Alain Daniélou facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alain Daniélou
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| Born | 4 October 1907 Neuilly-sur-Seine, France |
| Died | 27 January 1994 Lonay, Switzerland |
| Occupation | Historian, Indologist, musicologist, translator, writer |
| Nationality | French |
| Subject | Culture of India, Hindu studies, Indian classical music, Indian philosophy, Shaivite Hinduism |
| Notable works |
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| Partner | Raymond Burnier |
| Relatives | Jean Daniélou |
Alain Daniélou (born October 4, 1907 – died January 27, 1994) was a French historian, music expert, and writer. He was especially known for his deep knowledge of Indian culture and music. He became an expert on the Shaivite branch of Hinduism.
India honored him with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 1991. This is the highest award from India's National Academy for Music, Dance, and Drama.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Alain Daniélou was born in France. His mother, Madeleine Clamorgan, came from an old noble family. She was a very religious Catholic and started schools and a religious group for women teachers.
His father, Charles Daniélou, was a politician from Brittany. He held many important government jobs in France. Alain's brother, Jean Daniélou, became a Roman Catholic leader.
Alain went to school in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, and later in Annapolis, USA. He loved music and studied singing with the famous Charles Panzéra. He also learned classical dancing and music composition. He even performed on stage as a professional dancer.
Alain's father was a positive influence on him. He helped Alain develop his musical talent and deal with personal challenges. Alain studied piano and singing, learning many classical songs. He also wrote poems and became good at English and other European languages.
Career Highlights
Exploring India: 1932–1960
Alain Daniélou and his partner, Raymond Burnier, first traveled to India for an adventure. They were amazed by India's art and culture. Raymond Burnier took many photographs of Indian art. These photos were even shown in an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
In 1932, Alain met the famous poet Rabindranath Tagore in India. This meeting led to a close friendship. Alain became the director of Tagore's music school at Shantiniketan (Visva-Bharati University).
Later, in 1935, he joined Banaras Hindu University. For the next 15 years, he studied Hindu music, the Sanskrit language, Hindu philosophy, and the Hindu religion. From 1949 to 1953, he was a research professor at the university. He also directed the College of Indian Music.
In Varanasi, India, he lived in a large house by the Ganges River. During these years, he learned Indian classical music and played the veena, an Indian instrument. He also learned Hindi and Sanskrit languages.
Alain was very interested in the meaning behind Indian architecture and sculptures. He traveled with Raymond Burnier to places like Khajuraho, Bhubaneswar, and Konark Sun Temple. These places are famous for their ancient temples.
He also translated some important Hindu texts. He was initiated into Shaivism, a branch of Hinduism, and took the Hindu name Shiva Sharan. In 1942, he translated the Tirukkural, a famous Tamil book of moral teachings.
In 1953, he became the director of a Sanskrit research center in Chennai, India. Later, in 1959, he joined the French Institute of Pondicherry, which focuses on Indian studies.
Returning to Europe: 1960 Onwards
Alain Daniélou returned to Europe in 1960. He became an advisor to UNESCO's International Music Council. This led to many recordings of traditional music from around the world. These recordings include Unesco Collection: A Musical Anthology of the Orient and Musical Atlas.
In 1963, he started and directed the International Institute for Comparative Music Studies and Documentation (IICMSD) in West Berlin. He worked there until 1977. He also directed a similar institute in Venice, Italy, from 1969 to 1979.
He continued his work on Indian classical music. But his most important contributions were his writings on ancient Indian wisdom. He wrote about the Vedas, Hindu philosophy, and Shaivism.
Alain Daniélou wrote over thirty books about Indian music and culture. He received several awards for his work in music. He was also a talented photographer and artist.
Awards and Recognition
Alain Daniélou received many honors for his work. He was an Officer of the Légion d'Honneur and the Ordre national du Mérite. He was also a Commander of Arts and Letters.
He directed the UNESCO Collection series, which featured recordings of traditional world music. In 1981, he received the UNESCO/CIM prize for music. In 1987, UNESCO awarded him the Kathmandu Medal.
Legacy
In 2004, ten years after his death, a photo exhibition was held in Hyderabad, India. It was called "India through the eyes of Alain Danielou (1935-1955)". This exhibition showed his amazing photographs of India.
Works
- While the Gods play, Shaiva Oracles and Predictions on the Cycles of History and Destiny of Mankind (1985)
- Gods of Love and Ecstasy, The Tradition of Shiva & Dionysus, Omnipresent Gods of Transcendence
- The Hindu Temple; Deification of ...
- Music and the Power of Sound
- A Brief History of India
- The complete Kâma Sûtra
- Virtue, success, pleasure & liberation: the four aims of life in the tradition of ancient India
- Ragas of North Indian Classical Music
- The Way to the Labyrinth: An Autobiography
- The Myths and Gods of India, Hindu Polytheism
- Yoga: the Method of Reintegration
- Yoga, Mastering the Secrets of Matter and the Universe
- Fools of God
- Song-poems - Rabindranath Tagore, Texts in English, French and Bengali & Melodies
- The Congress of the World With miniatures of tantric cosmology
- Sacred Music, its Origins, Powers and Future, Traditional Music in Today's World
- The Situation Of Music And Musicians In The Countries Of The Orient
- Introduction to The Study of Musical Scales
- Northern Indian Music: Vol. One, Theory, History and Technique
- Northern Indian Music: Vol. Two, The Main Ragas
- The ..., Sacred Symbol of Male Creative Power
- India, a civilization of differences: the ancient tradition of universal tolerance
- Shiva And The Primordial Tradition: From the Tantras to the Science of Dreams
- Manimekhalaï, The Dancer With The Magic Bowl Translation by Alain Daniélou
- Shilappadikâram, The Ankle Bracelet
- Sacred Music, Its Origins, Powers And Future
- A Descriptive Catalogue Of Sanskrit Manuscripts in Alain Daniélou’s Collection at the Giorgio Cini Foundation
Discography
- Unesco Collection: A Musical Anthology of the Orient
- Anthology of Indian Classical Music - A Tribute to Alain Daniélou
- Musiciens et Danseurs de la caste des Ahirs (1951)
- Religious Music of India (1952)
- Musical Atlas
- Musical Sources (Philips, Holland)
- Anthology of North Indian Classical Music - (Bärenreiter-Musicaphon, Kassel)
Filmography
- 2017: Alain Daniélou - The Way to the Labyrinth, a documentary by Riccardo Biadene, KAMA Productions.
See Also
In Spanish: Alain Daniélou para niños
- Michel Danino
- Jean Filliozat
- Francois Gautier
- Louis Renou
- Tirukkural translations into French
Images for kids
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Alain Daniélou
