Gorakh Sharma

{{short description|Indian guitarist (born 1946)}}

{{Use Indian English|date=January 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Gorakh Sharma

| native_name = गोरख शर्मा

| native_name_lang =

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1946|12|28}}

| birth_place = Mumbai, Central India Agency, British India

| genre = Hindi Film Music

| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|01|26|1946|12|28|df=y}}

| death_place = Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

| occupation = Musician, assistant music director

| instruments = Guitar, Bass, Mandolin, Rubab, Mandola

| years_active = 1960–2017

}}

Gorakh Sharma (28 December 1946 – 26 January 2018) was an Indian guitarist who is well known for his work in the Indian film industry and who is also one of the first bass guitarists in the industry. He is the younger brother of Pyarelal Sharma of the famed music duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal. During his entire music career that spanned from 1960 to 2002 he has played various string instruments in more than a 1000 songs and over 500 films. He was the lead guitarist for Laxmikant Pyarelal and also worked as assistant music composer with them along with Sashikant (Laxmikant brother)

{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ChTmCQAAQBAJ&q=gorakh+sharma |title=Gaata Rahe Mera Dil: 50 Classic Hindi Film Songs - B Vittal, A Bhattacharjee - ßĘČ Google |date= June 2015|isbn=9789351364573 |accessdate=2016-04-28|last1=Vittal |first1=B. |last2=Bhattacharjee |first2=A. |publisher=Harper Collins }}

{{cite book|url=https://global.oup.com/academic/product/theorizing-the-local-9780195331370?cc=us&lang=en& |title=Theorizing the Local - Hardcover - Richard Wolf - Oxford University Press |via=Global.oup.com |date=2009-09-03 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-533137-0 |accessdate=2016-04-28}}

Early life

Gorakh Ramprasad Sharma (born 28 December 1946) is the son of a renowned trumpeter Pandit Ramprasad Sharma (popularly known as Babaji), who taught him the basics of music. He mastered the art of reading music notations from Babaji and the art of playing various string instruments. He has played the mandolin, mandola, rubab and numerous types of guitars like the acoustic, jazz, twelve string, and the electric guitar. He was the first to have played the Bass guitar in the Indian film industry.

{{cite web|url=http://ostmusics.com/karz/karz-theme-played-by-the-original-guitarist-gorakh-sharma.html |title=Karz Theme Played By The Original Guitarist Gorakh Sharma Free Download Full Album | Best Mp3 Site |website=Ostmusics.com |date= |accessdate=2016-04-28}}

He is younger brother of Pyarelal (Laxmikant–Pyarelal Duo) {{Cite web|url=https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment/news/bollywood-news/article/gorakh-sharma-the-man-who-created-the-iconic-karz-theme-music-passes-away-rishi-kapoor-pays-his-tribute/192803|title = Gorakh Sharma, the man who created the iconic Karz theme music, passes away; Rishi Kapoor pays his tribute}}

Early career

Gorakh Sharma started his musical career as a mandolin player. He learnt Indian notations from his father Pandit Ramprasad Sharma. It was during this time that English instruments like the Guitar were also gaining popularity. He went on to learn the Guitar from Anibal Castro, who was a known guitarist and went on to be trained guitarist. His mandolin playing abilities merged with the guitar playing skills made him a unique guitarist. Initially he was a part of the group Baal Sureel Kala Kendra which would go to smaller cities and perform. The "Baal Sureel Kala Kendra", a musical group, would go to small cities like Pune Solapur, Kolhapur etc. and perform in shows. The group consisted of Meena Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar, Hridaynath Mangeshkar, along with Laxmikant Kudalkar, his brothers Pyarelal, Ganesh, Anand, and others.{{cite web|url=http://redmaza.com/free-download/Karz-Theme-Played-by-the-original-guitarist-Gorakh-Sharma?id=QW2iSihDtUk&db=3 |title=Karz Theme Played by the original guitarist-Gorakh Sharma Video Details & Download - Video |website=RedMaza.Com |date=2014-11-14 |accessdate=2016-04-28}}

Later career

In the 1960s when Laxmikant Kudalkar decided to focus on making film music, Gorakh Sharma got the opportunity to play the Mandolin. At the young age of 14 he got the opportunity to work with music director Ravi and played the mandolin in the song Chaudhvin Ka Chaand. As a guitarist he played fillers, Solo's and Rhythm in more than a 500 films and soon started working with music directors like Ravi, Shankar-Jaikishen, Kalyanji Anandji. He was promoted to the role of an assistant music director for Laxmikant Pyarelal and worked with them in 475 films since 1966. His unique style of playing got him accolades in the industry and has been a member of the Cine Musicians Association (CMA). At a time when the musicians were paid on the basis of a grade given by the CMA, he along with Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia were the only musicians who were give the top grade rating.

{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ChTmCQAAQBAJ&q=gorakh+sharma+guitarist |title=Gaata Rahe Mera Dil: 50 Classic Hindi Film Songs |author1=B Vittal |author2=A Bhattacharjee |date= June 2015|publisher=Harper Collins |isbn=9789351364573 |accessdate=2016-04-28}}

{{cite web|url=https://plus.google.com/115448332023900734768/posts/N7cnTxrbrGw |title=Must mention here that the guitar solo here is played by Gorakh Sharma who has… |website=Plus.google.com |date=2014-10-25 |accessdate=2016-04-28}}{{cite web|url=https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/pancham/conversations/messages/11842 |title=Yahoo! Groups |website=Groups.yahoo.com |date=2001-04-03 |accessdate=2016-04-28}}

=Selected works=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
Song

! Film

! Music Director

! Year

Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho

| Chaudhvin Ka Chand

| Ravi

| 1960

Mere Mehboob Qayamat Hogi

| Mr. X in Bombay

| Laxmikant Pyarelal

| 1964

Nazar Na Lag Jaye

| Night in London

| Laxmikant Pyarelal

| 1967

Dum Maro Dum

| Hare Rama Hare Krishna

| R D Burman

| 1973

Main Shayar Toh Nahin

| Bobby

| Laxmikant Pyarelal

| 1973

Ruk Jaana Nahin

| Imtihan

| Laxmikant Pyarelal

| 1974

Aao Yaaron Gao

| Hawas

| Usha Khanna

| 1974

Dafliwale

| Sargam

| Laxmikant Pyarelal

| 1979

Ek Hasina Thi

| Karz

| Laxmikant Pyarelal

| 1980

Hum Bane Tum Bane

| Ek Duuje Ke Liye

| Laxmikant Pyarelal

| 1981

Saason Ki Zaroorat Hain Jaise

| Aashiqui

| Nadeem Shravan

| 1990

Jao Tum Chahe Jahan

| Narshimha

| Laxmikant Pyarelal

| 1991

Sanam Mere Sanam

| Hum

| Laxmikant Pyarelal

| 1991

Jaadoo Teri Nazar

| Darr

| Shiv-Hari

| 1993

{{cite web|url=http://www.cinemasangeet.com/lata-mangeshkar/interviews/pyarelal-speaks-on-lata.html |title=Pyarelal Speaks on Lata - Lata Mangeshkar - Interviews - Cinema Sangeet |accessdate=21 April 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140418105716/http://www.cinemasangeet.com/lata-mangeshkar/interviews/pyarelal-speaks-on-lata.html |archivedate=18 April 2014 }}

References