Guwahati, Jan 13: Noted Assamese singer and composer Samar Hazarika, the youngest brother of music legend Dr Bhupen Hazarika, passed away at his residence in Nizarapar, Guwahati, on Tuesday morning at the age of 75. He had been unwell for some time and breathed his last around 8.45 am following a brief illness, family sources said.

Beginning his musical career in 1960, Samar Hazarika earned widespread acclaim for several evergreen songs, including “Prothom Morome Jodi Sohari Napai,” and contributed significantly to Assamese cinema as a playback singer, lending his voice to over twenty films.

He is survived by his wife Sobha Hazarika, son Dawor Hazarika, and daughter Namrata Hazarika.

Expressing deep grief, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Assam has lost “another golden voice,” praising Hazarika’s invaluable contribution to the state’s cultural heritage and his role in carrying forward Bhupen Hazarika’s legacy.

• Dipanjana D