Ram Narayan (; born 25 December 1927), often referred to with the title
Pandit
A Pandit ( sa, पण्डित, paṇḍit; hi, पंडित; also spelled Pundit, pronounced ; abbreviated Pt.) is a man with specialised knowledge or a teacher of any field of knowledge whether it is shashtra (Holy Books) or shastra (Wea ...
, is an Indian musician who popularised the bowed instrument ''
sarangi
The sārangī is a bowed, short-necked string instrument played in traditional music from South Asia – Punjabi folk music, Rajasthani folk music, and Boro folk music (there known as the ''serja'') – in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. It is ...
'' as a solo concert instrument in
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...
and became the first internationally successful ''sarangi'' player.
Narayan was born near
Udaipur
Udaipur () (ISO 15919: ''Udayapura''), historically named as Udayapura, is a city and municipal corporation in Udaipur district of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is the administrative headquarter of Udaipur district. It is the historic capit ...
and learned to play the ''sarangi'' at an early age. He studied under ''sarangi'' players and singers and, as a teenager, worked as a music teacher and travelling musician.
All India Radio
All or ALL may refer to:
Language
* All, an indefinite pronoun in English
* All, one of the English determiners
* Allar language (ISO 639-3 code)
* Allative case (abbreviated ALL)
Music
* All (band), an American punk rock band
* ''All'' (All a ...
,
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
, hired Narayan as an accompanist for vocalists in 1944. He moved to
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
following the
partition of India
The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...
in 1947, but wishing to go beyond accompaniment and frustrated with his supporting role, Narayan moved to
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
in 1949 to work in
Indian cinema
The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Ko ...
.
Narayan became a concert solo artist in 1956 and has since performed at the major music festivals of India. After ''
sitar
The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...
'' player
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North Ind ...
successfully performed in Western countries, Narayan followed his example. He recorded solo albums and made his first international tour in 1964 to America and Europe with his older brother
Chatur Lal, a ''
tabla
A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల ...
'' player who had toured with Shankar in the 1950s. Narayan taught Indian and foreign students and performed, frequently outside India, into the 2000s. He was awarded India's second highest civilian honour, the
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan ("Lotus Decoration") is the second-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "exceptional and distinguished service" ...
, in 2005.
Early life
![Udaipur-citypalace](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Udaipur-citypalace.jpg)
Ram Narayan was born on 25 December 1927 in Amber village, near
Udaipur
Udaipur () (ISO 15919: ''Udayapura''), historically named as Udayapura, is a city and municipal corporation in Udaipur district of the state of Rajasthan, India. It is the administrative headquarter of Udaipur district. It is the historic capit ...
in northwestern India.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 11] His great-great-grandfather, Bagaji Biyavat, was a singer from Amber, and he and Narayan's great-grandfather, Sagad Danji Biyavat, sang at the court of the
Maharana
Maharana is a variation on the Indian royal title Rana.
Maharana denotes ' king of kings', similar to the word "Maharaja".
Ruler title in British India
Salute states (all in present India)
The gun salutes enjoyed by the states that acceded to ...
of Udaipur.
Narayan's grandfather, Har Lalji Biyavat, and father, Nathuji Biyavat, were farmers and singers, Nathuji played the bowed instrument ''
dilruba
The dilruba (also spelt dilrupa) is a bowed musical instrument originating in India. It is slightly larger than an esraj and has a larger, square resonance box. The dilruba holds particular importance in Sikh history.
It became more widely k ...
'', and Narayan's mother was a music lover.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 13] Narayan's first language was
Rajasthani
Rajasthani may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Rajasthan, a state of India
* Rajasthani languages, a group of languages spoken there
* Rajasthani people, the native inhabitants of the region
* Rajasthani architecture
* Rajasthani art ...
and he learned
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
and, later, English.
[Qureshi 2007, p. 108][Qureshi 2007, p. 109] At an age of about six, he found a small ''sarangi'' left by the family's ''Ganga guru'', a genealogist, and was taught a
fingering technique developed by his father.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 14][Bor 1987, p. 149] Narayan's father taught him, but was worried about the difficulty of playing the ''sarangi'' and its association with
courtesan
Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress (lover), mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the Royal cour ...
music, which gave the instrument a low social status.
[Sorrell 2001, p. 637] After a year, Biyavat sought lessons for his son from ''sarangi'' player Mehboob Khan of
Jaipur
Jaipur (; Hindi Language, Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Rajasthan. , the city had a pop ...
