Gujarati Music Maestro Gaurang Vyas Passes Away At 87, PM Modi Pays Tribute

Veteran Gujarati musician, composer, arranger and singer Gaurang Vyas died in Ahmedabad early Thursday at the age of 87 following a brief illness and age related health issues, his family members said. His death marks a major loss for Gujarati film, folk and light music.

Born on November 24, 1938, Vyas inherited a rich musical legacy from his father, legendary composer Avinash Vyas, but carved out a distinct identity of his own. He began playing the harmonium at just five and later completed an engineering diploma. After briefly working in the field, he chose music as his profession.

Vyas entered Gujarati cinema as an assistant to his father on ‘Jesal Toral’ and later became an independent music director, with ‘Lakho Phulani’ among his early assignments. Over a career spanning decades, he composed music for more than 100 Gujarati films and created over 500 compositions.

His notable film work included Ketan Mehta’s ‘Bhavni Bhavai’, besides ‘Maniyaro’, ‘Nasibni Balihari’, ‘Parki Thapan’, ‘Liludi Dharati’ and ‘Maiyarman Mandu Nathi Lagtu’. He worked with leading singers including Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey, Mahendra Kapoor, Suman Kalyanpur, Bhupinder Singh and Prafull Dave.

Beyond cinema, Vyas made significant contributions to folk music, sugam sangeet, devotional music, garba and raas. His memorable creations included ‘Dikri To Parki Thapan’, ‘Maniyaro Te Halu Halu Thai Re Viyo’, ‘Hu Tu Tu Tu, Jami Ramatni Rutu’, ‘Aaj Vagdavo Ruda Sarnayu Ne Dhol’ and ‘Chando Ugyo Chawkma’. His albums included ‘Jalaramni Jhumpdi’, ‘Bhajan Anmol’, ‘Kahat Kabir’ and ‘Prachin Prabhatiyan’.

Vyas received around 11 state level Best Music Direction awards and a GIFA Golden Award. In 2022, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award, while the Gujarat State Music Academy and Gujarat Tourism recognised his contribution in 2024.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned his death, praising his contribution to Gujarati music and saying his legacy would always be remembered. Union Home Minister Amit Shah called his demise an “irreplaceable loss”, while CM Bhupendra Patel also paid tribute to the veteran musician.