Tag Archives: Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan

Padma Shri: The journey of Ali Mohammad and Ghani Mohammad from village to Padma Shri, know the story of Lal of Bikaner

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Tejrasar Village (Bikaner),RAJASTHAN / Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA:

The land of Bikaner is very rich in art and culture and it has given uncountable diamonds of talent not only to the country but to the world. Bollywood musicians Ali and Ghani have been awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India, the country’s fourth highest honor.

Maand singers Bandhu Ali Mohammed and Ghani Mohammad from Rajasthan were awarded the Padma Shri.

Ali Mohammad and Ghani Mohammad Padmshree: The Padma Awards for the year 2024 were announced on the eve of Republic Day. President Droupadi Murmu announced the Padma awards to 132 personalities, including five Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan, and 110 Padma Shri awardees. The shortlist for this year’s Padma awards includes impersonator Jankilal and Dhrupad singer Laxman Bhatt Tailang from Rajasthan.

Maand singers Bandhu Ali Mohammad and Gani Mohammad from Rajasthan and road safety activist Maya Tandon have also been given the Padma Shri award.

Ali Mohammad and Ghani Mohammad brothers, who live in Bikaner, will jointly receive this award.

Ali-Ghani was completely dedicated to music

The land of Bikaner is very rich in art and culture and it has given uncountable diamonds of talent not only to the country but to the world. In every field, the personalities of Bikaner have proved their mettle. Be it music, art, literature, painting, Bikaner has been rich in every field. Bikaner has established its own place in music and Bollywood. Pakeezah composer Ghulam Muhammad, lyricists Bharat Vyas, Rafiq Sagar, Raja Hassan and Ali-Ghani have all dedicated their all to music.

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Inherited music

But here is the talk of Bollywood musicians Ali and Ghani, who have been awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India, the fourth highest honor of the country. Born in Tejrasar village of Bikaner, brothers Ali and Ghani inherited music. His father Sirajuddin himself was a great knowledge of music, due to the death of Ali-Ghani’s wife in childhood, the responsibility of upbringing was on his father. While father Sirajuddin trained him to become a great person, he also inherited the legacy of music.

Struggle in Mumbai

As the mousiki became mastery, the desire to come out of a completely backward village Tejrasar and build a house in a big place also started shaking in the heart. At the age of youth, both brothers turned to Kolkata and from there traveled to the city of dreams, Mumbai. Ali and Ghani, who lived a difficult life in the village since childhood, did not find it strange to struggle in Mumbai and the struggle gradually brought success, the eyes of Bollywood musicians and directors fell on them.

During the struggle, the two brothers started singing together

Ali-Ghani had to starve several times during the conflict. In a metro city like Mumbai, many kilometers had to be traveled on foot. But he remembered the difficult life in the village. Therefore, the struggle of Mumbai seemed to him a game. During this time, the two brothers started singing together and made the basis of their singing Mand raga, which is considered to be the most popular raga of western Rajasthan. The most important raga in the Bikaner region is Mand and not only Rajasthani folk music has been sung on it, but the king of ghazal singing like Mehdi Hassan also made Mand the basis of his ghazals. Inspired by them, Ali and Ghani also decorated their Gulukari with the beauty of the mand.

Mastery in classical music

Ali-Ghani, who received his basic training in music from his father, the late Sirajuddin Khan, has a great influence in classical music. Both brothers received classical music education from Ustad Munawar Ali Khan and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Both are known in the country and abroad as film composers and singers.

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Lata and Asha Bhosle get blessings

Associated with All India Radio since 1981, the brothers have directed music in many films, including Hindi, Rajasthani and Punjabi films. Apart from this, many albums of Naat, Bhajan and Rajasthani folk songs have also been released. Ali and Gani have also decorated the ghazals of big singers like Pankaj Udas, Sadhana Sargam, Chandan Das, Alka Yagnik, Anuradha Paudwal and Hans Raj Hans with their music. These big Gulukars have also sung under the direction of Ali-Ghani. Even the nightingale of Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle have been blessing Ali-Ghani.

Said – talent got value

Ali and Ghani, who came out of Tejrasar and shined as stars in the glare of Mumbai, have been honored with many awards. Sixty-year-old Ali and sixty-two-year-old Ghani have not moved away politely even after receiving the Padma Shri. On receiving the Padma Shri award, he thanks Allah and says that there is still more to go.

He credits Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bikaner MP and Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal for this honor. It is said that the BJP government appreciated our talent and awarded the Padma Shri, also very humbly thanking NDTV, Ali and Ghani say that this channel first informed us and showed us all over the country.

source: http://www.rajasthan.ndtv.in / NDTV Hindi / Home> Sacrifice> Pride of Rajasthan / by Dr Nasir Zaidi / edited by Sachin Samar (and Translated in English) / January 26th, 2024

The stirring raga rages on: Adjectives are too limited to describe the golden voice of Rashid Khan

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Sahaswan (Budaun) , UTTAR PRADESH / Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :

He could captivate the audience and eradicate the thin line between a structured format and the playfulness of a classical composition while his voice moved through the shades of ragas.

Rashid Khan./ Sourced by The Telegraph

The name of Ustad Rashid Khan reminds one of the words of T.S. Eliot: “Music heard so deeply/that is not heard at all, but/you are the music/while the music lasts.’’

