Nati Kaji
{{Short description|Nepali singer and songwriter}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = Melody King
| name = Nati Kaji
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| native_name = नाती काजी
| native_name_lang = ne
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| birth_date = 03 Poush, 1982
| birth_place = Lalitpur District, Nepal
| death_date = 16 Kartika, 2060 (aged 77)
| death_place = Kathmandu, Nepal
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| nationality = Nepali
| citizenship = Nepali
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| spouse = Saraswati Raj Bhandari (m.?-2060 his death)
| mother = Champa Devi Shrestha
| father = Mohan Lal Shrestha
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Amrit Lal Shrestha (11 Poush 1982 – 16 Kartika 2060),{{Cite web|last=Husain|first=Mosharaf|title=New Issue :: View FDC Details :: Nepal :: Musician Natikaji Shrestha (1925–2003)|url=http://www.mediabd.com/newissue/fdc_details.php?country_id=3&entry_id=56|access-date=29 July 2017|website=mediabd.com}} better known as Nati Kaji ({{Langx|ne|नाती काजी}}), was a Nepali singer and songwriter. Kaji was a prominent music director and singer of his time having composed and sung such evergreen songs as Nepali Hami{{Cite web|url=https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Nati-Kaji/Nepali-Hami|title=Nati Kaji – Nepali Hami Lyrics {{!}} Musixmatch|website=musiXmatch|access-date=29 July 2017}} (written by Madhav Prasad Ghimire).{{Cite web|url=http://fursad.com/top_nepali_artist_flashback.php?id=28&title=+Nati+Kaji|title=Fursad.com .:: Nati Kaji ::.|date=10 February 2009|access-date=29 July 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210084528/http://fursad.com/top_nepali_artist_flashback.php?id=28&title=+Nati+Kaji|archivedate=10 February 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2009/11/16/most-popular/3-policemen-arrested-for-extortion-attempt/2081/|title=Read online latest news and articles from Nepal.|access-date=16 February 2014|archive-date=25 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225093821/http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2009/11/16/most-popular/3-policemen-arrested-for-extortion-attempt/2081/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://medianp.tv/biography-of-natikaji-shrestha/|title=Biography of Natikaji Shrestha:|date=9 June 2013|access-date=29 July 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609065356/http://medianp.tv/biography-of-natikaji-shrestha/|archivedate=9 June 2013}}[http://www.nepalicollections.com/artist.php?id=15 Nepali Collections]{{Cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/artist/nati-kaji/327956419|title=Nati Kaji on Apple Music|publisher=iTunes Store|access-date=29 July 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/entertainment/singer-ruby-joshi-no/|title=Singer Ruby Joshi no more|date=27 November 2016|work=The Himalayan Times|access-date=29 July 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/best-of-nati-kaji-classical/id574412727|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728101356/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/best-of-nati-kaji-classical/id574412727|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 July 2018|title=Best of Nati Kaji (Classical) by Nati Kaji on Apple Music|publisher=iTunes Store|access-date=29 July 2017}}
Early life
Natikaji was a nickname given to Amrit Lal Shrestha by his grandparents, and became the name he is known by throughout the country. He was born in 1982 at Pulchowk, Lalitpur. He lost his mother at the age of 5 and his father at the age of 10 and so was raised by his grandparents at Gujeshwori where his grandfather was the temple priest. Natikaji died on 16 Kartika 2060.{{Cite web|url=http://nepalisong.net/old/natikaji.htm|title=Thousands of Nepali Songs|website=nepalisong.net|access-date=29 July 2017|archive-date=18 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190318061601/http://nepalisong.net/old/natikaji.htm|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=http://bossnepal.com/legendary-musician-natikaji/|title=Legendary musician Natikaji|work=Boss Nepal|access-date=20 October 2018}}
Career
Nati Kaji commenced his musical venture at age 7 when he started playing the harmonium at the Gujeshwori Bhajan Mandali. His professional music career initiated when he joined Radio Nepal in 2007. During the 40 years of his service in Radio Nepal, he composed over 2000 songs of varied genres. He is credited for over 15 operas, such as Pijada ko Suga, Kunjani, Prithvi Narayan Shah ka Char Pakchhya.
Marna Baru Garho Hunna, an evergreen song penned by Tirtha Raj Tuladhar, sung by Phatteman Rajbhandari remains one of his best compositions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4633937/|title=Nati Kaji|publisher=IMDb|access-date=29 July 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/tag/natikaji-award/|title=‘Natikaji Award – The Himalayan Times|website=The Himalayan Times|access-date=29 July 2017}}{{Citation|last=Nati Kaji|title=Natikazi Ka Geetharu 1|url=https://www.amazon.com/Natikazi-Ka-Geetharu-Nati-Kaji/dp/B00Y45OIWI|accessdate=29 July 2017}}
Recognition
His awards include Gorkha Dakshin Bahu Pratham, Indra Rajya Laxmi Pragya Puraskar, Chinnalata Geet Puraskar and Bhupal Sangeet Puraskaramong.
Filmography
| class="wikitable"
!Year !Film !Role !Note |
| 2031
|Man Ko Bandh | |
| 2037
|Sindoor | |Music Director |
| 2046
|Pachhis Basanta | |Music Director / Background Music |
| 2046
|Shanti-Dip | |Music Director |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Nepal topics}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaji, Nati}}