>Gotitbro at 00:41, 3 June 2021

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{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Louis Banks
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name = Dambar Bahadur Budaprithi
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1941|2|11}}
| birth_place = [[Darjeeling]], India
| instrument = Piano, trumpet, guitar, keyboard
| genre = [[Jazz]], [[world music]], [[Indian pop]]
| occupation = Singer, musician, composer, record producer
| years_active = 1982–present
}}

'''Louis Banks''' (born '''Dambar Bahadur Budaprithi''' on 11 February 1941) is an Indian film composer, record producer, keyboardist, and singer.<ref name="ej" /> He has often been referred to as the 'Godfather of [[Indian jazz]]'.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060923/asp/calcutta/story_6776347.asp|title=The big daddy of jazz|work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|accessdate=13 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/fline/fl2025/stories/20031219000306600.htm |title=The spirit of Darjeeling |work=[[The Hindu]] |accessdate=13 October 2009 |location=Chennai, India |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107132238/http://www.hindu.com/fline/fl2025/stories/20031219000306600.htm |archivedate=7 November 2012 }}</ref><ref name=jaz>[http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?title=Godfather%20of%20jazz&artid=vi0Ncaq07ig=&type= Godfather of jazz]{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ''[[Indian Express]]'', 19 September 2009.</ref>

==Early life==
Louis Banks was born to [[Indian Gorkha]] parents Sarswati and George Banks, a musician, in his hometown of Darjeeling. His early music education was at the hands of his father and neighbour ''Mrs. Myers''. His father Pushkar Bahadur, a Nepalese trumpeter moved to Calcutta in the early 1940s to join a European Band in the city, subsequently he changed his name to George Banks.<ref name=ja>[https://books.google.com/books?id=t4tm8eG10r8C&pg=PA64&lpg=PA64&dq=louis+banks+musician&source=bl&ots=RUe1cDvwjI&sig=Tb1TIrDqujqUkD4hY6436c8fKRM&hl=en&ei=EQjXSs_FHYzWtAOytszIAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CB4Q6AEwBjgK#v=onepage&q=louis%20banks%20musician&f=false Jazz in India] ''Jazz planet'' by E. Taylor Atkins. Publisher: Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2003. {{ISBN|1-57806-609-3}}. ''p. 64''.</ref> His grandfather, Bakhat Bahadur Budapirti, had composed the [[Nepalese national anthem]] ''[[Rastriya Gaan|Shreeman Gambhira Nepali]]'' which was the official anthem from 1962 to 2006.<ref name=ej>[http://www.ejazznews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=5456&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 Ethnic Nepali is "India's Jazz King"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101209210307/http://ejazznews.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=5456&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 |date=9 December 2010 }} ejazznews.com. Tuesday, 13 December 2005.</ref>

He did his schooling at [[St. Roberts School, Darjeeling]]. Sensing Banks's interest in western music when at the age of thirteen he started playing the guitar and the trumpet, his father changed his name to Louis Banks in tribute to [[Louis Armstrong]]. This change of name gave the young Banks the confidence to make it big in the world of western music.<ref name=chil/> He started receiving piano lessons from his father and also played in his band. Banks went to college at [[St Joseph's College, Darjeeling|St. Joseph's College]] in [[Darjeeling]], where he continued to study piano.<ref name=ja/><ref name="Louis Banks: In tune with life">{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/delhi-times/Louis-Banks-In-tune-with-life/articleshow/46003953.cms|title=Louis Banks: In tune with life|work=[[Times of India]]|accessdate=13 October 2009|date=11 May 2003}}</ref>

==Career==
After college Banks moved to [[Kathmandu]] with his father's band and decided to become a full-time musician,<ref name=ja/> it was there he discovered jazz music. In the late 1960s, he performed at the Soaltee Hotel in Kathmandu, for three years.<ref name=ej/> During his stay there he rejected an offer from [[R. D. Burman]] to work with him in [[Mumbai]]. Not happy in Kathmandu, Banks moved base to [[Calcutta]] in 1971, where he met singer Pam Craine and saxophonist Braz Gonsalves and formed ''The Louis Banks Brotherhood''. The band began performing at the Hindustan Hotel which led to an invitation to play at the ''Blue Fox Restaurant'', a popular night club famous for its patronage of live western music. From there on he was able to get work composing advertisement [[jingle]]s and [[Musical theatre|stage musicals]].<ref name=jaz/><ref name=ja/>

