V.S.Shirali: A fabulous harmonica player

Most of the harmonica lovers must have already read about the Pune harmonica concert which took place recently. I met Shri V.S.Shirali, a fabulous harmonica player at Pune recently. He is one of the persons who inspires me to play the harmonica. After listening to the harmonica played by Shri V.S. Shirali at Pune concert, I became his die hard fan.Here are some interesting facts about Shri V.S. Shirali given below.

Shri V.S. Shirali is a 69 yrs old retired airlines manager. He is a self –taught musician who started playing the harmonica at the age of 4. He gave his first public performanc at the age of 5. He took up the Guitar at the age of 17 and had played with Pankaj Udhas and Manhar Udhas in the early part of their career. He started playing the keyboard after the age of 50 and has performed in many countries as a one man performer.

He was invited by the Indian Association Tokyo Japan for keyboards concerts in 1997 and 98 with Indian singers and local resident singers. He was also invited by the Indian Association in Baku, Azerbaijan for a joint Indo Azerbaijan music concert in 2000. He has accompanied Mr.Ramesh Shah (son of the late legendary music director Kalyanji bhai to Hongkong as a solo keyboards instrumentalist in 2001.

Ironically his first love the harmonica was lying unplayed in his cupboard for more than 30 years .About 6 years back an organisation called Golden Greats needed a harmonica player at short notice. He played that favourite Hai apna dil to awaara and finally started playing regularly from then onwards but never considered it seriously. Then about 4 years ago he got a chance to perform in an acoustic show with the great saxophone legend Shri Manohari Singh who advised Shirali to take up the harmonica seriously as he had the talent and there was a great future for him as a professional harmonica player. After that many shows on the harmonica followed.

The next step was the recording studios with his harmonica. Shri V.S. Shirali recorded the following using his harmonica.

Recorded for an Oriya movie. Singers Udit Narayan and Anurdha Paudwal

Recorded for a private album. Singer Shweta Pandit (niece of music directors Jatin Lalit)

Recorded a track for Ekta Kapoor/Sunil Shetty's yet unreleased movie The Little Godfather,

music director Viju Shah.

Recorded for a Kannada movie.Singers Shreya Ghoshal and Kunal Ganjawala

Recorded for a Thumri track. SingerGaurav bangia (Sa re ga ma pa winner)

Please watch the video attached below.. Shri Shirali played harmonica pieces for a Kannada movie called “Jothegara”, a sensational hit in Karnataka. Music is composed by Sujeet Shetty. The song is sung by Shreya Ghoshal and Kunal Ganjawala.