A voice that healed, a music that reflected life: Remembering Syed Saadulla
Syed Saadulla, the legendary voice of Assamese broadcasting and music, whose life’s work bridged art, empathy, and global storytelling.
Syed Saadulla (Photo - @zafrimn / X)
On October 30 last, Assam lost one of its most resonant chords. Born on February 1, 1948, in Dibrugarh, Syed Saadulla, a polymath whose voice defined a generation of Assamese broadcasting, music, documentary, and drama, breathed his last.
Saadulla’s was a long artistic journey that transcended regional notions of art, culture, religion, community, and social structure. After joining the AIR Dibrugarh, Saadulla made history by reading Upper Assam’s first English news bulletin for the station.
While his voice commanded attention, his music captured hearts.
His band, ‘The Quivers’ – one of Assam’s earliest rock ‘n’ roll groups – was featured in Dr Bezbaruah’s iconic Jilika song, with him on the lead guitar.
Famed artistes like Usha Mangeshkar, late Bhupinder, Anup Jalota, and Parveen Sultana preferred him as a guitarist to others.
A multi-instrumentalist and playwright, he wrote and composed over 180 songs, produced more than 20 documentaries, and scripted numerous radio plays.
As a composer and lyricist, he steered away from the conventional Assamese genres of romantic ballads or Nature-centric odes, and championed the ‘jibonmukhi’ genre through his songs Biria, Maas maas, Footpath, and many others.
These songs were life-oriented, grounding melody in the gritty, authentic reality of human existence. His art has always been inextricably linked to empathy.
Saadulla lent his deep, authoritative voice to documentaries for the Discovery Channel and National Geographic. He worked closely with a London studio to translate a body of Kazi Nazrul’s poetry into Assamese – a first of its kind.
His excellence was recognised across various prestigious forums in the State, most recently culminating in the Achiever Music Award conferred by the Sadin-Pratidin Group – a fitting acknowledgement of a lifetime dedicated to raising the standard of Assamese art and music to global storytelling standards.
His shelf of other accolades is equally heavy with prestigious Akashvani Annual National Awards for his groundbreaking plays Olop osru bisari (on wildlife) and Devota (on child labour). His play Urukha was the first one in the State on women’s rights.
Saadulla leaves behind a legacy that is both rooted and versatile. Assam mourns a man who taught us that a voice is not just for speaking but for healing, and that music is best when it mirrors life itself.
On the occasion of his chalisa today, we pray to Allah to grant him eternal peace.
By Zeeshan M Nofil