Kalyanji Virji Shah

Kalyanji Virji Shah (1928-August 24, 2000) was "Kalyanji" of Kalyanji-Anandji duo. He and his brother, Anandji Virji Shah have been famous Indian film musicians.

Birth and early life

Kalyanji was born to Virji Shah, a Gujarati businessman who migrated from Kutch to Mumbai to start a Kirana (provision store). He and his brothers began to learn music from a music teacher, who actually knew no music, who taught them in lieu of paying his bills to their father. One of their four grand parents, was a folk musician of some eminence. They spent most of their formative years in the hamlet of Girgaum (a district in Mumbai) amidst Marathi and Gujarati environs — some eminent musical talent resided in the vicinity. The brothers were known for their humility and easy-to-approach nature. They also were well known for their love songs and poetry readings. Kalyanji's son Viju Shah is also a famous music director.