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. He became the managing director of
Sanskritik Sangsthan (Cultural Center) from 2036-05-10 to 2040-10-04
B.S.; became adviser to the Ministry of Communication from 2046-04-16
on wards; 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 liked to spend considerable effort in
organizing various events. In his editorship, the first editions of
Bageena (बागीना) magazine was
issued.
Early career
The potential of his vocal talent was
first recognized 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, after completion of his S.L.C exams,
Prem Dhoj Pradhan took him to Radio Nepal to take a voice test. He
sang "Panchi ko pankha ma dharti ko diyo," written by Dr.
Ram Man Trishit and composed by Prem Dhoj Pradhan himself. He passed
the voice test on his first trial. Narayan Gopal's first public
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.
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
shallow and vulgar. 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 duo had started
to sing their 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 to
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 words,
music, 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 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 Yonzon, with whom he formed a close friendship as mitjyus, in
part because both had Gopal as their names.
Partnership with Gopal
Yonzon
With the partnership of Gopal Yonzon
during the later 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 of Nepal were starting to become more self
conscious and were seeking to express themselves in original emotions
and style. Originality was becoming increasingly important. 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 Yonzon
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 Yonzon'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.
Partnership with Gopal
Yonzon
With the partnership of Gopal Yonzon
during the later 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 of Nepal were starting to become more self
conscious and were seeking to express themselves in original emotions
and style. Originality was becoming increasingly important. 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 Yonzon
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 Yonzon'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 Yonzon, 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 of 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 an 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 songwriters 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 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.
[edit] 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)
Sugam Pokhrel (born 20 September, 1979
in Mangalbaaray, Morang) is one of the most renowned singers of
Nepali Music Industry. He is also a popular RJ. He is well known as
both singer and composer. He is the youngest child of two brothers
and two sisters. He was a very shy kid in his child days. He used to
listen the songs of Sanjay Shrestha, Deep shrestha and Harish Mathema
which unknowingly influenced him towards his destiny.
