Vasant Rai
| Vasant Rai | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Born | 1942 Unjha, Gujarat, India |
| Origin | India |
| Died | 1985 (aged 43) New York, US |
| Genres | Indian classical music |
| Instruments | Sarod |
| Website | http://vasantrai.com/ |
Vasant Rai (1942–1985) was one of world's most acclaimed performers of Indian music and virtuoso of the Indo/Persian/Afghani instrument Sarod.
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[edit] Personal life and education
Rai was born in Unjha[1][2][3], Kutch, Gujarat and studied music in India. Rai was the last student of Allauddin Khan, who is best known as the teacher of Ravi Shankar.
Rai's sons Satyam (b 1982) and Andrew (b 1979) are also upcoming sarodists. Satyam and Andrew continue to maintain the family school in New York City.
He died in his New York apartment shortly after a Carnegie Hall performance.[4]
[edit] Career
Rai had been coming to the United States since his teen years but finally settled in New York City in 1969 and lived mainly in the Greenwich Village area and also for a short time at the Chelsea Hotel when he was not touring. From 1969 to 1985 he conducted the Alam School of Music in The Greenwich Village. Alla Rakha, Mahapurush Misra, Shamta Prasad, Zakir Hussain and K Paramjyoti usually accompanied him on the tabla.
Rai had been signed exclusively by Vanguard Records from 1975 to 1982. Vasant's first commercial recording was by EMI and on the tabla was the late Alla Rakha
During the early 1980s, Rai and the jazz flutist Herbie Mann jammed together live on weekend nights at packed venues such as the Bottom Line and Village Gate. Vasant Rai taught many Western musicians such as George Harrison, John Coltrane, Collin Walcott and other rock and jazz personalities of that time.
Rai also trained a number of Indian classical musicians such as sarod players Ashok Roy, Pradeep Barot and Stephen James, and sitar players Amiya Das Gupta, Deepak Chaudhary and Shamim Khan. Pradeep Barot is a leading sarod player of the present generation.
Vasant Rai's sarod was a gift from his guru Allauddin Khan, was made by Allauddin Khan's younger brother Ayet Ali Khan in the 1930s.
[edit] References
- ^ Rai, Vasant. "Vasant Rai: Interview". ?. http://vasantrai.com/htm/bottom/interview.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ Rai, Vasant. "Vasant Rai - "Autumn Song" {India} [1978 (classical fusion)"]. Prog not Frog. http://prognotfrog.blogspot.com/2006/11/vasant-rai-autumn-song-india-1978.html. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ Landgarten, Ira. "Vasant Rai Interview: Raga Records". Raga Records. http://www.raga.com/cds/226/226interview.html. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ http://www.raga.com/cds/226/226interview.html
