Tuesday marks the first death anniversary of iconic singer Andrew Kishore, often regarded as the 'Playback King' of the country.

Kishore, who won the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer eight times, passed away on July 6, 2020, due to Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

On the occasion of his first death anniversary, Kishore's wife Lipika Andrew distributed food among the needy in his birthplace of Rajshahi on Tuesday.

Read:Andrew Kishore Biography: Life, and Work at a Glance

Besides, Rajshahi Press Club and public leader Ataur Rahman Smriti Parishad will hold a short meeting later in the afternoon.

Born to Khitish Chandra Baroi and Minu Baroi on November 4, 1955, at Rajshahi in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan), Kishore had two siblings -- Shikha Biswas and Peter Swapon Kumar Baroi. 

A Christian by birth, Kishore completed his MCom in Management from Rajshahi University in 1977. 

At the age of six, Kishore started taking music lessons from Abdul Aziz Bachchu, then chief music director of Rajshahi Betar and got his first break in a talent hunt contest organised in Dhaka by Shahidul Islam, then director of the Transcription Service of Bangladesh Betar. 

Read:Cultural arena mourns Andrew Kishore’s departure

Recognising his talent, Bangladesh Betar (formerly, Radio Bangladesh) enlisted Kishore as a singer in categories of modern, folk, patriotic, Nazrul and Tagore songs.

With the film ‘Mail Train' (1977), Kishore began his glorious journey in Dhallywood. His first playback song was ‘Ochinpurer Rajkumari Nei Je Tar Keu’, composed by Saley Alam Khan. He earned critical acclaim for the song ‘Ek Chor Jay Chole’ composed by Alam Khan in ‘Protigga’ (1979) -- after which, Kishore never had to look back on his successful music career. 

This has been reflected in later years for sure, as he won the Bangladesh National Film Award eight times for ‘Boro Bhalo Lok Chhilo’ (1982), ‘Surrender’ (1987), ‘Khotipuron’ (1989), ‘Padma Meghna Jamuna’ (1991), ‘Kabul’ (1996), ‘Aaj Gaye Holud’ (2000), ‘Saajghor’ (2007) and ‘Ki Jadu Korila’ (2008).

Read: Andrew Kishore a ‘playback emperor': B Chy

He also bagged five prestigious Bachsas Awards and three Meril-Prothom Alo Awards, just to name a few.

Being a prolific singer with a versatile and deeply melodic voice, Kishore sang some 15,000 songs in his career.

Remembered to the music lovers for his iconic tracks, including ‘Jiboner Golpo, Achhe Baki Olpo’, ‘Amar Buker Moddhe Khane’, ‘Dak Diyachhen Doyal Amare’, ‘Hayre Manush Rongin Fanush’, ‘Amar Shara Deho Kheyo Go Mati’, ‘Amar Babar Mukhe Prothom Jedin Shunechilam Gaan’, ‘Bhengeche Pinjor Meleche Dana’, ‘Bhalobese Gelam Shudhu’, and ‘Shobai To Bhalobasha Chae’, Kishore also tried to inspire the new generation of singers through platforms like ‘Bangladeshi Idol’ as one of its judges.