Mushtaq Ali Khan
Encyclopedia
Mushtaq Ali Khan was born in Banaras (20 June 1911 – 21 July 1989) and an Indian aitar, surbahar
(and pakhawaj) player. His father Ashiq Ali Khan was a renowned sitar
player. His musical ancestor tree includes Masit Sen, the originator of Masitkhani Baaj (a slow tempo instrumental composition). He was recognized as the foremost representative of the Senia gharana (style, musical school) of sitar playing in the mid-20th century.
At first a court musician at Jaunpur
, he left the court to pursue an independent career. He started playing for All India Radio in 1929, and performed at the 1931 Sangeet Sammelan (conference) in Allahabad
. For all of the 1940s and most of the 1950s he was considered the most prominent sitar player in India, following the demise of Enayat Khan
of the Etawah Gharana, and prior to the rise of the young Ravi Shankar
and Vilayat Khan
in the mid-1950s.. In 1968 he won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
.
Being a purist, Khan-Saheb refused to yield to shifting popular tastes and to adopt the innovations introduced by Ravi Shankar on one hand and Vilayat Khan on the other, which lead to a gradual decline in his popularity . At the time of his death he was known as a "musicians' musician". Many of India's best known musicians expressed their appreciation of the purity of his style and musicality in a book published in Delhi
after his death
in sitar playing) His name became synonymous with the Senia style although he may actually have practiced an even more austere style than his predecessors in the gharana . He eschewed much of the ornamentation of modern sitar technique (such as murkhi and zamzama), and embraced a clean, pure sound. His alap
was constructed along the lines of a dhrupad alap, and his jod and jhalla derived a lot from been (rudra vina) technique. Oddly enough, in spite of being a musical descendant of Masit Sen, he rarely played Masitkhani gats in public, and none of the commercially available examples of his music includes one. He opted to play the faster Rezakhani gats instead, feeling that playing Masitkhani gats to an undiscerning audience would cause them to be devalued.
In a rare exclusive interview in the Daily Telegraph on the 13 July 1985, Khan Sahab narrated the history of this instrument with historical references in which he has cleared the myth of this instrument . Khan Sahab had his lineage with fifth vani, called Dhandvani named after one of the forefathers. The famous dhrupadiya of Shah Jahans Court, Nayak Dhundhu. It is also called Rasal Vani for its beauty. He said, "… two of my ancestors, Jaggu Khan and Makku Khan. Since Makku Khan was childless, he adopted Waras Ali Khan a great name who learnt the art of playing Been from Bade Mohammed Khan. When my father Ashiq Ali Khan was six years old, my grand father Sadaq Ali Khan, son of Jaggu Khan died so his uncle Waras Ali Khan taught him all inticacies of Beena on the surbahar
. That is why we play Surbahar with three Mezrabs. The Surbahar was originally designed to felicitate the playing of Alap . Those days Alap was the exclusive prerogative of the Beenkar. Ghulam Muhammed Khan and his son Sajjad Mohammed Khan the great SurBahar players used to stay at Calcutta in the earliest part of the 20th Century and taught many renowned players including Imdad Khan
and Jnanoda Mukherjee. In this instrument two angas played are alap and talparan and that is why the knowledge of pakhawaj is essential to play the Talparan …".
appointed him as the Professor Emeritus in Education and the Cultural Ministry and gave fellowship.
Some of the other musical awards were Sitar Sudhakar – 1932, Tantri Vilas – 1973, Sangeet Ratnakar – 1974, State Academy Award – 1974, Senior fellowship and Emeritus – 1986, Bhuwalka Award – 1987, Tansen Award – 1987, Special Honour University of Delhi
– 1987.
under the name of "UMAK ( acronym of Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan ) CENTRE FOR CULTURE", with a view to have UMAK's music and his ideas alive, for the future generation those who will have regards for purity and tradition . Such great Masters are not understood well during their own time which is a sad story and reflection on our knowledge and understanding .
New Delhi. It may be recalled that in the year 1953 Pandit Ravi Shankar was instrumental of instituting this National Programme of All India Radio and was present on this memorable occasion (live Concert
) and praised Kahn Sahab profusely for his superb exposition of Raga Purya in a pure Dhrupad style with three Mezrabs.
