Kolkata: Renowned classical singer Pandit Arun Bhaduri passed away at a city hospital on Monday morning after a prolonged illness, family sources said.
He was 75 and is survived by his wife and son.
Pt Bhaduri, considered to be one of the masters of Bengali songs and bhajans, was suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory ailments for quite sometime.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her grief over the demise of Pt Bhaduri.
"I am deeply saddened by the sudden demise of Pandit Arun Bhaduri, an exponent of Kirana, Rampur Gharana.
"Our government had conferred on him the states highest civilian award, Banga Bibhusan, in 2014 for his outstanding contribution to music." Banerjee said in a tweet.
The veteran singer had served as a guru (teacher) at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, and was a top radio and television artiste.
Pt Bhaduri was trained in Indian music by Md A Daud and Md Sagiruddin Khan.
When contacted, eminent vocalist Pt Ajoy Chakraborty expressed grief over the death of Pt Bhaduri.
Describing Pt as his gurubhai, Pt Chakraborty told PTI: "He was not only a great vocalist but also a great human being and a perfect gentleman. He was a self-made man who came from Behrampore and achieved everything in life through determination and hard work.
"The music of several of my songs was composed Arun-da. His passing away will create a big vacuum in the world of classical music. His contribution to the world of classical music was immense," he added.
