Hemanga Biswas was an exponent of the Bhantiali folk music, originally popular among the fishermen of Bangladesh. He was born in 1912.http://www.sos-arsenic.net/lovingbengal/songs.html

Songs

Hemanga Biswas wrote and sung some popular songs in Bengali. Once a fierce debate ensued between Hemango Biswas and Salil Choudhury on the way of translating the ideal of people's art: http://www.scribd.com/doc/17392882/PaperAesthetics-and-Politics

In the meeting of commission on music in Bombay Conference of IPTA, difference of opinion arose between two exponents of people's culture, Hemango Biswas and Salil Choudhury. Hemango Biswas, who was setting most of his lyrics to folk tunes, was in favour of relying only on folk tunes for mass songs with an eye to take it to the peasant masses. Salil Choudhury, on the contrary was of the view of blending folk tunes with harmony of western music. He went to the extent of making oblique remark to Com. Biswas to give up traveling by train, as that is a gift of western civilization and accept bullock cart that is used by the peasant masses. Com. Biswas, in reply accused Com. Choudhury of propounding formalism in people's art. During later part of his life, however Com. Biswas could realize shortcoming of his position and went on to compose mass songs with diverse experimentation. It may be mentioned here that during the debate in Bombay Conference, both Com. Biswas and Com. Choudhury touched upon certain important aspect of people's culture, which was not dealt with till then, but ultimately entire exercise ended in personal accusations.

Amra Karbo Joy

In West Bengal, India and in Bangladesh there are two versions of "We shall overcome

We Shall Overcome

"We Shall Overcome" is a protest song that became a key anthem of the African-American Civil Rights Movement . The title and structure of the song are derived from an early gospel song by African-American composer Charles Albert Tindley...

", both popular among school-children and political activists. one of those versions, Amra Karbo Joy was translated by the Bengali folk singer Hemanga Biswas and re-recorded by Bhupen Hazarika.http://www.musicaloud.com/2009/08/14/a-song-a-day-we-shall-overcome/

Ajadee hoyni tor

Ajadee Hoyni Torhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSkTOA1hJWw [English: Freedom you did not get] written & sung by Hemanga Biswas, is one of many songs in the legacy of the movement of the progressive left of India.

Negro bhai amar

this song is not written and composed by Hemanga Biswas. It is composed and written by Kamal Sarcar based on Subhas Mukhopadhyaya's translation of Najim Hikmet's poem. The song was sung extensively by Hemanga Biswas' troop which often went by the name "Mass Singers" or "Gono Gayen". Kamal Sarcar was an active member of the troop for a long time.

Movies

Hemanga Biswas was the playback singer in Meghe Dhaka Tara

Meghe Dhaka Tara

Meghe Dhaka Tara is a 1960 film by written and director Ritwik Ghatak, based on a novel Shaktipada Rajguru. It stars Supriya Choudhury, Anil Chatterjee, Gita Dey, Bijan Bhattacharya, Niranjan Roy, and Gyanesh Mukherjee...

[The Cloud Capped Star](1960) and Komal Gandhar (1961).http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0084438/

His son, Moinak Biswas, teaches Film Studies at Jadavpur University

Jadavpur University

Jadavpur University , is a premier educational and research institution in India.It is located in Kolkata, West Bengal and comprises two campuses - the main campus at Jadavpur and the new campus at Salt Lake...

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External Links=

• Listen Songs by Hemanga Biswas
• Rhyming Revolution: Marxism and Culture in Colonial Bengal
• Rhyming Revolution: Marxism and Culture in Colonial Bengal
• Facebook page of Hemanga Biswas with his Song