Singer Sabita Choudhury died after a five-month battle with cancer. She was 72. Her body will be kept in Calcutta’s Rabindra Sadan, for family, friends, and fans to pay their respects.
In January 2017, Sabita had been diagnosed with cancer of the lungs and thyroid. She had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Bombay. But a report in the Economic Times says that she was brought back to Calcutta at her own request. “We had made all arrangements at home,” her daughter told the publication.
Bengali percussionist Tanmoy Bose said, “it is a personal loss. So many memories flooding at this moment! She was a person full of life.”
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Bannerjee tweeted her condolence:
Saddened at the passing of popular singer Sabita Chowdhury (wife of Salil Chowdhury). My condolences to her family, friends and fans
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 29, 2017
Sabita was married to Bengali music director Salil Chowdhury, considered by many Bengalis as a legend. Independently, Sabita was also known for her powerful, soulful songs, and had recorded for many Bengali and Hindi films before she met Salil. As a singer, Sabita had recorded many songs for the All India Radio. However, it was with ‘Salil-Sangeet’ that she made a lasting mark on Bengali film music. She also performed in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Odiya, and Assamese languages too.
After Salil Chowdhury’s death in 1995, the family – led by Sabita, had been involved in setting up a digital musical archive of the composer’s work.
Pic: Indian Express
