Ram Narayan Biography 
Pandit Ram Narayan is the first internationally successful sarangi player. He is known most as the musician who popularised the bowed instrument sarangi as a solo concert instrument in Hindustani classical music. He has taught students both Indian and foreign and has conducted several tours abroad. Indian government honoured him with Padma Vibhushan, in 2005, India’s second civilian honour.
Ram Narayan was born into a musical family on 25 December 1927 in Amber village, near Udaipur. His great-great-grandfather, Bagaji Biyavat, was a singer from Amber. His great-grandfather, Sagad Danji Biyavat was a musician at the court of the Maharana of Udaipur. Narayan's grandfather, Har Lalji Biyavat, and father, Nathuji Biyavat, were farmers and singers. At an age of about six, he found a small sarangi left by the family's Ganga guru. But in those days, sarangi was given low status and hence his father was reluctant in teaching him sarangi. But one year later, his father sent him to sarangi player Mehboob Khan of Jaipur where he was taught new finger techniques. Later his father encouraged him to leave school and devote himself to playing the sarangi.
At the age of 10, Narayan learned the basics of dhrupad imitating the practice of sarangi player Uday Lal of Udaipur. After Uday Lal’s death, Narayan met travelling singer Madhav Prasad with whom Narayan enacted the ganda bandhan. Prasad taught him Khyal for next four years till Narayan returned to Udaipur as a teacher of a music school. Prasad later visited Narayan and convinced him to resign his position to dedicate full time to music to which Narayan agreed. He stayed with Prasad till his death and before he died, Prasad advised him to learn from singer Abdul Wahid Khan in Lahore. He reached Lahore in 1943 and auditioned for the local All India Radio. He was hired Narayan as an accompanist for vocalists in 1944. But he heavily frustrated by his supporting role, he moved to Delhi with India partition.
Two years later he joined film field. He recorded three solo 78 rpm gramophone records for the British HMV Group in 1950 and an early ten-inch LP album in Mumbai in 1951. But his records were not in demand. For the next 15 years he played and composed songs for films, including Adalat, Gunga Jumna, Humdard, Kashmir Ki Kali, Milan, Mughal-e-Azam, and Noorjehan. He was a favourite of O. P. Nayyar.
Published: N/A
Updated: February 13, 2014
