Mr. Bordoloi was born in the Roopajuli Tea Estate of Sonitpur district to Haren Bordoloi and Maniki Bordoloi on 24th December 1960. He is the younger most child amongst his 6 other siblings. His father Haren Bordoloi worked in the print media department of Roopajuli Tea estate and Maniki Bordoloi retired as the head master of Bindukuri High school. Pankaj Bordoloi later got married to renowned sattriya and kathak exponent Rubi Bora Bordoloi in the year 1995 and their family consist of a daughter, actress, dancer Violeena Bordoloi.
Mr Bordoloi started his initial schooling in Binduguri highschool itself in the roopajuli tea estate and completed his matriculation in the year 1977. And did his further studies from Darrang college, Tezpur. He completed his graduation in Education in the year 1982 and further worked as a banker for few years. In his college journey he was nominated as the Cultural secretary of Darrang college for two consecutive years and brought a lot of glory to the college by winning numerous awards in various music and drama competitions in various festivals including the prestigious Youth festivals of Guwahati University, Dibrugarh University and youth conclave held outside Assam particularly in Mumbai and Kolkata. And in that process itself he developed interest in the field of music for which he later resigned from his Bank job and dedicated himself as a full-time musician, singer, and actor. Mr Bordoloi was also a state Badminton champion of his times which made him even more popular in the youth during his college times.
Mr Bordoloi started his musical journey at the age of 5 itself when in a special occasion he got the opportunity to sing the evergreen song “Barasha Ritu Bhal pao moi” by Jayanta Hazarika infront of then Prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri for which he was able to collect a lot of good wishes and blessings from the later and the crowd. Since then various competitions of Rabha sangeet, Jyoti Sangeet, Bhupendra Sangeet, Parvati Prasad, Bongeet, etc were sung by him and his journey never stopped.
He started his official musical journey after college in the All India Radio Guwahati from late 80s itself and due to his enormous and matchless contribution he was designated B grade music artist of All India Radio. He worked with certain lyricist and composers like Nabin Chandra KathHazarika, Jayanta Das, Khagen Mahanta, Ganesh Gogoi, Anupam Choudhury, Ramen Chaudhury etc. One of the most popular radio song of him “Duporor Rod Janu lage xewalike” is still a popular one. He sang a variety of genres with Khagen Mahanta and Bhupen Hazarika in AIR.
Pankaj Bordoloi got engaged with NK production at that time and his album with a total of 7 songs named “Mon”, which was a prominent one amongst his works. Additionally he worked under S.P Saini and sons, VG productions as well. Eventually Mr. Bordoloi firmly got involved with the ideologies and lifestyles of Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha, Roopkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, Parbati Prasad Baruah, Dr. Bhupen Hazarika etc.
The first ever RECORDED VERSIONS of 90% of the Rabha Sangeet, Jyoti sangeet and Parvati Sangeet was recorded in his voice, in the Albums “Karengor Ligiri, Xunor Xuleng, Xunor Xorai” to be mentioned a few.
Rabha Sangeet to be mentioned specially are – Nawor Bhoroxa Nai re, Utija Rupali Naaw, Kiba jen Nai aji nai, Bejaror Sokulu, Mur Kobitar Sondo Lagi, Biswar Sonde Sonde, Aaji Mondiro Duwaar khula, Mure Jiwonore Xokha Krisno, etc.
Jyoti Sangeet -Jaawti Jugiya, Xunor xopun mur bhaangili kio, Buwa Buwa dokhin moloya, Ture mure aalukore jaatra, etc.
“Tumar logot Prothom Dekha” and “Aji Phagunor puwa belate” are two prominent Parvati Prasad songs recorded in his voice. According to sources Mr. Bordoloi had sumg over
He took over 200+ workshops during his lifetime all over the corners of Assam on the technicalities and correct singing styles of these genres for which he is considered as a master of the genres mentioned above. Mr Bordoloi, starting from Calcutta Central University, Viswa Bharati University, to Guwahati and Dibrugarh University he also graced the prestigious judgment seat, till Cotton to Darrang college in Tezpur. He did music direction in the official audio drama of Jyoti Prasad Agarwala’s Karengor Ligiri with legendary singers Dilip Sharma and Sudakshina Sharma in the early 2000s. Handled the music production sector in various dramas like Nimati Konya, Rupalim, Lobhita, of Roopkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala.
Mr Bordoloi was a firm member of the 1980s Assam Agitation and with Dr. bhupen Hazarika’s initiative he sang in Albums like “Akou Xoraighat”, “Swadesh” with Dr. bhupen Hazarika itself. “Akou jodi jabo lage xoraighatoloi”, “Ami Biplob Potholoi Aguam”, and “Ei jui jolise jolise joliboi” are the most popular tracks of Pankaj Bordoloi from those two albums which are still very powerful anthems of Assam. He graced many stage performances with Dr. Bhupen Hazarika and his musicians Kamal Kataki , Surya Hazarika etc in various corners of India.
Apart from aesthetic music, Bordoloi sang in over 100+ Folk songs and Devotional songs out of which collaborations of Somnath Borah and Ronjit Gogoi’s compositionals “Posuwa”, “Boi Jaa Boitoroni”, “Baishnov”, “Rongtuli”, “Rupali” “Kalpana” to be mentioned a few are some of the most popular albums of his times all under various production houses which includes NK. Productions, SP Saini and Dons, Wave music, V.G Enterprise etc.
Dhumuha was his last inpendent Album which was released in the year 2013 with mixed genres of his own compositions, few compositions of Hiren Bhattacharjya, Munin Dutta, etc. He sang for Bhubaneswar Saharia with the song title “O Phagun Gun Gun” in the year 2018. His very last playback singing was a remake of his own duet song with popular radio artist Sandhya Menon “Xorotor Junali Rati” from the Album “Mon” which he remade a duet with his daughter Violeena Bordoloi, with Palash Surya Gogoi’s music production.
He was privileged to work with Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, Khangen Mahanta, Archana Mahanta, Bhupen Uzir, Pranabiram Baruah in playback singing and stage performances.
He shared platforms with famous Gujarati singer Phalguni Pathak, Bollywood sensation Hari Haran, Usha Utthup, Shankar Mahadevan, Monali Thakur, etc.
Apart from music, Pankaj Bordoloi was a drama artist where he played character in various productions of “Jongom” the association. He lastly acted in Zubeen Garg’s film Kanchanjangha in a very prominent role in the year 2019. He was invited as guest judge in various reality shows like “Amar Bhupen daa”, “Jhankaar”, and many reality shows in Guwahati Doordarshan Kendra as well.
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