Ramashreya Jha (11 August 1928 – 1 January 2009) was a distinguished composer, musician, scholar and teacher 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 ...

. He was the Head of the Department of Music in

Allahabad University , mottoeng = "As Many Branches So Many Trees" , established = , type = Public , chancellor = Ashish Chauhan , vice_chancellor = Sangita Srivastava , head_label ...

from 1980 to 1989. He was known for his deep knowledge, creative genius and his gifts as a teacher. His five-volume anthology Abhinava Geetanjali ranks high among the most influential works in Hindustani music. It contains critical analysis of

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 supplemented by numerous traditional and self-conceived compositions. He is popularly known to musicians, students and music lovers around India by his ''nom de plume'' ‘Ramrang.' His name is also spelled Ram Ashray Jha.

Achievements

Among the first to notice Jha-sahab's magnificent compositions and parlay them was the famous maestro, the late

Jitendra Abhisheki Ganesh Balawant Nawathe, better known as Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki (21 September 1929 – 7 November 1998), was an Indian vocalist, composer and scholar of Indian classical, semi-classical, and devotional music. While he distinguished himself ...

, who sang and taught Ramrang's many compositions. In 1968, he was appointed to the faculty of

Allahabad University , mottoeng = "As Many Branches So Many Trees" , established = , type = Public , chancellor = Ashish Chauhan , vice_chancellor = Sangita Srivastava , head_label ...

and later in 1980 promoted to the position of Head of the Music Department. This move by the University was in recognition of genuine merit because Ramrang held no formal

college degree An academic degree is a qualification awarded to students upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions commonly offer degrees at various levels, usually including unde ...

s. He retired from his active professorial duties in 1989. In 2005, Ramrang received the

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 ...

from

Sangeet Natak Akademi Sangeet Natak Akademi (The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama in English) is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India. History It was set up by the Indian education ministry on 31 May 1952 and be ...

, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama. Ramrang died 1 January 2009, in Kolkata, India, due to complications following heart surgery. Among his well-known disciples are Vidushi Kamla Bose, Shubha Mudgal and Late Dr.Geeta Banerjee.

References

External links

Ramrang – A Life in MusicRamrang – A Bouquet of CompositionsA Stroll in Ramrang's Garden
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jha, Ramashreya 1928 births 2009 deaths Hindustani singers Musicians from Bihar Academic staff of the University of Allahabad Indian music educators Indian musicologists Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Indian classical composers Hindustani composers 20th-century Indian singers Indian male composers 20th-century musicologists 20th-century Indian male singers