).

In films, Suprabha's first solo singing was for Leela Desai in Jiban Maran (1939). Only one song of Suprabha, Kabhu Je Ashay Kabhu Nirashay came out as a record from Hindusthan with Ei Peyechhi Anal Jwala of Kundan Lal Saigal on the reverse.

The popularity of the Jiban Maran (1939) song gave Suprabha Sarkar a permanent place in Bengal's playback singing. Kundan Lal Saigal was so moved by her voice that he presented a harmonium to her. A very precious gift indeed and Suprabha preserved the instrument and used it all her life.

Her voice was used by all the leading music directors in films like Shuktara (1940), Shapmukti (1940), Rajnartaki (1941), Aparadh (1942), Aahuti (1941), Kato Dur (1945), Pather Sathi (1946), Swapna O Sadhana (1947), Abhijog (1947), Swayam Siddha (1947), Natun Khabar (1947), Samapti, Dhatri Debata (1948), Anjangarh (1948), Sadharan Meye (1948), Priyatama (1948), Kalo Ghora (1948), Shyamaler Swapna (1948), Satero Bachhar Pare (1949), Niruddesh (1949), Singhadwar (1949), Jar Jetha Ghar (1949), Samarpan (1949), Cartoon (1949), Samapti (1949), Radharani (1950), Indira (1950), Sharey Chuattar (1954), Ma (1956), Paradhin (1956) to name a few. Others like Radharani, Ila Ghosh, Shaila Devi, Anima Sengupta were all at their best but Suprabha continued to be artiste most sought after for films. In the sixties, slowly she went out of the record world. Mid fifties saw the rise of newer stars in the music world and the inevitable happened and new talents tended to replace the old. Suprabha got less work for films and basic discs and she withdrew herself from the show business. However she could never detach herself from music and continued to serve as a teacher in institutions like Rabindra Bharati University, Surtirtha Sangeet Bidyalay and above all All India Radio where she was appointed trainer of Nazrul songs. Apart from official associations, she gave regular music lessons to a host of students. Jovial by nature, Suprabha Sarkar was also famous for her short temper. However, she was popular with her colleagues and juniors and was Bardi , meaning elder sister, to all. In the seventies, Suprabha Sarkar was interviwed on television by poet Pulak Bandyopadhyay. She rendered several songs, some in bits and some full showing what control she had over her voice even at that age.

Kaji Nazrul took great interest in Suprabha's work and the result was the evergreen Kaberi Nadijale Ke Go Balika published in January, 1941 with Mor Pratham Moner Mukul on the reverse from Hindusthan, the record number being H 876. Suprabha went on to become one of the leading exponents of Nazrul songs. She also recorded Tagore songs which became very popular.

In 1942, Suprabha Ghosh got married to Advocate Sudhir Chandra Sarkar but unlike many singers of her time Suprabha did not have to quit singing after marriage even after becoming the mother of two sons.

1942 onwards all her records carried the name Suprabha Sarkar.

In 1949, Suprabha Sarkar turned composer and set to tune Rodana Tomar and Jibane Amar Na Bola Katha, both written by Manik Basu. However, after this she never did the job of music direction. Suprabha's association with Kaji Nazrul Islam dates back to the days of making of the N. T.

Primarily an artiste of Hindusthan, Suprabha was invited by HMV and recorded two basic songs in 1953 with Hemanta Mukherjee as her trainer and two more in 1955 under Shyamal Mitra's guidance.

In 1959 and then the next year, Suprabha sang for Megaphone Company as well.