Ajay Kumar at 17:45, 23 July 2023

2023-07-23T17:45:30Z

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{{Short description|Gujarati singer and composer (1929 – 1965)}}

{{Infobox artist
| name = Hemu Gadhavi
| image = Hemu Gadhavi.JPG
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1929|9|4}}
| birth_place = Dhankania, [[Sayla]], [[Gujarat]]
| death_date = {{dda|1965|8|20|1929|9|4|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Paddhari]], [[Gujarat]]
| known_for = {{hlist|[[Singer]]|[[Composer]]|[[Dramatist]]}}
| nationality = Indian
| image_size =
| children = Biharidan Gadhavi
}}

'''Hemu Gadhavi''', also spelled '''Hemu Gadhvi''', (4 September 1929 – 20 August 1965) was a [[Gujarati people|Gujarati]] [[Singing|singer]], [[songwriter]], [[composer]], [[Playwright|dramatist]], and [[actor]]. He was an exponent of folk-music of [[Saurashtra (region)|Saurashtra]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DMho14M9QUYC |title=The Illustrated Weekly of India |date=1972 |publisher=Published for the proprietors, Bennett, Coleman & Company, Limited, at the Times of India Press |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=NYOOOZ |title=Gujarat: Popular folk singer passes away at 75 {{!}} Ahmedabad NYOOOZ |url=https://www.nyoooz.com/news/ahmedabad/473063/gujarat-popular-folk-singer-passes-away-at-75/ |access-date=2022-05-15 |website=NYOOOZ |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g4oMAQAAMAAJ |title=Gujarat |date=2007 |publisher=Gujarat Vishvakosh Trust |language=en |quote="Among the prominent lights in the sphere of folk music are Jhaverchand Meghani , the poet , the saint - composer Dula Kag , Abharam Bhagat , songsters like the legendary Hemu Gadhvi , Pingalshi Gadhvi , Ratikumar Vyas , Bherudan Gadhvi ..."}}</ref>

== Early life and family ==
Hemu Gadhavi was born on 4 September 1929 in the village of Dhankania in [[Sayla Taluka|Sayla]] taluka of [[Surendranagar district|Surendranagar]] district in Gujarat. His father's name was Nanbha Gadhavi and mother's name was Baluba Gadhavi. His wife's name was Hariba Gadhavi. His son Biharidan Gadhavi is also a singer.

Gadhavi was fond of [[Folk music|folk songs]] and [[Hymn|hymns]] from his childhood. At the age of 14, he joined ''Shakti Prabhav Kalamandir'' with a salary of Rs. 15 per month. He played the role of [[Krishna]] in the first play ''Muralidhar'' and captivated the minds of the people with his performance. During that play, he sang the first song "''Gamdu Mujne Pyare Gokul''". At [[Jamnagar]], he successfully performed the female role of Ranakdevi in a play called ''Ranakdevi''. Gradually, he began to study [[Charan literature]] and used it in singing folk songs and performing plays. Therefore, till 1955, he started working in [[Wankaner]] Drama Company and [[Rajkot]]'s Chaitanya Drama Company.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=પુણ્યતિથી વિશેષ લોકહૃદયમાં અમરત્વ પામેલ લોકગાયક: હેમુ ગઢવી |url=https://www.vtvgujarati.com/news-details/hemu-gadhvi-special-blog-by-kavan-acharya |access-date=2022-05-15 |website=VTV Gujarati |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |title=આદિત્ય ગઢવીના સ્વરે હેમુ ગઢવીની સંગીતમય કહાણી |language=gu |work=BBC News ગુજરાતી |url=https://www.bbc.com/gujarati/india-49761990 |access-date=2022-05-15}}</ref>

== Career ==
In 1955, Gadhavi was invited to work at [[All India Radio|All Indian Radio]] ([[All India Radio|Akashvani]]) by Gijubhai Vyas and Chandrakantbhai Bhatt who saw Hemu very closely during the plays. So he joined Akashvani Rajkot as a [[Tanpura]] artist. During that time, he studied the literature of [[Jhaverchand Meghani|Zaverchand Meghani]] and [[Dula Bhaya Kag]] and gave voice to folk music and delivered it to the homes of [[Gujarat]] through Akashwani. Thus they Till 19, he served in Rajkot All India Radio.

In 1962/63, the Columbia Company released their album by Hemu Gadhavi titled ''Sony Halaman May Ujali''. In addition, HMV released records like ''Shivaji Nu Halardu'', ''Ame Mahiyara Re'' and '''Morbi ni Vaniyan'' which became very popular throughout Gujarat. Apart from this, he had done memorable plays like ''Satyavadi Raja Harishchandra'' and ''Prithviraj Chauhan''.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

== Death ==
On 30 August 1965, Hemu Gahdavi was affected by dizziness due to [[Bleeding|hemorrhage]] while recording ''Rasadas'' at Akashwani-[[Paddhari]]. Thus, he died after at a young age of 36.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

== Late Hemu Gadhavi Smriti Sansthan Trust ==
The 'Late Hemu Gadhavi Smriti Sansthan Trust', established in his memory, inaugurated folk music activities, media management as well as a memorial in the name of ''Hemtirth'' at his hometown Dhankania in 2013.

== Awards ==
* Best Folk Music Award by the President of India, [[Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan|Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan]].
* Best Folk Singer's Pride Award by [[Government of Gujarat|Gujarat Government]]
* Best Playback Singer Award for the Gujarati film, '<nowiki/>''Kasumbi No Rang'''

== Legacy ==

=== Hemu Gadhavi Marg ===
The Rajkot Municipal Corporation named the highway in the city of Rajkot as 'Hemu Gadhavi Marg'.

=== Hemu Gadhavi Hall ===
Hemu Gadhavi Hall is an auditorium in the Rajkot city of Gujarat. It was inaugurated on 11th August 1998 and was named after Hemu Gadhavi.

== References ==

{{reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gadhavi, Hemu}}
[[Category:Gujarati playback singers]]
[[Category:Gujarati people]]
[[Category:Indian composers]]
[[Category:Indian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Indian folk singers]]
[[Category:Indian actors]]
[[Category:Indian songwriters]]
[[Category:Charan]]
[[Category:Gadhavi (surname)]]

Hemu Gadhavi - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 17:45, 23 July 2023