Ashit Desai (; born 16 May 1951) is a legendary Indian composer, vocalist, musician and music director. He composes scores for films, TV serials, dance productions and dramas. He is known as Gujarati Sugam Sangeet artist.

Early life

Ashit was born in 1951 to Kunjbihari and Mayuriben Desai in

Baroda Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is a city situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district. The city is named for its abundance of banyan ...

Bombay State Bombay State was a large Indian state created in 1950 from the erstwhile Bombay Province, with other regions being added to it in the succeeding years. Bombay Province (in British India roughly equating to the present-day Indian state of Mah ...

(now Vadodara,

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

). Initially he learned music from his parents. He graduated in Commerce and took a Diploma in vocal music from M. S. University of Baroda and migrated to

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

for career opportunities.

Career

Ashit has composed scores for dramas, dance ballets, TV serials & films. The Sitar Maestro Pandit

Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitar, sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known expert of Hin ...

had enlisted him in composing music for the Asian Games, Asiad and placed him in charge of overall coordination of cultural events. His has won wide acclaim for the music direction in the Hindi Television serial Chanakya (TV series), Chanakya on Doordarshan. The devotional songs for Richard Attenborough's film ''Gandhi (film), Gandhi'' are sung by him. In 1988, he conducted

orchestral compositions at the closing ceremony of the Festival of India in Moscow. In 1989, He assisted Ravi Shankar as orchestra conductor and singer in his ballet ''Ghanashyam''. He has given music in Hindi film ''Viruddh... Family Comes First'' produced by Amitabh Bachchan.

Awards

# All India Radio, All India Radio's Best Singer Award in 1969 (At the Age of 18) # Gujarat State Award in 1976 # Asiad Jyoti Medal by the President of India # "Pt. Omkarnath Thakur Award." of Gujarat State in 1989 # 2017 - Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (Category : Music for Dance) # Award for Best Music Director for the Gujarati TV serial "Shraddha"

Personal life

He is married to Hema Desai who is also singer. Their Son Alap Desai is also a music artist, whose album ''Pehchan'' was Nominated under the category of Best Gazal Album in Global Indian Music Academy Awards-2016.

Discography

Music Composer

#Yoga Unveiled (2004) #Hanuman Vandana (2007) #Ballet "Ganaga" (2019) starring Hema Malini. #Ballet "Geet Govind " (2014) starring Hema Malini. #Songs of Narasinh Mehta (1996), Navaras Records. #Jai Jai Shrinathaji (1995), Navaras Records.

Soundtrack

#Rock Band (Video Game 2007)

Producer

#Pehchaan (2015)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Desai, Ashit Living people Indian male playback singers 1951 births Indian composers Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award