In 1977, Banks approached R. D. Burman, who was a frequent visitor to the Blue Fox Restaurant and asked Burman to let him join his troupe in Mumbai, Burman happily took him in. In Mumbai, Banks was introduced to different world music genres and he was able to thrive in the rich music scene. As he cemented his place and reputation in the city he popularised live jazz at Mumbai nightclubs.<ref name="Louis Banks: In tune with life"/><ref name=mine/> In 1979, along with Goan saxophonist Braz Gonsalves he formed the 'Indo-Jazz Ensemble', composing music on [[Indian classical music|Indian classical]] scales and Jazz rhythms, incorporating Indian instruments like ''[[ghatam]]'' and ''[[thavil]]''.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=S720d-apN-kC&pg=PA159&dq=%22louis+banks%22+musician&lr=&as_brr=0#v=onepage&q=%22louis%20banks%22%20musician&f=false India] ''The great encounter: a study of Indo-American literature and cultural relations'', by Raj Kumar Gupta. Abhinav Publications, 1986. {{ISBN|81-7017-211-X}}. ''159''</ref> In February 1980, he was a member of the jazz quartet which was part of the orchestra to perform with [[Ravi Shankar]] in his noted suite ''Jazzmine'' at the 'Jazz Yatra' Festival.<ref name=mine>[https://books.google.com/books?id=OSZKCXtx-wEC&pg=PA311&dq=%22louis+banks%22+musician&lr=&as_brr=0#v=onepage&q=%22louis%20banks%22%20musician&f=false Jazzmine by Ravi Shankar] ''The dawn of Indian music in the West: Bhairavi'', by Peter Lavezzoli. Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006. {{ISBN|0-8264-1815-5}}. ''p. 207, p. 311''.</ref> He also formed a group called ''Sangam'' teaming up with [[Carnatic music|Carnatic]] classical vocalist, Ramamani and together they performed about 60 concerts all over Europe and participated in festivals, the group however was short-lived as Ramamani was from Bangalore, while Louis was based in Mumbai and the logistics became too difficult.<ref name=desh/> In 2005, Banks formed a group Rhythm Asia with Taufeeq Qureshi on the [[tabla]] and Niladri Kumar on the [[sitar]].<ref name=chil>[http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2005/04/13/stories/2005041300900300.htm Chilli harmony] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100826094550/http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2005/04/13/stories/2005041300900300.htm |date=26 August 2010 }} [[The Hindu]], 13 April 2005.</ref>

In 1988, Banks composed the tunes to the iconic ''[[Mile Sur Mera Tumhara]]'', a short film on national integration for [[Doordarshan]], at that time India's sole broadcaster. Due to its popularity, the tune has often been dubbed the unofficial Indian anthem.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mp/2003/03/27/stories/2003032701330200.htm|title=Mile sur: Living and breathing music|work=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=13 October 2009}}</ref> Banks would go on to provide music to similar patriotic short films like ''Desh raag'' and ''Spread the light of freedom''.<ref name=desh/> In 1990 he composed music for the Malayalam-language experimental silent film ''[[Vembanad (film)|Vembanad]]''. ''India Today'' described his music as one of the highlights of the critically acclaimed film.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/your-week/story/19910215-vembanad-is-an-experimental-film-from-kerala-815589-1991-02-15|title=Vembanad (Madras Film Festival)|newspaper=India Today|date=February 5, 1991|accessdate=June 8, 2020}}</ref> He formed a new band called 'Silk' with [[Shankar Mahadevan]], [[Sivamani]] and Karl Peters. He has performed at various concerts and with well-known [[jazz]] artists such as [[Radha Thomas]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-12-21/bangalore/27938283_1_christmas-ringing-shamir|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126211138/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-12-21/bangalore/27938283_1_christmas-ringing-shamir|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-01-26|work=[[The Times of India]]|title=Times of India}}</ref> and Joe Alvares. He has provided the musical score to a number of Hindi films and two English films ''Bokshua, The Myth'' and ''God Only Knows'', a comedy satire directed by Bharat Dabholkar. He also provided the score for ''Roshni'' a musical, directed by [[Alyque Padamsee]]. He is working on a progressive fusion jazz album titled ''Labyrinth'' with his son's band Nexus.<ref name=desh>[https://web.archive.org/web/20031019210613/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2003/03/27/stories/2003032701330200.htm Living and breathing music] ''[[The Hindu]]'', Hyderabad, 27 March 2003.</ref>

