Brij Narayan
Encyclopedia
Brij Narayan (born 25 April 1952) is an India
n classical musician who plays the string instrument sarod
. Narayan was born in the Indian state Rajasthan
and began to study sarod from a young age under his father Ram Narayan
and other teachers. He won the All India Radio
instrumentalist competition in 1967 and accompanied his father on a tour to Afghanistan in 1969. Narayan graduated from the University of Mumbai
in 1972 and has since worked on movies and toured Africa, Europe, and America.
Narayan was born on 25 April 1952 in Udaipur
, Rajasthan
as the oldest son of sarangi
player Ram Narayan
. He was taught music from an early age and began playing the sarod at the age of seven. Narayan knows how to play sarangi, but chose to specialize in playing the sarod, stating he believed his background would give him an advantage over other sarod players and that he liked its "combination of melody and percussion". Narayan studied for a short time under his uncle, tabla
player Chatur Lal
, and sarod player Ali Akbar Khan
in Delhi
, but returned to study under his father following Lal's death in 1965. In 1967, Narayan received the President's gold medal as top instrumentalist in the All India Radio
competition. In the late 1960s, he was the subject of a movie, participated in a 1969 cultural delegation tour of Afghanistan with his father, and became a scholar of the Bharat Sangeet Sabha.
in 1972 and became a full-time musician; he performed at the Munich Olympics
the same year. In the 1970s and 1980s, he toured Africa, Europe, and America, and he recorded several albums, including a collaboration with Zakir Hussain
. Narayan played in the 1978 movie Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki
and composed music for the 1988 movie The Bengali Night
by Nicolas Klotz
, which starred Hugh Grant
. He received the Dagar Gharana Award from the Mewar Foundation in 1996 and toured France again in 1999. Narayan performed for the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth
, to interest young Indians in Indian classical music, and played on the 2002 album Music Detected
by Deep Forest
. Neil Sorrell has described Narayan as one of the best sarod players of the present time in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart
.
, and has children. His son Harsh was born in the mid-1980s and plays sarangi
since 1997; both Brij and his son have performed with Ram Narayan. Narayan works for the Pt Ram Narayan Foundation in Mumbai, which offers scholarships to sarangi students.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n classical musician who plays the string instrument sarod
Sarod
The sarod is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is the most popular and prominent instrument in the classical music of Hindustan...
. Narayan was born in the Indian state Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
and began to study sarod from a young age under his father Ram Narayan
Ram Narayan
Ram Narayan , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician who popularized the bowed instrument sarangi as a solo concert instrument in Hindustani classical music and became the first internationally successful sarangi player....
and other teachers. He won the All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
instrumentalist competition in 1967 and accompanied his father on a tour to Afghanistan in 1969. Narayan graduated from the University of Mumbai
University of Mumbai
The University of Mumbai , is a state university located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was known as the University of Bombay until 1996 when the city of Bombay was renamed as Mumbai. The affiliated colleges of the university are spread throughout the city of Mumbai and four coastal districts in...
in 1972 and has since worked on movies and toured Africa, Europe, and America.
Early life
Udaipur
Udaipur , also known as the City of Lakes, is a city, a Municipal Council and the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the state of Rajasthan in western India. It is located southwest of the state capital, Jaipur, west of Kota, and northeast from Ahmedabad...
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
as the oldest son of sarangi
Sarangi
The Sārangī is a bowed, short-necked string instrument of India which is originated from Rajasthani folk instruments. It plays an important role in India's Hindustani classical music tradition...
player Ram Narayan
Ram Narayan
Ram Narayan , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician who popularized the bowed instrument sarangi as a solo concert instrument in Hindustani classical music and became the first internationally successful sarangi player....
. He was taught music from an early age and began playing the sarod at the age of seven. Narayan knows how to play sarangi, but chose to specialize in playing the sarod, stating he believed his background would give him an advantage over other sarod players and that he liked its "combination of melody and percussion". Narayan studied for a short time under his uncle, tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
player Chatur Lal
Chatur Lal
Chatur Lal , was an Indian tabla player. Lal toured with Ravi Shankar, Aashish Khan, Vasant Rai, and Ali Akbar Khan in the 1950s and early 60s and helped popularize the tabla in Western countries. Chatur Lal was born 1925 in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Lal died October 1965...