, but changed his mind when Khan told him Narayan would have to change his fingering technique.
Narayan's father later encouraged him to leave school and devote himself to playing the ''sarangi''.
At about ten years of age, Narayan learned the basics of ''
dhrupad
Dhrupad is a genre in Hindustani classical music from the Indian subcontinent. It is the oldest known style of major vocal styles associated with Hindustani classical music, Haveli Sangeet of Pushtimarg Sampraday and also related to the South Ind ...
'', the oldest genre of
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...
, by studying and imitating the practice of ''sarangi'' player Uday Lal of Udaipur, a student of ''dhrupad'' singers Allabande and Zakiruddin Dagar.
[Bor 1999, p. 180] After Uday Lal died of old age, Narayan met travelling singer Madhav Prasad, originally of
Lucknow
Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
, who had performed at the court of
Maihar
Maihar is a tehsil in Satna, Madhya Pradesh, India. Maihar is known for the temple of the revered mother goddess Sharda situated on Trikuta hill.
Origin of the name
It is said that when lord Shiva was carrying the body of the dead mother god ...
.
[Bor 1987, p. 151][Sorrell 1980, p. 15] With Prasad, Narayan enacted the ''ganda bandhan'', a traditional ceremony of acceptance between a teacher and his pupil, in which Narayan swore obedience in exchange for being maintained by Prasad.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 17] He served Prasad and was taught in ''
khyal
Khyal or Khayal (ख़याल / خیال) is a major form of Hindustani classical music in the Indian subcontinent. Its name comes from a Persian/Arabic word meaning "imagination". Khyal is associated with romantic poetry, and allows the perfor ...
'', the predominant genre of Hindustani classical music, but returned to Udaipur after four years to teach music school.
Prasad later visited Narayan and convinced him to resign his position and dedicate his time to improvement as a musician, although the idea of giving up a steady life was not well received by Narayan's family.
He stayed with Prasad and travelled to several Indian states until Prasad fell ill and advised him to learn from singer
Abdul Wahid Khan
Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan (1871–1949) was an Indian subcontinental singer from the Kirana gharana. He died in 1949 in Saharanpur, India.[Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...]
.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 16] Following Prasad's death in Lucknow, Narayan enacted the ''ganda bandhan'' with another teacher who gave him lessons, but soon left for Lahore and never performed the ritual again.
Career
Narayan travelled to Lahore in 1943 and auditioned for the local
All India Radio
All or ALL may refer to:
Language
* All, an indefinite pronoun in English
* All, one of the English determiners
* Allar language (ISO 639-3 code)
* Allative case (abbreviated ALL)
Music
* All (band), an American punk rock band
* ''All'' (All a ...
(AIR) station as a singer, but the station's music producer, Jivan Lal Mattoo, noticed grooves in Narayan's fingernails:
''sarangis'' are played by pressing the fingernails sideways against three playing strings, which strains the nails. Mattoo instead employed Narayan as a ''sarangi'' player.
Traditionally, the ''sarangi'' is supposed to play after the singer and imitate the vocal performance, and play in the space between phrases.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 21] Mattoo advised Narayan and helped him contact ''khyal'' singer
Abdul Wahid Khan
Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan (1871–1949) was an Indian subcontinental singer from the Kirana gharana. He died in 1949 in Saharanpur, India.[raga
A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...]
s'' through singing lessons.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 19] Narayan was allowed sporadic solo performances on AIR and began to consider a solo career.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 20]
![Ram Narayan 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Ram_Narayan_2.jpg)
After the
partition of India
The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...
in 1947, Narayan moved to
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
and played at the local AIR station.
His work for popular singers increased his repertoire and knowledge of styles.
[Neuhoff 2006, pp. 911–912] Narayan played with the classical singers
Omkarnath Thakur
Pandit Omkarnath Thakur (24 June 1897 – 29 December 1967), was an Indian music teacher, musicologist and Hindustani classical singer. A disciple of classical singer Vishnu Digambar Paluskar of Gwalior gharana, he became the principal of Gandha ...
,
Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (2 April 1902 – 23 April 1968) was an Indian Hindustani classical vocalist, from the Patiala gharana.[Hirabai Badodekar
Hirābai Barodekar (1905 – 1989) was an Indian Hindustāni classical music singer, of Kirana gharana. She was disciple of Ustād Abdul Wahid Khān.
Early life and background
Hirabai was born as Champākali to Kirānā Gharānā master U ...]
