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Ram Narayan Quotes

Ram Narayan , often referred to with the title Pandit, is an Indian musician who popularised the bowed instrument sarangi as a solo concert instrument in Hindustani classical music and became the first internationally successful sarangi player.

Narayan was born near Udaipur 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, Lahore, hired Narayan as an accompanist for vocalists in 1944. He moved to Delhi following the partition of India in 1947, but wishing to go beyond accompaniment and frustrated with his supporting role, Narayan moved to Mumbai in 1949 to work in Indian cinema.

Narayan became a concert solo artist in 1956 and has since performed at the major music festivals of India. After sitar player Ravi Shankar 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 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, in 2005. Wikipedia  

✵ 25. December 1927
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Ram Narayan: 5   quotes 2   likes

Famous Ram Narayan Quotes

“By and large the present day Indian film music lacks soulful melody, sublime spirit and compelling charm of its lyrical intensity and has nothing Hindustani in it.”

Ram Narayan

[Sharma, S. D., Sarangi maestro calls present music soulless drudgery, The Tribune, 28 February 2008, http://www.webcitation.org/5pb5rvJkI]

“I am a musician's musician and am passionate about my sarangi. I shall continue my battle for the cause of the sarangi. I will be reborn to continue my sadhana until the battle is won.”

Ram Narayan

[Solo success, S. Sahaya Ranjit, 25 April 2005, India Today, https://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/pandit-ram-narayan-dedicates-padma-vibhushan-award/1/193919.html&date=2017-10-03, 3 October 2017, 3 October 2017]

“The greatest blessing that one can get from music is that it makes an artist immensely satisfied with life irrespective of the financial condition in which they may be.”

Ram Narayan

[An Interview with Pandit Ram Narayan, Official website, http://www.webcitation.org/5n5BHIfXo]

“At one time, sarangi exponents used to be called gurus and ustads because they were so learned that they could teach vocalists a thing or two. It wasn't surprising that many of them turned into vocalists and made a name for themselves independently.”

Ram Narayan

[Patil, Vrinda, Dying strains of sarangi, The Tribune, 9 December 2000, http://www.webcitation.org/5pb57z9G6]

“My mission was to obliterate the blemish which the sarangi carried due to its social origins. I hope I have succeeded in this.”

Ram Narayan

[Dhaneshwar, Amarendra, Saviour of the sarangi, Pandit Ram Narayan, The Indian Express, 18 February 2002, http://www.webcitation.org/5pb4p5swj]

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