Prem Dhoj Pradhan

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Prem Dhoj Pradhan
Background information
Birth name	Prem Dhoj Pradhan
Born	6 June 1938 Chautara, Nepal
Died	6 May 2021 (age 82) Sundhara, Kathmandu
Genres	Nepali, Nepal Bhasa
Years active	1944–2021

Prem Dhoj Pradhan (Nepali: प्रेम ध्वज प्रधान; 6 June 1938 – 6 May 2021) was a Nepalese musician born in Chautara.^[1] He was a singer, composer, and regional playback singer. He sang in the two major languages of Nepal: Newari and Nepali. He was also known as the Golden Voice and King of Romantic Melodies of Nepal.^[2]

Prem Dhoj was the first musician to perform with a guitar in Nepal, and was the first Nepali singer to sing with Indian playback singer Usha Mangeshkar for the movie Maitighar in 1965. In 1985, he sang duet songs with Asha Bhosle for the movie Mayalu in Bombay, India. Prem Dhoj varied his musical style throughout his career and recorded approximately 700 songs on Radio Nepal, including live broadcasting and recorded songs.

Early life[]

Prem Dhoj Pradhan was born in 1938 in Chautara, a small town 28 miles east of Kathmandu. His mother, Pran Devi Pradhan, a talented singer, taught him his first lessons in music. Starting in 1954, he spent fifteen months studying with the late Ganesh Lal Shrestha. He received a Bachelor of Arts in 1967 from Saraswati College, TU. Nepal.^[1]

Musical career[]

1950s[]

In 1952, when Prem Dhoj was sixteen, he participated in a voice test sponsored by Radio Nepal. The first song he sang was "Yad Kasaikko Aairahecha Yo Andheri Ratama".^{[citation needed]}

1960s[]

In 1961, Prem Dhoj had to stop singing for two years after undergoing surgery to remove a non-malignant polyp in his left vocal cord. During the hiatus, he adopted the guitar as part of his new style, becoming the first Nepali singer to do so. He began performing again later that year, and he was awarded a prize for the best voice in the All Nepal Modern Songs Competition in 1963 for "Goreto Tyo Gaunko".^[1]

After mastering his signature style, Prem Dhoj released his first LP records in the autumn of 1963. By the end of 1969, he had recorded 32 songs.^[1]

Unable to find a sponsor, Prem Dhoj personally funded eleven out of his sixteen discs. Towards the end of 1964, Prem Dhoj recorded eight songs in Nepali and six in Newari.^[1]

In November 1965, Prem Dhoj was invited by Jaidev to sing with Usha Mangeshkar for the Nepali film, Maiti Ghar.^[1]

1970s[]

In 1970, in his own music composition, he recorded ten Nepali songs in an album titled Himalayan Bouquet from Swinging Kathmandu. In the same year he also recorded bhajan songs (six pieces) under Jaidev.^[1]

Death[]

Pradhan died on 6 May 2021, at Neuro and General Hospital, Sundhara, Kathmandu, after being hospitalized with breathing problems and chest pain.^[3]

Honours and awards[]

1. Received Narayan Gopal Sangeet Summan from Lunkaran-Ganga CSKM, November 2002 ^[4][5][6]
2. Felicitated by Nepal Music Welfare Fund for significant contribution to Nepalese music^[7]

References[]

External Links[]

• Prem Dhoj Pradhan discography at Discogs
• Prem Dhoj Pradhan at IMDb