Nine years after the ghastly murder of young and popular musician Sumant Mohanty in the capital city, his family, friends and fans finally came together to preserve his legacy by forming a Sumant Mohanty Foundation.
The gifted singer and composer’s body was found in his car abandoned on the outskirts of the city on the last day of the Durga Puja, the day he was scheduled to stage a mega music show in the city.
“It was too difficult for me to bear the shock and groom our daughter after my husband’s murder. I was very young then. It has also been too difficult for an ordinary woman like me to run a foundation in his memory. Yet, I came forward to preserve his legacy through the foundation and the just launched annual Sumanta memorial cultural festival here,” explained Jyotsna Mohanty, who broke down on stage while requested to speak a few words about her husband.
Bhumika Bhabapriya, their only daughter, who has been a budding Odishi dancer and singer now, was by her side during the Sumant Mohanty Memorial Award presentation to popular film music director Prem Anand.
“This is a very special award for me and the closest to my heart because Sumant Bhai was a brother and a friend at the State music college where we studied together.
Former State Chief Secretary and an exponent on Jagannath culture, Subas Pani who was the chief guest for the occasion, recollected late Sumant’s special contribution to popularization of Geet Gobind. “He set a record of conducting recording of the project of the entire Geet Gobind for 100 days. We worked together for this mega project. The outcome of his meticulous work spanning over two years has brought Odisha’s 12th century saint-poet Jayadev’s songs closer to the hearts of the global audience today through Odishi dance and music productions,” he said.
Sumant’s guru and guide, Guru Ramahari Das, a well-known Odishi music exponent, described his disciple as the most befitting successor who had the rare talent to dabble in all genres of music and excel. He sang the song in praise of Goddess Durga that Sumant has composed for him that received the best ovation from the countless fans of Sumant Mohanty who had gathered for inauguration of the foundation.
A befitting tribute was offered to the late singer-composer through a captivating concert of music and dance on the occasion.
While popular singers Sailabhama, Nazia Alam and Manas Pritam – all of them worked under Sumant – sang songs that he had directed for them, eminent Odishi exponent Aruna Mohanty staged her solo recital based on a song of eminent litterateur Mayadhar Mansingh, followed by group presentation of ‘Srishti-O-Pralaya’ based on the 1999 Odisha Super
Cyclone. “Sumant was my most favourite composer and he had scored soul-stirring music for both the Odishi productions which have been globally staged and appreciated. Odisha’s music world would miss him forever,” said she.
Apart from launching the annual music and dance festival and the annual award in his memory, the foundation has started collecting Sumant Mohanty’s songs that would be made into a series of albums, informed Jyotsna, trustee of the foundation.