Narayan Gopal

Narayan Gopal
Born	October 4, 1939(1939-10-04) Kathmandu, Nepal
Died	December 5, 1990(1990-12-05) (aged 51) Kathmandu, Nepal
Cause of death	Diabetes
Occupation	Singer, Musician, Playwriter

Narayan Gopal Guruacharya (Nepali: [| नारायण गोपाल गुरूवाचार्य]) (October 4, 1939 - December 5, 1990) is the most prominent and popular singer and composer in the history of Nepali music. He is popularly referred to as "Swar Samrat" (Nepali: स्वर सम्राट, meaning: Emperor of Voice) in Nepali music. He is also known as "Tragedy King." He is well known as a singer as well as a composer. His voice range allowed him to sing songs of every genre of Nepali music. His songs are often richly orchestrated with the sitar, harmonium and flute. He belongs to the first generation of Nepali singers who took singing as a profession. His songs have also been used in movies and dramas.

Personal Life

Narayan Gopal Guruacharya was born into a Newar family in Kilagal Tole, Kathmandu, on October 4, 1939 (18 Asoj, 1996 B.S.) to father Asha Gopal Guruacharya and mother Ram Devi Guruacharya. He had five brothers and six sisters. He completed his School Leaving Certificate (S.L.C) exams in 2016 B.S. and obtained Bachelor of Art degree in Humanities from Tri-Chandra College. Later he also went to Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda to study classical Indian music, but returned without completing his studies. He married Pemala Lama in 1971 (Falgun 2027 B.S.). Later he joined the Rastriya Naach Ghar (National Dance Theater) and rose to the post of manager (hakim). He also worked as the editor of a musical journal Bageena (बागीना) for its first three issues around 2028 B.S., became the managing director of Sanskritik Sangsthan (Cultural Center) from 2036-05-10 to 2040-10-04 B.S., adviser to the Ministry of Communication from 2046-04-16 onwards, and an associate professor in Lalit Kala Campus. He also wrote a musical drama titled Kanchi Masyang (कान्छी मस्याङ).

Personality

People who knew him during his lifetime recount some of his personality: He had a considerable knowledge of history. He was an enthusiastic photographer; and he loved to watch football; he was a good chess player. In the kitchen, he was a good cook. Apart from singing, he like to spend considerable efforts in organizing various events. In his editorship, the first editions of Bageena (बागीना) magazine was issued.

Early Career

Narayan Gopal's first musical performance was during the 40th anniversary of Tri Chandra College, which he agreed on to do so upon requests from his friends. During the performance he acted as the tabala player. The potential of his vocal talents were recognized first by his friend Manik Ratna Sthapit. Manik Ratna, who used to live in the neighboring Pyukha Tole, and Prem Dhoj Pradhan, who used to live in Bheda Singh Tole used to get together and do vocal practices using Hindi songs. But Narayan Gopal, however, would joke around by changing the words of the songs that they used to sing. Prem Dhoj and Manik Ratna recounts that he used to change the Hindi words into Nepali, thus damaging the melody of the songs to comical effect. Manik Ratna's household was like a kind of a music school since his uncle, Siddhi Ratna Sthapit, was an expert instrumentalist. In B.S 2016 Prem Dhoj Pradhan took him to Radio Nepal to take a voice test. He sang "Panchi ko pankha ma dharti ko ya diyo," written by Dr. Ram Man Trishit and composed by Prem Dhoj Pradhan himself. He passed the voice test on his first trial. In his own household, Narayan's father, Asha Gopal Guruacharya, was a strict classical musician. His father did not allow any modern music, except for classical music, to be entertained in his house. Ustad Asha Gopal considered modern music as light and shallow. It was in order to appease his father that he went to India to take up lessons in classical music in Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. But due to ill-adjustment, he dropped from the University after only four and half months. However one good outcome of his travel to India was his first record of songs.

