Ashit Desai

🪔 About

Ashit Desai, born on May 16, 1951, in Baroda (now Vadodara), Gujarat, India, is a legendary Indian composer, vocalist, musician, and music director. He inherited his musical talent from his parents, Kunjbihari and Mayuriben Desai. After graduating in Commerce and earning a Diploma in vocal music from M.S. University of Baroda, he moved to Mumbai to pursue his musical career. Desai is widely recognized for his contributions to Gujarati Sugam Sangeet and has composed scores for a diverse range of productions, including films, television serials, dramas, and numerous dance ballets. A significant phase of his career involved his association with Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, who enlisted Desai to compose music for the Asiad and placed him in charge of overall coordination of cultural events. Desai also assisted Pandit Ravi Shankar as an orchestra conductor and singer for his ballet "Ghanashyam" during tours in the UK and India in 1989. He conducted Pandit Ravi Shankar's orchestral compositions at the closing ceremony of the Festival of India in Moscow in 1988. His work in the realm of dance includes composing for many dance ballets and accompanying eminent dancers such as Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Protima Gouri Bedi, Malavika Sarukkai, Birju Maharaj, and Hema Malini. He gained acclaim for his music direction in the Hindi Television serial "Chanakya" and sang devotional songs for Richard Attenborough's film "Gandhi." While he is a prominent figure in music for dance, he is primarily a vocalist and composer, not a classical dance performer or teacher. Awards & Honours: All India Radio's Best Singer Award (1969), Gujarat State Award (1976), Asiad Jyoti Medal by the President of India (1982), Gujarat State Award (1989), Pt. Omkarnath Thakur Award of Gujarat State (2001), Award for Best Music Director for the Gujarati TV serial "Shraddha" (2008), GIMA Award for best Ghazal album (2015), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (Music for Dance) (2017).