Papon

About Papon

Angaraag Mahanta, known by his stagename Papon, is an Indian playback singer from Assam. Papon has also sung in many languages apart from Assamese like Hindi, Bengali, Tamil and Marathi. He is the lead singer and founder of the folk-fusion band Papon and The East India Company.

Papon's music covers genres such as ambient electronic, acoustic folk and Indian classical music and it has been identified as having traces of ghazals. Papon started his musical career in 1988 with the Assamese song 'Gaantu Je Gaai Asila' from the album 'Aamiu Gao Gaan'. In 2004 he released his first album, Junaki Raati in 2004.The second album he produced was Sinaaki Osinaaki, which was released in 2009. His first folk music album was Rangphul a Bihu album, after which he produced Gomseng and subsequently, Phagunor Gaan an album representing the typical holi songs of Barpeta in West Assam. He sang on a devotional Borgeet album called Chandamukhi and is working on a traditional folk album of Tokari songs.Papon made his debut in Bollywood with the song Sajna Bawre from the film Let's Enjoy. In 2011, his song was "Jiyein kyun" from the movie Dum Maro Dum which was his first big hit.
In 2014, he sang "Lakeerein", which is a poem by Gulzar, for the film Kya Dilli Kya Lahore and "Sun ri Bavli" for Nagesh Kukunoor's film Lakshmi. In 2015, he sang "Moh moh ke dhage" for the film Dum Laga Ke Haisha and "Humnava" in Hamari Adhuri Kahani (2015). In 2016, he sang "Bulleya" for the film Sultan. In August 2016, Red Bull released "Hometown Heroes," a seven-part documentary web series that revisits the story of Papon's youth and rising career. Papon's 2018 song "Baba Bolta Hain Bas Ho Gaya", from the movie Sanju, comments on differences between the real Sanju and the "reel" Sanju.


Television
In 2013, Coke Studio @ MTV and for his episode on this season of the show, Papon produced 6 songs – 3 brand new compositions and 3 cross-border folk songs. In the first season of Coke Studio @ MTV, Papon sang the upbeat song "Pak Pak (Bihu Naam)", produced by Lesle Lewis, and in its second season, he produced his own track, the Assamese folk song "Tokari" and also featured as a vocalist on celebrated musician composer Nitin Sawhney's episode singing the beautiful, folk song "Sahil Tak".Papon's work on this season of Coke Studio @ MTV has been critically lauded of the 3 new compositions, "Tauba", with Benny Dayal, while the Papon solo "Khumaar", "Benaam Khwahishein" has received good response from the people . Papon also reinvented 3 folk songs for his episode of Coke Studio @ MTV. "Baisara Beera", "Dinae Dinae" and "Jhumor".In 2013, Papon was also responsible for the theme song for MTV Roadies X: Battle for Glory – "Jajabor" (Jajabor being an Assemese word for yayavar - "traveler").In 2017, he was one of the judge in The Voice India Kids.


In 2007, Papon formed an electronic folk-fusion band called Papon and The East India Company. The band consists of Papon on vocals, Brin Desai and Hameem Kader on live electronics, Jinti on lead guitars, Kirti on percussion and Dipu on bass and Tanmay on Drums The six members came from backgrounds varying from Assamese folk to metal and blues to trip hop. The band has performed twice at the SAARC Music Band Festival in New Delhi, the Eastwind Festival and the Kovalam Literary Festival and has performed overseas with Sutasi in Singapore. The band took a two-year break in the wait for a so...

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