Gyanu Rana

Gyanu Rana (Nepali: ज्ञानु राणा, born October 3, 1949) is a famous modern, pop and folk singer and reality show judge from Nepal. She recorded the duet songs like Siri ma Siri... , Manche ko maya yaha... with Narayan Gopal, a great singer of Nepal.^[1]

Personal life

Gyanu Rana was born at Thamel, Kathmandu in October 3, 1949. Her father Jan Kavi Keshari Dharma Raj Thapa is noted poet and past renowned folk singer of Nepal. He had long worked in Radio Nepal and later was appointed member of Royal Nepal Academy, a government institution formed for the development of Nepalese art, literature and culture. Her mother Mrs. Savitri Thapa is the founder member of Dharma Raj Svitri Thapa Lok Sahitya Guthi, a forum to promote folk songs and culture of Nepal.

The childhood of Mrs. Rana passed in her local village Batulechaur of Pokhara in Nepal where she had her early studies of primary level. Later she came to Kathmandu for her further studies and had her school level studies in Padma Kanya School, Dillibazar, where she passed out her School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination in the year 1965. She studied home science in Bharateswori Homes of Mymensingh in Bangladesh during 1967-68 and later passed out her intermediate level examination from Tribhuvan University of Nepal in the year 1970. She had training in music from the Music College, Baroda under M. S. University, Baroda, India in the year 1977. Mrs. Rana has received degree of Senior-level Diploma in first division from Prayag Sngeet Samiti of Allahabad, India in the year 1982. She was classified as Famous Class Singer by the government owned Radio Nepal in the year 2055 BS.

Rana was married with Er. Shree Prakash Jang Rana in the year 1970 and now she has two sons named Binaya Jang Rana and Bikash Jang Rana both being engineers in the field of computer science. Her both sons are married and she also has two grandsons named Binayak and Bisharad. Presently she is passing her retired life at home with casual contribution in music and devotion towards religious performances. Being inspired by her father Dharma Raj Thapa the than a noted fold singer of Nepal Mrs. Rana had been actively involved in the field of music since her childhood by participating in different musical programs of Radio Nepal, the only government media in the air at that time. As her father she also has specialty in folk songs although she is expert in singing modern songs and pop songs as well. Till now she has recorded more than 2000 songs in Nepali, Hindi and Urdu languages as well as in local Bhojapuri, Maithali and Newari languages of Nepal. Such songs include modern, classical, folk songs, bhajans and gazals of different nature. The songs of Mrs. Rana had been regularly transmitted through the national media such as Radio Nepal, local FM channels, Nepal Television and other many TV channels of Nepal for last forty years. She has participated in more than ten Nepalese films as a back ground singer. Till now she has actively participated as judge in many national musical competitions organized by academic and cultural organizations. She has actively participated in many cultural and international musical concerts that include first SAARC summit in Bangladesh and cultural festivals organized in India, China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and USSR etc.

Rana had worked in the government owned Royal Nepal Academy since 1970 till 2006 starting from the post of Artist (Music) till the Asstt. Director (Music) gazetted third class level at the time of retirement. She has visited many countries of the world that include India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Singapore, USSR, South Korea and Japan etc. She can fluently speak in Nepali, Hindi, English, and Bengali languages.

Awards and nomination

Mrs. Rana had been nominated honorary member of Sheela Pratisthan in 2065 B.S. She was also nominated honorary member of Guras Sanskritik Pariwar and Narayan Sageet Pratisthan in the year 2046 and 2053 BS respectively. She has received remarkable success in many musical competitions organized in national and international level that include:

1. First position in the Folk Song competition organized by Radio Nepal during its Silver Jubilee festival.
2. First place in classical music competition organized by Kalanidhi Sangeet Vidyalaya in 2042 BS.
3. Excellent voice second place in B. P. memorial awareness day program organized in 2042 BS.
4. Third position in Ratna Sangeet competition organized by Ratna Recording Corporation in 2045 BS.
5. Best singer in cultural program organized by Sankalpa Lioness club in the year 1990.
6. Second position in Summer Music Festival in 1987 AD followed by second place in International day of Music in 1988 organized by French
7. Cultural Center, Kathmandu, Nepal.
8. Second place in Awareness Song Competition organized by Public Awareness Forum in 2048 BS.
9. Best Singer Award in Video Film Festival in 2047 BS.

She had received much national high level honors and awards time to time. These include:

• Prabal Gorkha Daxin Bahu IV of Nepal government
• Indra Rajya Laxmi Puraskar
• Rastriya Pratibha Puraskar
• Chinna Lata Puraskar
• Nati Kazi Puraskar
• Dharma Raj Svitri Thapa Lok Sahitya Puraskar
• Deergha Sewa Padak (Royal Nepal Academy)
• Rajyabhisek Padak

References