Pandit Ram Narayan is considered to be the first internationally successful sarangi player. He is credited with popularizing the sarangi as a solo concert instrument in Hindustani Classical music. His career first started with playing on All India Radio, as an accompanist with vocalists. He soon grew tired and ventured into composing in Indian Cinema. Some of the scores he composed were used in the movies Adalat, Kashmir, Madhumati and many more. After trying out many different fields he realised his true calling was to be a solo concert artist. He made his first international tour to America and Europe in 1964 following Pandit Ravi Shankar’s example. Now he teaches foreign and Indian students the sarangi and performs internationally regularly. Pandit Ram Narayan was recently awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2005.
In this video you will go through Ram Narayan’s transformation from an accompanist to a solo artist. He fell In love with the sarangi at the small age of 6 after listening to the unique sound of the instrument. The sound somehow moved him in a different way and he never looked back from then. What we can learn from his life story is that sometimes you have to sacrifice something to gain something better.
Here you go!
Hope you are inspired to sing more now (: . Click the link below to sing on the Riyaz App.
Other Musicians to Follow
What should we be paying attention to when we are listening to the sarangi piece?
What should we be paying attention to?