, and
Krishnarao Shankar Pandit
''Gaan Maharishi'' Pt. Krishnarao Shankar Pandit (1893–1989) was an Indian musician, considered by many as one of the leading vocalists of the Gwalior gharana. He authored several articles and 8 books on music and was the founder of ''Shankar ...
, and he accompanied singer
Amir Khan in 1948, when Khan sang for the first time at AIR Delhi following the partition.
As an accompanist for vocalists, Narayan showed his own talent and came to the foreground.
Singers of the city complained that he was not a dependable accompanist and too assertive, but he maintained he wanted to keep vocalists in tune and inspire them in a cordial contest.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 20–22] Other ''
tabla
A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల ...
'' (percussion) players and singers, including Omkarnath Thakur and Krishnarao Shankar Pandit, expressed admiration for Narayan's playing.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 22]
Narayan became frustrated with his supporting role for vocalists and moved to
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
in 1949 to work independently in film music and recording.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 23][Qureshi 2007, p. 107] He recorded three solo 78 rpm
gramophone record
A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...
s for the British
HMV Group
Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom.
The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...
in 1950 and an early ten-inch
LP album
The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and a ...
in Mumbai in 1951, but the album was not in demand.
[Bor 1987, p. 152] The Mumbai film industry offered a good salary and obscurity for work that would have lowered his stature among classical musicians. For the next 15 years he played and composed songs for films, including
''Adalat'', ''
Gunga Jumna
''Ganga Jamna'' (ISO 15919: ''Gaṅgā Jamunā''), also transliterated as ''Ganga Jamuna'' or ''Gunga Jumna'', is a 1961 Indian crime drama film, written and produced by Dilip Kumar, and directed by Nitin Bose, with dialogues written by Wajahat ...
'', ''
Humdard'', ''
Kashmir Ki Kali
''Kashmir Ki Kali'' () is a 1964 Indian Hindi-language romance film directed by Shakti Samanta. The film stars Shammi Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore in her Hindi movie debut role, Pran, Dhumal, Nazir Hussain and Anoop Kumar. The music was compose ...
'', ''
Madhumati
''Madhumati'' is a 1958 Indian Hindi-language paranormal romance film directed and produced by Bimal Roy, and written by Ritwik Ghatak and Rajinder Singh Bedi. The film stars Vyjayanthimala and Dilip Kumar in lead roles, with Pran and Johnny ...
'',
''Milan'', ''
Mughal-e-Azam
''Mughal-e-Azam'' () is a 1960 Indian epic historical drama film produced and directed by K. Asif. Starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, and Durga Khote, it follows the love affair between Mughal Prince Salim (who went on ...
'', and ''Noorjehan''.
[Qureshi 2007, p. 119] He was considered a desired choice of film music director
O. P. Nayyar
Omkar Prasad Nayyar (16 January 1926 – 28 January 2007) was an Indian film music composer, singer-songwriter, music producer, and musician. He is considered to be one of the most rhythmic and melodious music directors of the Hindi film industr ...
.
![Ram Narayan in New Delhi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Ram_Narayan_in_New_Delhi.jpg)
Narayan performed in Afghanistan in 1952 and in China in 1954 and was well received in both countries.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 25] His first solo concert at a 1954 music festival in the
Cowasji Jehangir Hall
The Cowasji Jehangir Hall is a museum of modern art and was part of the The Institute of Science, Mumbai, Institute of Science prior to 1996. The hall was built in 1911 by George Wittet and funded by Cowasji Jehangir. It is located in Colaba are ...
, Mumbai, was cut short when an impatient audience, waiting for performances by famous artists, drove him from the stage.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 24] Narayan pondered giving up the ''sarangi'' and becoming a singer.
He later regained confidence, performed solo for smaller crowds, and was favourably received in his second attempt to play solo for a Mumbai music festival in 1956.
He has since performed at the major music festivals of India.
Narayan later gave up accompaniment; this decision carried a financial risk because interest in solo ''sarangi'' was not yet substantial.
After ''
sitar
The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...
'' player
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North Ind ...
successfully performed in Western countries, Narayan followed his example.
[Bor 1992, p. 48] He recorded solo albums and made his first international tour in 1964 to America and Europe with his older brother
Chatur Lal, a ''tabla'' player who had toured with Shankar in the 1950s.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 26–27] The European tour included performances in France, Germany, sponsored by the
Goethe-Institut
The Goethe-Institut (, GI, en, Goethe Institute) is a non-profit German cultural association operational worldwide with 159 institutes, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and ...
