‘He played the Sarangi like no one else’, ‘A peaceful and wonderful musician’ or the man who gave up the fame and glory of the Hindi film industry for his love for classical music, are how eminent personalities from the field of music Paid tribute to him. Sarangi player Pandit Ram Narayan.

Narayan, who is widely credited with elevating the status of the humble sarangi as a concert solo instrument in Hindustani classical music, died at his Mumbai residence late Friday night. He was 96 years old.

“He passed away peacefully on November 8 at around 11:15 pm. He was suffering from old age-related ailments like blood pressure and diabetes, but no such chronic illness,” his grandson Harsh told PTI. Narayan was cremated with full state honors on Saturday, said Harsh, himself a renowned sarangi player who started training under his grandfather at the age of six.

The Padma Vibhushan awardee, who played the bowed instrument in many classic Hindi films including ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, ‘Madhumati’, ‘Pakeezah’, ‘Gunga Jamna’ and ‘Kashmir Ki Kali’, spoke at the All India Radio in Lahore Worked with. and Delhi in the mid-1940s, before migrating to Mumbai in 1949.

Born on December 25, 1927 in Rajasthan into a family deeply involved in classical music, Narayan enjoyed immense success in Bollywood and eventually retired from the film industry to devote himself entirely to classical music.

‘The music director won’t record without him’

“He was acting in the film industry and there were music directors like Madan Mohan and others who would not have been able to record if he had not been there. He left it all and decided to play sarangi in concerts all over India and internationally,” Narayana’s student and renowned playback singer Kavita Krishnamurthy told PTI over phone from Sri Lanka. Later, he recorded several albums, and in 1964 made his first international tour to the United States and Europe with his elder brother Chatur Lal, a tabla player.

Describing himself as fortunate to have learned under the tutelage of the renowned musician in the mid-1970s, Krishnamurthy said that Sarangi as we know it today in India was all due to Narayan’s hard work. “He was a very committed and serious teacher. I have learned many things about music from him. Even later, I will go to meet him when he practices. He is an amazing musician. His voice was very melodious and emotional but he never sang in public. He was a peaceful and wonderful musician.

“It was an honor and a privilege to know him, and some of us were really lucky to learn something from the great musician,” she said, adding that she and her husband, violinist L Subramaniam, were always on the same page. Will pay attention. Whenever he was in Mumbai, he would go to meet the maestro.

In a post on X, music director and singer Adnan Sami said he was saddened by the demise of “one of the greatest sarangi players the entire Indian subcontinent has seen”.

“Apart from his talent as a phenomenal artist, he was a very kind and gentle soul. His smile was infectious and he exuded humility. Sarangi is one of my favorite instruments and Pandit ji knew how to sing it, like no other… May his soul rest in peace and my heartfelt condolences to his lovely family,” the 53-year-old singer said. Wrote.

Padma Award

Narayan was awarded the Padma Shri in 1976, the Padma Bhushan in 1991 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2005.

He was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Kalidas Samman by the Government of Madhya Pradesh and the Aditya Vikram Birla Kalashikhar Award.

In 2007, a biographical film titled “Pandit Ramnarayan – Sarangi Ke Sang” was screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

From Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan to Sangeet Natak Akademi and Spike McKay, tributes have poured in from all walks of life for the great musician.

Radhakrishnan wrote on Pandit Ram Narayan took Sarangi to global heights through his excellent performances. The sound of his Sarangi touched the hearts and the sky.”

Sonal Mansingh, a renowned classical dancer and former member of the Rajya Sabha, remembered Narayan as “a delightful person completely dedicated to his art”. “Pt. Ram Narayan ji was a master of the difficult instrument Sarangi, which he learned in his early years…His legacy will continue to inspire future generations of musicians,” he wrote on X.

While the Sangeet Natak Akademi expressed condolences to his family, the Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music Among Youth (Spic Macay) said that Narayan’s “artistic ability was such that he became synonymous with his instrument in the world of classical music “.

Narayan has three children – sarod player Pandit Brij Narayan, and Aruna and Shiv, who are both trained musicians.