Angaraag Mahanta

Angaraag Mahanta is ( November 29, 1976 ) an Indian Playback Singer, Composer and Record producer from Assam. He is also known as Papon. His genres are Electronic fusion, Indian/ Assamese classical , Indian/ Assamese folk, acoustic folk, playback singing, jazz and ghazals. A lot of the initial stuff that he did was totally different from anything that was ever heard. It was Eastern folk, mostly Assamese. Thus he started the East India Company.

Papon was bron in a Assami family in 1976. He belonged to a musical family his parents are Assamese folk singer. He spent most of his chilhood in Assam and he was introduce to music early on his childhood. His intial taining was in Indian Classical, Devotional and folk music. He also sing in three languages such as Hindi, Assamese and Bengali.

His latest addition to Bollywood song is 'Sun le re' from movie Madras Cafe (2013). He recorded a hit song Kyon for the movie Barfi!. He has also sang title song from Inkaar (2013). His first song in the Bollywood is Jiyein kyun from the movie Dum Maro Dum. Papon released his first album, Junaki Raati in Assamese at the end of 2004, marking a new kind of regional sound. The second album he produced was Sinaaki Osinaaki, which was released in November, 2009. Papon has also sung on a few other albums produced by various artists in Assam. 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. On the first edition of Coke Studio @ MTV, he performed on the popular folk song 'Baisara Beera'.

Papon returned to Coke Studio @ MTV in 2013, and this time around, he produced his very own episode for the popular show. This makes Papon the only musician to have grown with Coke Studio @ MTV, having now been involved in all three seasons of the show. 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 Leslie Lewis, and in its second season, he produced his own track, the high-spirited Assamese folk song 'Tokari' and also featured as a vocalist on celebrated musician composer Nitin Sawhney’s episode singing the beautiful, almost melancholic folk song Sahil Tak.

In 2007, Papon formed an electronic folk-fusion band called Papon and The East India Company.

Their music and their songs have evolved from eastern India, from the lush green fields of Assam to be precise. And their music is awash with the native notes of their soil. Set-up in the backdrop of Assamese folk-lore and culture, Angaraag Mahanta and his band have been applauded by the masses. Their music has been said to possess the unique ability to impart peace to the soul, in a way that the soul echoes with the melody of timeless folk- tunes of Assam. Angaraag Mahanta and his band have been credited for creating an amazing blend of contemporary music and folk.

The band consists of Papon on vocals, Brin Desai 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 solo album which released internationally at the end of 2011. The band is back in action in November with 4 big festivals in the same month. They also played at the October Fest in Bangalore, NH7 Weekender fest in Pune and the Rock for Rights concert in New Delhi. Earlier their track OMO was taken on by Saregama HMV for release on the compilation album, The Underground along with a song called Jiya Baittho Jai in an album called Sahibol. In 2008, their track called Khuda Hota was released by Dada Music an extension of Music Today.