, and sarod player Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan , often referred to as Khansahib or by the title Ustad , was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod...
in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, but returned to study under his father following Lal's death in 1965. In 1967, Narayan received the President's gold medal as top instrumentalist in the All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
competition. In the late 1960s, he was the subject of a movie, participated in a 1969 cultural delegation tour of Afghanistan with his father, and became a scholar of the Bharat Sangeet Sabha.
Career
Narayan graduated from the University of MumbaiUniversity of Mumbai
The University of Mumbai , is a state university located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was known as the University of Bombay until 1996 when the city of Bombay was renamed as Mumbai. The affiliated colleges of the university are spread throughout the city of Mumbai and four coastal districts in...
in 1972 and became a full-time musician; he performed at the Munich Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
the same year. In the 1970s and 1980s, he toured Africa, Europe, and America, and he recorded several albums, including a collaboration with Zakir Hussain
Zakir Hussain (musician)
Zakir Hussain , , is an Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer.-Early life:Hussain was born in Mumbai, India to the legendary tabla player Alla Rakha. He attended St...
. Narayan played in the 1978 movie Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki
Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki
Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki is a 1978 Indian film directed by Raj Khosla and Sudesh Issar. Based on a Marathi novel titled Ashi Tujhi Preet by famous Marathi storywriter Chandrakant Kakodkar .-Plot :...
and composed music for the 1988 movie The Bengali Night
The Bengali Night
The Bengali Night is a 1988 semi-autobiographical film based upon the Mircea Eliade 1933 Romanian novel, Bengal Nights, directed by Nicolas Klotz and starring Hugh Grant and the Indian actors Soumitra Chatterjee and Shabana Azmi.-Plot summary:...
by Nicolas Klotz
Nicolas Klotz
-Filmography:*Rendez-vous avec Marguerite 1983*The Bengali Night 1988 with Hugh Grant, Shabana Azmi and Soumitra Chatterjee*La Nuit sacrée 1993 with Goran Bregović*Chants of Sand and Stars 1996*Pariah 2000*The Wound 2004*Dans la peau de.....
, which starred Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's...
. He received the Dagar Gharana Award from the Mewar Foundation in 1996 and toured France again in 1999. Narayan performed for the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth
SPIC MACAY
The Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth, often known by its initials , is not just a non-profit organization which promotes Indian classical music, Indian classical dance, and other aspects of Indian culture, it is a movement with chapters in over 300 towns...
, to interest young Indians in Indian classical music, and played on the 2002 album Music Detected
Music Detected (album)
Music Detected is the sixth album by the musical group Deep Forest. On this album their trademark samples are nowhere to be heard; the group have worked in live conditions, giving priority to lyrics, David Fall's solid drum work and raging guitars. While their powerful electro world-beat is still...
by Deep Forest
Deep Forest
Deep Forest is a musical group consisting of two French musicians, Michel Sanchez and Eric Mouquet. They compose a style of world music, sometimes called ethnic electronica, mixing ethnic with electronic sounds and dance beats or chillout beats...
. Neil Sorrell has described Narayan as one of the best sarod players of the present time in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart
Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart
Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart is the largest and most comprehensive German music encyclopedia, and among Western music reference sources, only the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is comparable to it in size and scope...
.
Family and personal life
Narayan is married, lives in MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, and has children. His son Harsh was born in the mid-1980s and plays sarangi
Sarangi
The Sārangī is a bowed, short-necked string instrument of India which is originated from Rajasthani folk instruments. It plays an important role in India's Hindustani classical music tradition...
since 1997; both Brij and his son have performed with Ram Narayan. Narayan works for the Pt Ram Narayan Foundation in Mumbai, which offers scholarships to sarangi students.
Discography
- Raga Lalit, Raga Bairagi Bhairav (1999)
- Raga Bhatiyar and Raga Shankara (2002)