He was a musicians musician and that is why he always shied away from the commercial attention. Instead Mushtag Ali Khan organised conferences where old masters
and new artists were introduced to the cognoscenti and the novice. Among the well known names, Pandit Ravi Shankar was first presented by him to the public in Calcutta. Ustad had his undisputed popularity and demand during the early thirties to late forties.
Even in the evening of his illustrious career, he and his wife Begum Kaneez Khatoon were actively involved in variety of projects for promotion of art and culture in our country. He died on 21 July 1989.
Surbahar
Surbahar , sometimes known as bass sitar, is a plucked string instrument used in the Hindustani classical music of North India. It is closely related to sitar, but it has a lower tone. Depending on the instrument's size, it is usually pitched two to five whole steps below the standard sitar, but...
(and pakhawaj) player. His father Ashiq Ali Khan was a renowned sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
player. His musical ancestor tree includes Masit Sen, the originator of Masitkhani Baaj (a slow tempo instrumental composition). He was recognized as the foremost representative of the Senia gharana (style, musical school) of sitar playing in the mid-20th century.
At first a court musician at Jaunpur
Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh
Jaunpur is a city and a municipal board in Jaunpur district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.Jaunpur district is located to the northwest of the district of Varanasi in the eastern part of the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. According to the 2001 census, Jaunpur district had a population...
, he left the court to pursue an independent career. He started playing for All India Radio in 1929, and performed at the 1931 Sangeet Sammelan (conference) in Allahabad
Allahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
. For all of the 1940s and most of the 1950s he was considered the most prominent sitar player in India, following the demise of Enayat Khan
Enayat Khan
Enayat Khan was one of India's most influential sitar and surbahar players in the first decades of the 20th Century. He was the father of Vilayat Khan, one of the topmost sitariyas of the postwar period....
of the Etawah Gharana, and prior to the rise of the young Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent...
and Vilayat Khan
Vilayat Khan
Ustad Vilayat Khan was one of India's well known sitar maestros, born in Gauripur in Mymensingh, Bengal...
in the mid-1950s.. In 1968 he won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
.
Being a purist, Khan-Saheb refused to yield to shifting popular tastes and to adopt the innovations introduced by Ravi Shankar on one hand and Vilayat Khan on the other, which lead to a gradual decline in his popularity . At the time of his death he was known as a "musicians' musician". Many of India's best known musicians expressed their appreciation of the purity of his style and musicality in a book published in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
after his death
Training and Lineage
Khan started his instruction at the age of 6. He learned from his father, Ashiq Ali Khan, who had learned sitar from the renowned 19th century player Barkatullah Khan, a descendant of Masit Sen of Delhi, the inventor of the Masitkhani gat (the major style of slow musical compositionMusical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
in sitar playing) His name became synonymous with the Senia style although he may actually have practiced an even more austere style than his predecessors in the gharana . He eschewed much of the ornamentation of modern sitar technique (such as murkhi and zamzama), and embraced a clean, pure sound. His alap
Alap
The alap is the opening section of a typical North Indian classical performance. It is a form of melodic improvisation that introduces and develops a raga...
was constructed along the lines of a dhrupad alap, and his jod and jhalla derived a lot from been (rudra vina) technique. Oddly enough, in spite of being a musical descendant of Masit Sen, he rarely played Masitkhani gats in public, and none of the commercially available examples of his music includes one. He opted to play the faster Rezakhani gats instead, feeling that playing Masitkhani gats to an undiscerning audience would cause them to be devalued.
Instruments
Mushtaq Ali Khan was an eminent Sitar player of Senia Gharana. He was the only surbahar player of India who used to play the been-ang with three mizrabs and that too, with the pakhawaj as an accompanying instrument only in pure dhrupad style.In a rare exclusive interview in the Daily Telegraph on the 13 July 1985, Khan Sahab narrated the history of this instrument with historical references in which he has cleared the myth of this instrument . Khan Sahab had his lineage with fifth vani, called Dhandvani named after one of the forefathers. The famous dhrupadiya of Shah Jahans Court, Nayak Dhundhu. It is also called Rasal Vani for its beauty. He said, "… two of my ancestors, Jaggu Khan and Makku Khan. Since Makku Khan was childless, he adopted Waras Ali Khan a great name who learnt the art of playing Been from Bade Mohammed Khan. When my father Ashiq Ali Khan was six years old, my grand father Sadaq Ali Khan, son of Jaggu Khan died so his uncle Waras Ali Khan taught him all inticacies of Beena on the surbahar
Surbahar
Surbahar , sometimes known as bass sitar, is a plucked string instrument used in the Hindustani classical music of North India. It is closely related to sitar, but it has a lower tone. Depending on the instrument's size, it is usually pitched two to five whole steps below the standard sitar, but...
