Mohideen Baig Biography 
Mohideen Baig was a Sri Lankan musician, who has done playback singing in a few Tamil movies too. He is credited to be the only Sri Lankan to record a duet with Lata Mangeshkar. As a playback singer, he has recorded countless duets with Sri Lankan Nightingale, Rukmani Devi, and their songs are immensely popular even today. Baig is of Indian origin, born in Salem of Tamil Nadu, who later moved to Sri Lanka and settled there. Baig won the Kalashoori Award twice in 1983 and 1987.
He was born in Salem, Tamil Nadu on December 5, 1919. He was trained in music under acclaimed Indian musicians before he migrated to Sri Lanka in 1932, at the age of 13. Two years later, as a teenager he recorded his first song. It was a duet with K. K. Rajaluckshmi - Karuna Muhude Namu Gileela. As a playback singer he marked his debut in year 1947. It was for the second Sinhalese film ever - Ashokamala. Within a short span he went on to become a popular playback singer of Sri Lanka.
Some of his popular songs are included in the movies - Loke Sihinayak Wageya, Buddhang Saranang, Maya, Girihel Mudune, Wella Simbina Rella, Adara Nadiya Gala, Pem Mal Mala, Anna Sudo, Thaniwai Upanne etc. He enjoyed a celebrity status during his lifetime and got opportunity to participate in Sri Lanka's first Independence Day Ceremony and 1974 Non-Aligned Summit. He was given a Distinguished Citizenship in 1956.
Kalashoori Baig Master has sung more than 10,000 songs and for 400 Sinhalese films. Baig Master's 'Buddhang Saranang Gatchami' is widely regarded as one of his best renditions. He got an unexpected infection during cataract removal surgery. He passed away on November 4, 1991, aged 71.
Published: January 05, 2020
Updated: January 05, 2020