, and at the
City of London Festival
The City of London Festival was an annual arts festival that took place in the City of London, England, over two to three weeks in June and July. The Festival was strongly geared towards classical music, but also offered a programme that included ...
, England. Beginning in the 1960s, Narayan often taught and gave concerts outside of India.
On his Western tours he encountered interest in the ''sarangi'' because of its similarity to the cello and violin. The ''tabla'' player
Suresh Talwalkar
Taalyogi Pandit Suresh Talwalkar (born 1948) is an Indian musician who plays the percussion instrument ''tabla''.
Performing career
Talwalkar was born in 1948 into a Marathi family in Chembur, Mumbai. He belongs to the Keertankar family of Shr ...
became a frequent accompanist for Narayan in the late 1960s. Narayan continued to perform and record in India and abroad for the next decades and his recordings appeared on Indian, American, and European labels.
During the early 1980s he typically spent months each year visiting Western nations.
Narayan performed less frequently in the 2000s and rarely in the 2010s.
Style
Narayan's style is characteristic of
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...
, but his choice of solo instrument and his background of learning from teachers outside his community are not common for the genre.
[Sorrell 1980, p. viii] He has stated that he aims to please the audience and create a feeling of harmony, and expects the audience to reciprocate by reacting to his playing.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 29–31]
Narayan's performances are strung together from the meditative and measured ''
alap
The Alap (; ) is the opening section of a typical North Indian classical performance. It is a form of melodic improvisation that introduces and develops a raga. In dhrupad singing the alap is unmetered, improvised (within the raga) and unaccompani ...
'' (non-metrical introduction) and ''
jor'' (performance with pulse) in ''
dhrupad
Dhrupad is a genre in Hindustani classical music from the Indian subcontinent. It is the oldest known style of major vocal styles associated with Hindustani classical music, Haveli Sangeet of Pushtimarg Sampraday and also related to the South Ind ...
'' style, followed by a faster and less reserved ''
gat'' section (composition with rhythmic pattern provided by the ''
tabla
A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల ...
'') in ''
khyal
Khyal or Khayal (ख़याल / خیال) is a major form of Hindustani classical music in the Indian subcontinent. Its name comes from a Persian/Arabic word meaning "imagination". Khyal is associated with romantic poetry, and allows the perfor ...
'' style.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 125] He experimented with a style of ''
jhala
Jhala (Hindi: झाला, ) is a term in Hindustani classical music which denotes the fast-paced conclusions of classical compositions or raga
A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisatio ...
'' (performance with rapid pulse) developed by
Bundu Khan
Bundu Khan (1880 – 1955) was an Indian sarangi player.
Early life and career
Bundu Khan was born in Delhi in a family of musicians. He received his early training in sarangi from his father Ali Jan Khan starting at 8 years of age, and late ...
, but considered it more appropriate for plucked instruments and stopped performing it.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 111] The ''gat'' section includes one or two parts with compositions.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 123] When two ''gats'' are used, the first one tends to be at a slow or medium tempo, and the second one is faster; the ''gats'' are usually performed in the 16-beat rhythmic cycle ''
tintal
Teentaal (alternatively spelled tintal, teental, or tintaal, and also called trital; Hindi: तीन ताल) is the most common '' taal'' of Hindustani Classical Music, and is used for ''drut'' (fast tempo). It is symmetrical and presents a ...
''.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 126] Narayan often completes performances with ''ragas'' associated with ''
thumri
Thumri () is a vocal genre or style of Indian music. The term "thumri" is derived from the Hindi verb ''thumuknaa'', which means "to walk with a dancing gait in such a way that the ankle-bells tinkle." The form is, thus, connected with dance, dra ...
'' (a popular light classical genre), which are referred to as ''mishra'' (
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
: mixed) because they allow for additional notes, or with a ''
dhun'' (song based on folk music).
Narayan practices and teaches using a limited number of ''paltas'', exercises in a small scale range that are used to prepare playing different numbers of notes per bow.
[Sorrell 1980, pp. 70–71] Derived from ''paltas'' are lengthy note patterns called ''tans'', which contain characteristic "melodic shapes" and are used by Narayan for fast playing.
[Sorrell 1980, p. 75] He uses his left (fingering) hand for runs and to play an extended melodic range, and his right (bowing) hand for rhythmic accentuations.
Narayan's fingering technique, his low right hand position, keeping the bow in a close to right angle to the string, and his use of the full bow length are unusual among ''sarangi'' players.
