Narayan Gopal - Early Career

Early Career

The potential of his vocal talent was first recognized by his friend Manik Ratna Sthapit. Manik Ratna, who used to live in the neighboring Pyukha Tole, and Prem Dhoj Pradhan, who used to live in Bheda Singh Tole used to get together and do vocal practices using Hindi songs. But Narayan Gopal, however, would joke around by changing the words of the songs that they used to sing. Prem Dhoj and Manik Ratna recounts that he used to change the Hindi words into Nepali, thus damaging the melody of the songs to comical effect. Manik Ratna's household was like a kind of a music school since his uncle, Siddhi Ratna Sthapit, was an expert instrumentalist. In B.S 2016, after completion of his S.L.C exams, Prem Dhoj Pradhan took him to Radio Nepal to take a voice test. He sang "Panchi ko pankha ma dharti ko diyo," written by Dr. Ram Man Trishit and composed by Prem Dhoj Pradhan himself. He passed the voice test on his first trial. Narayan Gopal's first public musical performance was during the 40th anniversary of Tri Chandra College, which he agreed on to do so upon requests from his friends. During the performance he acted as the tabala player.

In his own household, Narayan's father, Asha Gopal Guruacharya, was a strict classical musician. His father did not allow any modern music, except for classical music, to be entertained in his house. Ustad Asha Gopal considered modern music as shallow and vulgar. It was in order to appease his father that he went to India to take up lessons in classical music in Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. But due to ill-adjustment, he dropped from the University after only four and half months. However one good outcome of his travel to India was his first record of songs.