First Successes

By that time Prem Manik had started to sing his own compositions. Following suit Narayan Gopal too composed six original songs written by the contemporary poet Ratna Shumsher Thapa. In that collection four of the songs were for solo vocal (स्वर्गकी रानी, आँखाको भाखा आँखैले, भो भो मलाई नछेक, मधुमासमा यो दिल) and two were for duet ( बिछोडको पीडा and ए कान्छा ठट्टैमा यो बैंश जानलाग्यो). All these songs were eventually recorded in Kolkata, India, while he was in that country for his studies. These songs started to attract attention within Nepal and India, and in short time he became recognized as a major Nepali singer.

Nepal at the time had recently been liberated from Rana rule. Midst these wave of social and political changes, Narayan Gopal was able to lend his voice to songs related love, life, hope, and patriotism. While the East-West highway was under construction, he recorded ‘जाग, जाग चम्क हे नौजवान हो,’ whereas in the fervor of patriotism ‘आमा ! तिमीलाई जलभरिका औंलाहरुले चुम्न’. Such songs made him popular among the youths of Nepal. His songs further evolved as he became more selective of songs with right combination of music, words, and emotions. Along with his contemporaries such as Pushpa Nepali, Bacchu Kailash, Tara Devi, Amber Gurung, Prem Dhoj Pradhan, Nati Kaji, Shiva Sankar, he added a new dimension to the modern Nepali music. To broaden his style, he started to hold discussions with his admirers, his competitors, and his critics. It was in this process of development that he visited Darjeeling, India, during the March of 1965. The visit was fruitful for two reasons: there he met his long time fan and future wife, Pemala Lama, with whom he fell in love; and it was there that he met another young, struggling musician Gopal Yonjan, with whom he formed a close friendship as mitjyus, in part because both had Gopal as their name.

Partnership with Gopal Yonjan

With the partnership of Gopal Yonjan during the sixties, Narayan Gopal's music entered a new phase of development. In the words of Ishwar Bhallav, Narayan Gopal became the singer of the hearts of the Nepali people. It was in this phase that he started to sing his famous songs of love, loss, and tragedy; and he emerged as the most prominent singer of this era. At this time, the musicians in Nepal were starting to become more self conscious and were seeking to express themselves in original emotions and style. It was also at this time that new sounds from the West, such as by the Beatles and Bob Dylan, were entering and influencing the music of Nepal. In order to confront the influence of Western pop music, a new consciousness and a new style of music was felt to be necessary. To meet these challenges, Narayan Gopal in partnership with Gopal Yonjan created songs that have since been ever popular in Nepal. Song like बिर्सेर फेरि मलाई नहेर, चिनारी हाम्रो धेरै पुरानो, तिम्रो जस्तो मुटु मेरो पनि, लौ सुन म भन्छु मेरो रामकहानी not only gave new lease of life to Gopal Yonjan's musical career, but it also carved a special niche for Narayan Gopal among the listeners of Nepali music.

Soon he found himself to be sought after by all the major composers of Nepal. He collaborated with established composers like Nati Kaji, Shiva Sankar, Amber Gurung, and Dharmaraj Thapa. He was starting to be known as the singer of intellect.

During the beginning of the seventies, he married his long time fan Pemala at the age of thirty-one. After their marriage his residence shifted for sometime to Pokhara and later for sometime to Hetauda. In Pokhara he became acquainted with the poet Bhupi Sherchan, while in Hetauda he became acquainted with fellow songwriter and composer Bhim Birag. As a result of the interactions, he composed and sang Bhupi Sherchan's सानै हुरीमा बैँसको सपना and अल्झेछ क्यारे पछ्यौरी तिम्रो चियाको बुट्टामा; and he sang Bhim Birag's तिमीले पनि मजस्तै माया दिएर हेर.

Later Career

After his short stay in Hetauda, Narayan Gopal returned to Kathmandu and managed to find a job in Rastriya Naach Ghar (National Dance Theater) with the help of his friends Manik Ratna and Janardan Sama. He had entered Naach Ghar as a mere instrumentalist, but he slowly rose to the post of a hakim (rector). While he was in Naach Ghar, he lost many of his friends or abandoned many of his previous collaborators. After he became the hakim of Naach Ghar, he was no longer in speaking terms with his early mentor Manik Ratna. Similarly, the relationship with his childhood friend Prem Dhoj became distant. After the marriage of his mitjyu Gopal Yonjan, the relationship between the two also dampened. Among the reasons for this was his fame, success, and growing arrogance.