His 2008 collaboration as co producer, arranger and pianist/keyboards on the album ''Miles from India'', a tribute to the founder of modern jazz [[Miles Davis]] was nominated for the [[Grammy Award]]s 2008 in the [[Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album|Best Contemporary Jazz Album]] category. In the same category, [[John McLaughlin (musician)|John McLaughlin]]'s fusion album ''Floating Point''was also nominated, Banks was the featured keyboardist on the album.<ref>[http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=18244 Louis Banks Biography] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211224520/http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=18244 |date=11 February 2010 }} [[All About Jazz]].</ref><ref>[http://www.rediff.com/movies/2009/feb/05indian-voices-at-grammies.htm Indian voices at the Grammies] [[Rediff.com]], 5 February 2009.</ref>

==Personal life==
He is married to Lorraine<ref name=ej/> originally from India. They have four children, Andre, Gino Banks, Neil, and Monique. [[Gino Banks]] is an accomplished drummer and member of the fusion band 'Nexus'. Banks lives and works from [[Juhu]], [[Mumbai]].

== Filmography ==


{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#ccc;"
! Year !! Film
|-
| 1982 || An August Requiem
|-
| 1986 || [[New Delhi Times (film)|New Delhi Times]]
|-
| 1986 || [[Kala Dhanda Goray Log]]
|-
| 1990 || [[Vembanad (film)|Vembanad]]
|-
| 1991 || [[Hum (film)|Hum]]
|-
| 1991 || Lakshmanrekha
|-
| 1992 || [[Suryavanshi (film)|Suryavanshi]]
|-
| 1992 || [[Aasmaan Se Gira]]
|-
| 1993 || [[Divya Shakti]]
|-
| 1994 || [[Insaniyat (1994 film)|Insaniyat]]
|-
| 1995 || God and Gun
|-
| 1995 || [[Barsaat (1995 film)|Barsaat]]
|-
| 1998 || [[Duplicate (1998 film)|Duplicate]]
|-
| 2000 || Punaradhivasam (Co-Composed by Sivamani)
|-
| 2002 || Bokshu the Myth
|-
| 2004 || God Only Knows!
|}

==Discography==

{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#ccc;"
! Year !! Album
|-
| 1997 || The Freedom Run
|-
| 2005 || Love is in the air – Music for romance 1
|-
| 2005 || Love is in the air – Music for romance 2
|-
| 2008 || Miles from India
|-
| 2008 || Floating Point – John McLaughlin
|-
| 2011 || Moonlight in Goa
|-
| 2011 || Labyrinth
|-
| 2011 || Solo Piano Ballads
|}

== See also ==
* [[List of Jazz Arrangers]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/delhi-times/Louis-Banks-In-tune-with-life/articleshow/46003953.cms Interview with Louis Banks] at [[The Times of India]]
*{{iMDb name|id=0052208}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Banks, Louis}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:Bollywood playback singers]]
[[Category:Indian film score composers]]
[[Category:Indian jazz musicians]]
[[Category:Indian male composers]]
[[Category:Indian male film singers]]
[[Category:Indian people of Nepalese descent]]
[[Category:Jazz composers]]
[[Category:Jazz fusion arrangers]]
[[Category:Jazz fusion musicians]]
[[Category:Jazz keyboardists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Darjeeling]]
[[Category:Male film score composers]]
[[Category:Male jazz composers]]

Louis Banks - Revision history

>Gotitbro at 00:41, 3 June 2021