Narayan is associated with the
Kirana ''gharana'' (stylistic school of Kirana) through
Abdul Wahid Khan
Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan (1871–1949) was an Indian subcontinental singer from the Kirana gharana. He died in 1949 in Saharanpur, India.[Sorrell 1980, p. 27] Most of Narayan's compositions are from the singing repertoire of his teachers and were modified and adapted to the ''sarangi''. He has created original compositions and in performance varies those he was taught.[Sorrell 1980, pp. 127–128] Narayan disfavors the creation of new ''ragas'', but developed compound ''ragas'', including those of ''Nand'' with ''Kedar'' and ''Kafi'' with ''Malhar''.
Narayan uses a ''sarangi'' obtained from Uday Lal and built in Meerut
Meerut (, IAST: ''Meraṭh'') is a city in Meerut district of the western part of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city lies northeast of the national capital New Delhi, within the National Capital Region and west of the state capital ...
in the 1920s or 1930s in his concerts and recordings.[Sorrell 1980, p. 55] He plays on foreign harp strings to produce a clearer tone. Narayan experimented with modifications to his instrument and added a fourth string, but removed it because it hindered playing.[Sorrell 1980, p. 56] In the 1940s, he exchanged gut with steel for the first string and found it easier to play, but reverted to using only gut strings because the steel string altered the sound. A ''sarangi'' owned by Narayan is on display in a gallery of musical instruments of the Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha in Mumbai as of December 2020.
Contributions and recognition
Narayan increased the status of the ''sarangi'' to that of a modern concert solo instrument, made it known outside of India, and was the first ''sarangi'' player with international success, an example later followed by Sultan Khan.[Bor 1992, p. 78] Narayan's simplified fingering technique allows for glide (''meend
In Hindustani music, meend (Hindi: मीण्ड, ur, ) refers to a glide from one note to another. It is an essential performance practice, and is used often in vocal and instrumental music. On the veena, sitar, sarangi and other plucked str ...
'') and affected the modern ''sarangi'' concert style, as aspects of his playing and tone creation were taken up by ''sarangi'' players from Narayan's recordings.
Narayan taught at the American Society for Eastern Arts and the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Mumbai in the 1970s and 1980s, where he gave the first master class for ''sarangi''.[Qureshi 2007, p. 130][Qureshi 2007, p. 110] Narayan privately trained ''sarangi'' players, including his daughter Aruna Narayan, his grandson Harsh Narayan, and Vasanti Srikhande.[Qureshi 2007, p. 126][Qureshi 2007, p. 133] He also taught sarod
The sarod is a stringed instrument, used in Hindustani music on the Indian subcontinent. Along with the sitar, it is among the most popular and prominent instruments. It is known for a deep, weighty, introspective sound, in contrast with the sweet ...
players, including his son Brij Narayan
Brij Narayan ( hi, बृज नारायण; IAST: ) (born 25 April 1952) is an Indian classical musician who plays the string instrument ''sarod''. Narayan was born in the Indian state Rajasthan and began to study ''sarod'' from a young ag ...
, as well as vocalists and a violinist. In 2002, he taught 15 Indian students and more than 500 students in the United States and Europe had studied with him. ''Indian music in performance: a practical introduction'', released in 1980 by Neil Sorrell in cooperation with Narayan, was described as "one of the best presentations on modern North Indian music practice" by Hans Neuhoff in ''Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart
''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart: Allgemeine Enzyklopädie der Musik (MGG)'' is one of the world's most comprehensive encyclopedias of music history and musicology, on account of its scope, content, wealth of research areas, and reference t ...
''.
Narayan argued that appreciation of the ''sarangi'' and him came only after acknowledgment by the Western audience. He attributed the lack of ''sarangi'' students to a lack of competent teachers and said that the Indian government should assist in preserving the instrument. The Pt (Pandit) Ram Narayan Foundation in Mumbai awards scholarships to ''sarangi'' students. Narayan has stated he was skeptical the ''sarangi'' would survive and said he would never give up promoting the instrument.
Narayan received the national awards Padma Shri
Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
in 1976, Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...
in 1991, and Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan ("Lotus Decoration") is the second-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "exceptional and distinguished service" ...
in 2005. The Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honor, was presented by Indian President
The president of India (IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu i ...
