About Janam Raj

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Janam Raj was born on 11th February 1964 at Bilasipara in Dhubri district of Assam and was brought up there. He was the son of Harendra Chandra Deka and Bimala Deka. He was exposed to folk music at an early age. He was inspired by folk melody queen Pratima Baruah Pandey and began learning classical music at the age of five under Guru Sanatan Das of Alipur, who often visited their Bilasipara residence to impart training. Janam Raj received extensive classical training under Sanatan Das for ten years. Later, he went to Kolkata to learn advanced classical music under Guru Pandit Santanu Biswas and completed B Mus/Visharad from Lucknow Sangeet Vidyapeeth.

After completing B Mus, Janam Raj moved to Mumbai in 1996, where he came under the tutelage of renowned classical and playback singer Suresh Wadkar. Under his guidance, he learned both classical and modern singing. Over time, Janam Raj became well versed in three categories of singing: classical, modern, and folk. Through dedication and hard work, he earned an M.Mus from Bhatkhande College of Music, securing first class and being awarded as the best singer.

In his early years, he also had the opportunity to learn Marathi bhajans from late Deven Sarma. He sang Assamese modern songs under the guidance of Jiten Deb and Rabindra Sangeet under the famous Dilip Kumar Sarma, which helped shape him into a versatile singer. He remained indebted to Suresh Wadkar, as he got the opportunity to sing with the maestro in a CD containing Marathi bhajans. He got his first breakthrough in 1998 when he released his debut album Premanjali, an Assamese romantic songs album containing 8 songs.

Janam Raj lent his voice to Rimjhim, an Assamese modern songs album sang with Usha Uthup in the song Man Kiyo Chanchal, released in 2004.

A B.Sc and B.A graduate, Janam Raj also served in reputed companies like Vikram Tyres and Goodyear Tyres. Being in transferable jobs, he travelled to many places and simultaneously performed songs there, leaving a distinct mark. He later settled in the city and practised as an advocate of the Gauhati High Court from 2002. He was also an approved artist in bhajan and ghazal at All India Radio (AIR).

It is worth noting that although his name was spelled as 'Janam' in English, the correct pronunciation was 'Jaanam.' The word Jaanam is of Urdu origin and means darling. Ideally, it could have been written as 'Jaanam' in English, but he preferred the spelling 'Janam.'

He passed away on April 29th, 2023, at Nemcare Superspeciality Hospital, Guwahati. Listeners continue to remember him for his lasting musical contributions.