. That is why we play Surbahar with three Mezrabs. The Surbahar was originally designed to felicitate the playing of Alap . Those days Alap was the exclusive prerogative of the Beenkar. Ghulam Muhammed Khan and his son Sajjad Mohammed Khan the great SurBahar players used to stay at Calcutta in the earliest part of the 20th Century and taught many renowned players including Imdad Khan
Imdad Khan
Ustad Imdad Khan was a sitar and surbahar player. His two sons Enayat Khan and Wahid Khan, his grandsons Vilayat Khan and Imrat Khan, and great-grandsons Shahid Parvez, Shujaat Khan, Nishat Khan, Irshad Khan, Wajahat Khan, Shafaatullah Khan and Hidayat Khan have all upheld his musical tradition,...
and Jnanoda Mukherjee. In this instrument two angas played are alap and talparan and that is why the knowledge of pakhawaj is essential to play the Talparan …".
His 2nd Instrument: Pakhawaj
Mustaq Ali Khan also had to learn the art of pakhawaj playing in order to achieve perfection in the art of playing the surbahar with Pakhawaj.Indian Music Conferences, Awards, Recognitions
Mushtaq Ali Khan was awarded the Sangeet Natak Academy award in 1968 (equivalent to a National Academy Award). In 1973/74 he received the title of D.Litt from Rabindra Bharti University. The Indian governmentGovernment of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
appointed him as the Professor Emeritus in Education and the Cultural Ministry and gave fellowship.
Some of the other musical awards were Sitar Sudhakar – 1932, Tantri Vilas – 1973, Sangeet Ratnakar – 1974, State Academy Award – 1974, Senior fellowship and Emeritus – 1986, Bhuwalka Award – 1987, Tansen Award – 1987, Special Honour University of Delhi
University of Delhi
The University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...
– 1987.
Pupils and Followers
His foremost disciples are Nirmal Guha Thakurta, Netai Bose, Shipra Chaudhury and Dr. Debu Chaudhuri. Latter is now the only living and/or active amongst this quartet. He has started a cultural Centre in New DelhiNew Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
under the name of "UMAK ( acronym of Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan ) CENTRE FOR CULTURE", with a view to have UMAK's music and his ideas alive, for the future generation those who will have regards for purity and tradition . Such great Masters are not understood well during their own time which is a sad story and reflection on our knowledge and understanding .
KHAN’s (late) activities
A follower of rasal vani, Khan Sahab was the only surbahar player who not only maintained the purity of the Rasdal Vani but also kept its purity alive till his last days and never diluted to please the masses and that is why his music was not understood by the masses but respected by the contemporary Great Masters. On 1953 had a Subahar recital in Raga Purya, in the First National Programme of the All India RadioAll India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
New Delhi. It may be recalled that in the year 1953 Pandit Ravi Shankar was instrumental of instituting this National Programme of All India Radio and was present on this memorable occasion (live Concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
) and praised Kahn Sahab profusely for his superb exposition of Raga Purya in a pure Dhrupad style with three Mezrabs.
He was a musicians musician and that is why he always shied away from the commercial attention. Instead Mushtag Ali Khan organised conferences where old masters
Old Master
"Old Master" is a term for a European painter of skill who worked before about 1800, or a painting by such an artist. An "old master print" is an original print made by an artist in the same period...
and new artists were introduced to the cognoscenti and the novice. Among the well known names, Pandit Ravi Shankar was first presented by him to the public in Calcutta. Ustad had his undisputed popularity and demand during the early thirties to late forties.
Even in the evening of his illustrious career, he and his wife Begum Kaneez Khatoon were actively involved in variety of projects for promotion of art and culture in our country. He died on 21 July 1989.
Links (Web Sources)
- Dr. Debu Chaudhuri – www.debuchaudhuri.com
- Sangeet Acharya Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan Sahab . D.Litt
- Steven Lansberg: Music of India - MUSHTAQ ALI KHAN