A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. Narayan was awarded the Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 1974–75 and the national Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IPA: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in Englis ...
for 1975, and was made a fellow of the Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Akademi for 1988–89. He received the Kalidas Samman
The Kalidas Samman ( hi, कालिदास सम्मान) is an arts award presented annually by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in India. The award is named after Kālidāsa, a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer of ancient India. The ...
from the Government of Madhya Pradesh
Government of Madhya Pradesh also known as the State Government of Madhya Pradesh, or locally as the State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and its 52 districts. It consists of an executive, ...
for 1991–92 and was presented with the Aditya Vikram Birla
Aditya Vikram Birla (14 November 1943 – 1 October 1995) was an Indian industrialist. Born into one of the largest business families of India, he oversaw the diversification of his group into textiles, petrochemicals and telecommunications. ...
Kalashikhar Puraskar in 1999 by P. C. Alexander
Padinjarethalakal Cherian Alexander (20 March 1921 – 10 August 2011) was an Indian Administrative Service officer of 1948 batch who served as the Governor of Tamil Nadu from 1988 to 1990 and as the Governor of Maharashtra from 1993 to 2002. H ...
, governor of Maharashtra
Maharashtra (; , abbr. MH or Maha) is a states and union territories of India, state in the western India, western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Maharashtra is the List of states and union te ...
. He received the Rajasthan Ratna for 2013, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Honour – Classical at the 4th Gionne Star Global Indian Music Academy (GiMA) Awards 2014, and was awarded the Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Lifetime Achievement award for 2015–2016 in the field of classical music by the government of Maharashtra. The biographical film ''Pandit Ramnarayan – Sarangi Ke Sang'' was shown at the 2007 International Film Festival of India
The International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. Held annually, currently in the state of Goa, on the western coast of the country, the festival aims at providing a common pla ...
.
Family and personal life
Narayan shared a close relationship with his older brother, Chatur Lal, who learned the ''tabla
A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల ...
'' primarily to accompany his brother's ''sarangi'' playing. Lal studied under ''tabla'' teachers in his youth, but later turned to farming. Lal visited Narayan 1948 in Delhi after Narayan had become a professional ''sarangi'' player, and Narayan convinced Lal to work as a ''tabla'' player at the local AIR station. Lal became an acclaimed musician, toured with instrumentalists Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North Ind ...
and Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan (14 April 192218 June 2009) was a Indian Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod. Trained as a classical musician and instrumentalist by his father, Allauddin Khan, he ...
in the 1950s, and helped popularise the ''tabla'' in Western countries.[Naimpalli 2005, p. 107] When Lal died in October 1965, Narayan had difficulty performing and struggled with alcoholism, but overcame the addiction after two years. Narayan assisted his brother's four children after their father's death. Chatur Lal's son, Charanjit Lal Biyavat, is a ''tabla'' player and has toured Europe with Narayan.[Sorrell 1980, p. 28]
Narayan's wife Sheela, a homemaker, came to Mumbai in the 1950s and they had four children.[Qureshi 2007, p. 131] She died prior to 2001. His oldest son, sarod
The sarod is a stringed instrument, used in Hindustani music on the Indian subcontinent. Along with the sitar, it is among the most popular and prominent instruments. It is known for a deep, weighty, introspective sound, in contrast with the sweet ...
player Brij Narayan
Brij Narayan ( hi, बृज नारायण; IAST: ) (born 25 April 1952) is an Indian classical musician who plays the string instrument ''sarod''. Narayan was born in the Indian state Rajasthan and began to study ''sarod'' from a young ag ...
, was born on 25 April 1952 in Udaipur, and his daughter Aruna Narayan was born in 1959 in Mumbai. She was the first woman to give a solo ''sarangi'' concert and immigrated to Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
in 1984. Another son, Shiv, who is a year younger than Aruna, has learned to play the ''tabla'', and toured Australia with his father. Brij Narayan's son, Harsh Narayan, plays the ''sarangi''. In 2009, Narayan performed at BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's
The Proms
The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...
in the
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
,
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, with Aruna, and he played at the 2010
Sawai Gandharva Music Festival
The Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav (formerly known as the Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav and simply known as Sawai) is an annual Indian Classical music festival held in Pune since 1953. The festival is hosted by the Arya Sangeet Prasarak Ma ...
,
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...
, with Harsh.
Narayan is a
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
and has stated "music is my religion", arguing that there was no better access to divinity than music.
He is based in Mumbai.
Discography
Writings
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Notes
References
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Narayan, Ram
1927 births
20th-century Indian musicians
All India Radio people
Articles containing video clips
Hindustani instrumentalists
Indian Hindus
Indian male classical musicians
Living people
Musicians from Mumbai
People from Udaipur district
Rajasthani people
Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts
Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts
Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in arts
Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sarangi players