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Narayan Gopal "Gurubacharya", also known by his stage names Narayan Gopal and N Gopal, was an influential singer and composer of Nepali music. He was born on October 4, 1939. He gained great popularity in Nepal and is considered an important cultural figure. In Nepal, he was given the title "Swara Samrat", which means "Voice Emperor". He is also known as the 'King of Tragedy' due to the many sad songs he composed inspired by his love for the then Maharani of Nepal. In addition, Gopal also sang in Nepal Bhasa, the language spoken by the Newar community in Nepal. He passed away on December 5, 1990.
Due to his surprising songwriting skills, he had the potential to sing songs from various Nepalese genres. His performances had been commonly observed using instruments including the sitar, harmonium, and flute. As the first professional Nepali singer, he additionally labored as a tune director from the late 1950s to the 1970s. Narayan Gopal's songs have been featured in more than one movie and drama for the duration of the year. For the duration of his lifetime, he released a total of 137 songs, and his initial compositions were created by his companions, Manik Ratna and Premadhwaj Pradhan. Gopal, who changed into a lively composer within the 20th century, is recognized as a distinctly acclaimed and influential composer, having obtained numerous accolades and recognitions during his career.
In 2016, he completed his School Leaving Certificate (SLC) and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities from Tri-Chandra College. Although he pursued Indian classical music studies at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in India, he returned to Nepal before finishing his studies. His marriage to Pemala Lama took place in 1971. He joined the Rashtriya NaachGhar (National Dance Theater) and eventually became the manager. Additionally, he served as the editor of the musical journal 'Bageena' for its first three issues. He was appointed as the managing director of 'Sanskritik Sansthan (Cultural Center)' and was also an adviser to the Ministry of Communication. Moreover, he worked as an associate professor at the Lalit Kala Campus, now at Kirtipur, Tinkune, old Ladies’ hostel building. He wrote a musical drama called 'Kanchi Masyang' during his career.
Gopal's vocal talent was initially recognized by his friends, Manik Ratna Sthapit from Pyukha Tole and Prem Dhoj Pradhan from Bheda Singh Tole. The three friends used to practice singing Hindi songs together at Manik Ratna's house, which had unofficially become a music school due to the expertise of Manik Ratna's uncle, Siddhi Ratna Sthapit, who was an accomplished instrumentalist. After Gopal completed his SLC exams, Prem Dhoj Pradhan took him to Radio Nepal for a voice test. During the test, Gopal sang "Panchi ko Pankha ma Dharti ko Diyo," a song written by Dr. Ram Man Trishit and composed by Prem Dhoj Pradhan himself. Remarkably, Gopal passed the voice test on his first attempt. He then had his first public musical performance as a tabla player during the 40th anniversary celebration of Tri Chandra College.
During that time, the Prem-Manik duo had begun performing their own original compositions. Following their lead, Narayan Gopal also composed six songs of his own, with lyrics penned by the contemporary poet Ratna Shumsher Thapa. This collection included four solo vocal songs titled 'Sawrgaki Rani', 'Aankhako Bhakha Aankhale', 'Bho Bho Malai Nacheka', and 'Madhumasama Yo Dil', as well as two duets titled 'Bichod Ko Pida' and 'Ya Kancha Thattaima Yo Bainsha Janalagyo'. These songs were eventually recorded in Kolkata, India, while Narayan Gopal was studying there. These compositions started to gain attention both in Nepal and India.
Narayan Gopal, a renowned musician, stated that in contemporary songwriting, the key components that hold significant value are the melody, lyrics, and vocalist. Nonetheless, he did concede that there are other factors that also contribute to the songwriting process. He believed that chords were necessary to add vitality to the music, but the chord progression should not be the basis of the melody composition; rather, it should be part of the arrangement. After composing the melody, the arranger would create the progression based on it. Narayan Gopal emphasized that a good arrangement was crucial to making a song enjoyable, comparing it to a vegetable dish without salt or other spices. To achieve the desired result, various elements should be combined, such as non-repetitive melodies moving over the accompaniment, short repeated rhythmic figures, heterophony, countermelodies, chords, and harmonic progressions. Additionally, Narayan Gopal recommended using one melody for the refrain and another for the verse, as well as incorporating melodies for the instrumental interludes to distinguish them from the sung sections, all of which were part of the arrangement.
Narayan Gopal received numerous national honors, all of which were awarded during the Bikram Sambat calendar era.
- 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)
- Narayan gopal singing award-1969
- Maha Ujwaol Rastradeep awards from the President of Nepal on 2021 (posthumously)
It was uncommon for Narayan Gopal to lend his voice to film songs, but when he did, the movie would become a huge success.
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Narayan Gopal is recognized as a rare Nepali singer who achieved fame through a limited number of songs. He is reputed to have sung only a few hundred songs, yet most of them became popular hits. A collection of his well-known songs is presented below.
You can get more on Wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narayan_Gopal
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