The instrument that speaks so eloquently in the hands of the maestro, has acquired its very identity, as a prominent part of the Indian instrumental milieu, due to Pt. Ram Narayan’s efforts, over the past seven decades. Besides bringing the Sarangi into public focus in India and internationally, Pt. Ram Narayan has indeed altered the basic technique of playing the instrument. Inventing a core set of principles that allow a more standardised approach to harness the inherent musicality of this challenging instrument, he has been able to forge a unique blend of the music content that can now be played on the Sarangi. Because of his extensive experience as an accompanist, which afforded him opportunities to play with vocalists of widely differing gharanas, he was able to formulate his own style or gharana; that he assiduously established over the years.
Pt. Ram Narayan has successfully passed on his musical legacy to his disciples, prominent among them, his son, the leading Sarod virtuoso Brij Narayan, his daughter Aruna Narayan Kalle and his grandson Harsh Narayan; and he has influenced and inspired an entire generation of young Sarangi players, all over the world.
An important part of the process of developing this Sarangi makeover can be attributed to Pt. Ram Narayan’s exposure to western audiences, particularly prominent musicians like Pablo Casals, the great cellist; Yehudi Menuhin and Rostropovich, to name a few. The wholehearted admiration he received from them, in a way, inspired and reaffirmed his confidence in the path he had chosen. His work has been compared to that of the legendary Paganini who had revolutionised the technique of violin playing. The book ‘Indian Music in Performance’, based on his work, which he co-authored with Neil Sorell, is one of the few widely respected works by a contemporary Indian musician. It is referenced in universities, all over the world, as an important insight into the practical aspects of a performance.
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