At this stage of his life, he found himself confronting a new generation Nepali youths. Among the young musical talents of that time, his partnership with Dibya Khaling took off; and he started lending his voice to Khalings compositions, thus initiating another phase of his singing career. Songs like सँधै नै म हाँसे तिमीलाई रुवाई, मायाको आधारमा सम्झौता नै हुन्छ, बिपना नभइ helped to revive his popularity. During this stage he started to collaborate with new breed of songsters such as Khyetra Pratap Adhikari, Kali Prasad Rijal, Norden Rumba, Dinesh Adhikari, and Bishwambhar Pyaukurel, while his relationship with his old collaborators was neglected. Among the composers of the new generation, he collaborated with the likes of Sambhujit Baskota, Bhupendra Rayamajhi, and Shubha Bahadur. In his late stage of career, he lent his considerable prestige to launch the career of many upcoming musicians. As such, he was willing to compromise his artistry and opted to sing weak songs by new composers and songwriters. He also sang in film songs.

In total his career spanned twenty-eight years, during which he sang in eighteen movies and recorded a hundred and fifty-seven songs.

Death

Narayan Gopal suffered from diabetes, yet had a propensity for sweetmeats. This habit led to his demise in December 5, 1990 (19 Mangsir, 2049 B.S.) in Bir Hospital, at 9 p.m. in Kathmandu, at an age of fifty-one. He died childless. Four of his brothers and three of his sisters still survive him.

Awards and Recognitions

Narayan Gopal was awarded several national honours which include (all dates in Bikram Sambat):

• Best Composition (Radio Nepal) - 2023 B.S.
• Best Singer (Radio Nepal) - 2024 B.S.
• Ratna Record Award - 2039 B.S.
• Gorkha Dakshin Bahu, Fourth - 2033 B.S.
• Indra Rajya Laxmi Award - 2040 B.S.
• Chhinalata Award - 2044 B.S.
• Jagadamba Shree - 2045 B.S.
• Urbashi Rang Award - 2047 B.S.
• Trishakti Patta, Third - 2048 B.S. (posthumously)

Biography in other media

A short biography (available at first, second, and third) has been made as a tribute to Narayan Gopal.

Discography

• Geeti Sradhanjali Vol 1-4 (2049-03-02)
• Swarneem Sandhya Vol 1-2
• Preyasi Ka Yaad Haru (2054-02-16)
• Prem Ko Mala
• Manche Ko Maya
• Malai Nasodha
• Lali Gurash Bhayechu
• Aljhe Cha Kyare
• Timro Mann Ma
• Geeti Yatra Vol 1 (2044-10-10)
• Narayan Gopal Ka Aadhunik Geet Haru Vol 1-9
• Malati Mangale (a musical drama)

Notes

References

• Sayami, Prakash. (2009). समानताको स्वर र असमानतको जीवन : नारायणगोपाल.[1]
• Sayami, Prakash. नारायण गोपाल: व्यक्ति एक, रुप अनेक. [2]
• Sayami, Prakash. (2011-11-19). मितेरी संगीतका सूत्रधारः गोपाल योञ्जन.http://artistnepal.com. [3]
• Thapa, Nagendra. सोम नारायणगोपाल. [4]
• Prasai, Narendra Raj. भूगोलभरि गुञ्जिरहने नारायणगोपाल.[5].
• Koirala, Achyut. नारायण गोपाल बारे थाहा नपाएका कुरा.[6]
• Artist Biography of Swar Samrat Narayan Gopal. [7]
• मंसिर १९, नारायण गोपाल र १९ रहस्य.[8]

External links

• Narayan Gopal Songs

Persondata
Name	Gopal, Narayan
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1939-10-04
Place of birth	Kathmandu, Nepal
Date of death	1990-12-05
Place of death	Kathmandu, Nepal