| Rasbihari Desai | |
| Native Name: | રાસબિહારી દેસાઇ |
| Native Name Lang: | guj |
| Birth Date: | 23 June 1935 |
| Birth Place: | Patan, Gujarat |
| Death Date: | 6 October 2012 |
| Death Place: | Ahmedabad |
| Education: | MSc. Physics |
| Occupation: | Professor of Physics, Music Composer, Vocalist |
| Years Active: | 1954-2012 |
| Spouse: | Vibha Desai |
| Signature: | RDesaiSignature.jpg |
Rasbihari Desai (1935 – 2012), also known as Rasbhai, was a vocalist and composer of Gujarati and Hindi songs. He had a deep, sonorous voice. He lived up to what he used to say: “Sureelo kanth, sureelu-n jeevan (A Melodious Voice, A Melodious Life).” As well as being a professor of physics, he was also interested in spirituality.
He was born to Durgaba and Ramanlal Desai of a Nagar family in Patan (North Gujarat). His grandmother Mahalaxmiben used to sing Ramcharitmanas. Rasbibari's father, Ramanbhai, was a singer of repute as well. Rasbhai was married in 1964 to Vibha, who was recognized as a national-level singer by All India Radio. She went on to receive the Best Female Playback Singer Award (1989) for the film ‘Kashino Dikro’,[2] still regarded as a milestone in the history of Gujarati cinema. In the music world, Vibha and Rasbihari Desai were well-known figures. They collectively performed more than 1,000 times both in Gujarat and internationally.
At the age of 19, Rasbihari earned the distinction of becoming an All India Radio-approved vocalist in light music, a recognition that eventually reached Top Grade status. AIR, and later Doordarshan, regularly invited him to concerts all over India. He remained the nucleus of musical activities throughout his academic career as a professor of physics, and his students, whose talents he meticulously nurtured, frequently secured top positions at both the university and national levels. When it came to training students for inter-university events, he was almost always invited.
At numerous music-orientation camps and workshops organized by the Gujarat University and the Government of Gujarat to mold budding singers, he followed the indigenous traditional method of imparting training in music. Pranayama, dhyana, breath-controlling exercises, prayers, poetry recitation and appreciation, a scientific approach to developing voice culture and an emphasis on experiencing the divine through it were integral to his interactive music sessions. He conducted such lecture demonstrations and workshops in the United Kingdom and the United States as well. Similar to ancient Parampara, a few students in his lifetime stayed in his family, observed and emulated his lifestyle, and learned music in the spirit of a sadhana.
Rasbihari Desai was instrumental in the formation of Shruti, a group of non-professional proficiently trained singers, which over time emerged as the benchmark in group singing with a fragrance of the soil in the songs and a refreshing spontaneity in rendering them.For over 40 years Shruti gave more than 300 performances in Gujarat, Mumbai, Delhi, Nagpur, Kolkata and other places. Music maestros like Lata Mangeshkar, Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Salil Chaudhary, Madan Mohan, Manna Dey, Mohammed Rafi, Laxmikant Pyarelal and Avinash Vyas were among those who highly commended Shruti's significant tenacious endeavour.
At the instance of Kanaiyalal Munshi, a leading author, a political leader and the founder of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Rasbihari Desai consented to be the mentor of Bhavan's Sangeet Vibhag in 1967 and continued the activity consistently for over 43 years. Under his guidance, he made a significant impact on Gujarati Kavya Sangeet and choir singing. He instilled in his students—regardless of their vocal differences or varying skill levels—a deep sense of dedication to music and humility, encouraging them to set aside individual identities for the growth of the group.
Rasbihari Desai enhanced Gujarati Kavya Sangeet not only through his melodious voice and captivating compositions but also with his insightful lectures, demonstrations, and articles. Vision, reason, and precision were key components of his thinking that brought originality and clarity to his speeches and writings. He was invited to deliver speeches, lectures, and demonstrations at various prestigious seminars, conferences, and workshops on music. His conceptual and innovative articles got published in a number of leading newspapers and magazines.
Rasbhai was precise and low profile as much in speaking as in writing. The books he read, and he read many, reflected his ardent love for music and spiritual explorations.Shri Dhyani Maharaj Madhusudandasji was his spiritual Guru. He thought himself fortunate to be in live touch with the enlightened personalities like Shri Chidanandaji of Shivananda Ashram, Pramukhswami Maharaj and Shri Vimlatai Thakar through correspondence.All said, music remained an instrument of a spiritual ascent to him. Spirituality was nurtured in him since his childhood by his aunt, Nirmalaben Desai, who used to tell him inspiring stories from Indian scripture. His young inquisitive eyes also witnessed some such incidents that cannot be interpreted by mere intellect. The imprints of these childhood memories evoked an urge in him to seek the infinite.
Some of the experiences Rasbihari himself recounted go beyond the realm of spirituality and have an element of mysticism about them.
A couple of days before his marriage, he had spent two days working on a cloud chamber experiment in the darkroom of the physics lab, Gujarat College. It is difficult to say when and how he slipped from the domain of physics to the one of spirituality. His associates claim that he did. It was believed that his personal consciousness merged with the universal consciousness.
On his return on the evening of 27 May 1964, he explained his absence for two days to the worried family and added that in the state of meditation, he had an intuitive communication that the then Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had passed away and it indeed was true. Another such incident took place in 2007, when while singing in his Pooja room, he heard a voice, different from his own voice. The immense melody of that divine and blissful voice was so overwhelming that he could not help pray to the Almighty to cease his own voice so that only the divine voice could be heard forever.
The prayer was answered in 2012. On October 6, his voice ceased to mingle with the divine. He left this ethereal world to merge with the eternal melody. The then Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Narendra Modi[3] along with the renowned personalities from the field of literature and music expressed deep shock and grief. A great homage was also paid to him by the electronic as well as print media.
A Parichay Pustika by Image Publication titled Rasbihari Desai written by Margi Hathi was released by Shri Morari Bapu in the inaugural ceremony of Kavya Sangeet Samaroh- 2013 jointly organized by Gujarat Samachar and Samanvay.
A place near his residence is named "Sangeetkar Rasbihari Desai Chowk" by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation as a mark of respect for his contribution in Gujarati Kavya Sangeet.
An Award has been floated in his memory since 2014. Sangat Prerit Shri Rasbihari Desai Sanman is conferred every year to a prominent Gujarati Singer in Anushthan, concert of Gujarati music.