Veteran Gujarati singer Gaurang Vyas passes away
Ahmedabad
Veteran Gujarati musician, composer and singer Gaurang Vyas passed away in Ahmedabad on Thursday. He was 87. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi paid their heartfelt tributes. Vyas was the son of celebrated composer and Padma Shri awardee Avinash Vyas and was a prominent figure in Gujarati cinema, folk music and sugam sangeet.
He died in Ahmedabad, where his final journey is scheduled to begin from his residence near Hirabaug Crossings in Ambawadi. PM Modi, in a post on social media platform X, said he was deeply saddened by Vyas’s death and recalled his contribution to Gujarati music. “Carrying forward the rich musical tradition of his father, Avinash Vyas, he carved out a distinct place for himself in the field of Gujarati music,” he said. He added that Gujarat had lost a talented creator and that Vyas’s “invaluable contribution to Gujarati music will always be remembered”. PM Modi offered prayers for the peace of the departed soul and expressed condolences to Vyas’s family and his “large number of admirers”. Amit Shah described Vyas’s death as an “irreparable loss” to the Gujarati music world. He recalled the musician’s contribution to several films and numerous compositions, saying “Vyas had touched countless hearts through his long musical journey”. Referring to one of Vyas’s best-known compositions, ‘Dikri To Parki Thapan’, HM Shah said: “His memories would remain alive through immortal compositions such as the song.” He prayed that God grant the departed soul a place at His holy feet and give Vyas’s family and countless admirers the strength to bear the loss.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said Vyas’s contribution to Gujarati cinema, sugam sangeet and folk music would remain memorable. “By carrying forward the rich musical legacy, the melodious tunes he created will always remain alive in the hearts of music lovers,” CM Patel said. The CM described Vyas’s death as a major loss to Gujarat’s art and music fraternity and prayed for peace for the departed soul and strength for his family and admirers. Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi also expressed his condolences, describing Vyas as a veteran musician and singer. Vyas was introduced to music at an early age. Reports on his career say he could play ‘Vaishnav Jan’ on the harmonium when he was five. Despite being born into one of Gujarat’s best-known musical families, he initially pursued a different career, completing a diploma in mechanical engineering and working with an engineering company in Mumbai before eventually choosing music as his profession. He began his career in Gujarati cinema as an assistant to his father, Avinash Vyas, including work on ‘Jesal Toral’.
Over the course of his career, he composed for more than 100 films, including Ketan Mehta’s ‘Bhavni Bhavai’, as well as ‘Maniyaro’, ‘Nasibni Balihari’, ‘Parki Thapan’, ‘Liludi Dharati’ and ‘Maiyarman Mandu Nathi Lagtu’. Vyas also worked with some of India’s leading playback singers, including Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey, Mahendra Kapoor, Suman Kalyanpur, Bhupinder Singh and Prafull Dave. His composition ‘Dikri To Parki Thapan’, sung by Lata Mangeshkar, became one of his enduringly recognised works. His work extended beyond films. He composed more than 500 pieces of sugam sangeet and also created popular garba and devotional compositions. His father, Avinash Vyas, was a major figure in Gujarati cinema, having composed music for more than 190 Gujarati films and receiving the Padma Shri in 1970. Gaurang Vyas continued that musical lineage while developing an identity of his own in Gujarati film and non-film music.