A born genius, talented and extraordinary musician… adjectives are too limited to describe the golden voice of Rashid Khan.

The fulfilment of an art form touches immortality when the artist becomes the art, as the poet said. Diehard listeners of Rashid Khan and ardent music lovers know the truth because they have discovered the artiste’s voice in different genres of music and steeped integrated melodies.

The great-grandson of the legendary Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan, the founder of the Rampur Sahaswan Gharana, Rashid was born on July 1, 1968, at Badaun in Uttar Pradesh.

Memory and melancholy created the soul of the artiste, although he was completely unaware he would one day become one of the greats of Indian classical music. He lost his mother and younger brother at a very early age; he found solace in kabaddi and cricket.

Rashid studied in Mumbai for about a year and after coming back to his hometown, his tutelage was started under his illustrious granduncle and guru, Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan. He also carried the lineage of renowned vocalists like Mushtaq Hussain Khan and Ghulam Mustafa Khan. But the rather authoritarian Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan changed the course of his life and made him what he became over the years. He nurtured the latent potential of Rashid through his training, first at his own residence at Badaun and subsequently at the Sangeet Research Academy in Calcutta.

Young Rashid Khan, an assured voice of the future of Indian classical vocal music, certified by none other than Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, was to evolve into a formidable talent, especially with his prowess in taankari and gamak.

His full-throated voice was an exceptional amalgamation of depth and rhythmic generosity. He could captivate the audience and eradicate the thin line between a structured format and the playfulness of a classical composition while his voice moved through the shades of ragas. He was adept at the instrumental stroke-based style which he inherited from his gharana, as well as an expert at infusing emotion into an elaborate musical verse.

Probably this is the reason he was successful in different styles of singing and innovation despite being a rooted classical musician.

For example, when he sang Tagore songs based on various ragas, he focused on the rendition of the quintessential flavour; his command over the notes and tunes brought out the charm of the song with skilful originality.

Rashid had fond memories of the town of Badaun and its surroundings where he spent his early days. The river which flows by the town was a witness to the number of hours Rashid spent by its side singing.

He paid his respects on his visits to his hometown at the cemetery where his parents and young brother were laid to rest.

It may well be the inexplicable pain and loneliness of childhood filtered through his every rendition of ‘Yaad Piya ki Aye’ (composed originally by Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan) — a Rashid reinvention that became very popular. As with the Bollywood hit ‘Aoge Jab tum o saajna’ from Jab We Met.

He skilfully obliterated differences between musical genres and was able to recreate a unique combination of love and exuberance with the full boom of his voice in three octaves, as manifested in each and every song. In numerous playback essays, he successfully broke traditional boundaries with his scintillating voice and evoked sensibilities even when he was out of his core expertise.

In the words of senior organiser of the Dover Lane Music Conference, Bappa Sen: “Rashid contributed an unparallel range to the music fraternity. We have seen him grow as a man as well as an artiste and witnessed his excellence in all spheres of music. He was an integral part of this music festival from a very young age and even performed in the periodicals. Along with his talent, he excelled himself to heights that required enormous hard work and open-mindedness. As a person he was as humble and respectful to all of us as he was from the very first day.”

Sarodiya Amaan Ali Khan thinks: “Unki voice mein to Ishwar hain.” He had countless memories with this senior artiste, fellow musician and co-performer who, Amaan says, was always an inspiration to him. “He was a person as clear as water,” said Amaan.

To his close friends and contemporary musicians, Rashid Khan was an irreplaceable voice and human being in every sense. The absence of Rashid’s mortal existence has now created a vacuum in the world of Indian classical music which is now devoid of his rich depth of voice.

Rashid’s son Armaan is carrying the torch of the legacy, his daughters Suha and Shaona are into Sufi music.

Rashid flourished as the breaking dawn with Lalit, Ahir Bhairon, Miyan ki Todi, returned to the root with Puriya Kalyan, Puriya Dhaneshree, Shree, sparkled with Sohini.

He has left behind an unforgettable repertoire of renditions and the gift of his unbridled imagination to lovers of his singular work.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home> Culture> Music / by The Telegraph / January 10th, 2024

Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan (1931-2020): Open to all music forms, teacher to the greats

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Badaun, UTTAR PRADESH / Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2003, Padma Bhushan in 2006 and Padma Vibhushan in 2018.

Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan

In Umrao Jaan (1980), filmmaker Muzaffar Ali’s seminal film, a five-minute melody manages to put life’s ebb and flow in perspective. The raagmala Pratham dhar dhyaan dinesh illustrates the induction of the protagonist, Ameeran, into classical music and dance and showcases her metamorphosis into Lucknow’s fanciful courtesan, Umrao Jaan.

Composer Khayyam’s composition is ambitious and arduous—based on seven ragas each of which defines time, mood and colour of varied moments in life. To sing this, Ali chose Ut Ghulam Mustafa Khan—the Hindustani classical giant whose deep and dazzling voice was representative of not just an iconic lineage but also a rigorous riyaaz and years spent teaching some of the greatest musicians of our time.

Opening with an alaap that chimes with the word Allah, the melody merges into Brahma, giving a glimpse into the Awadh of the 19th century, when the syncretic fusion of cultures in music was a norm. But a more remembered piece is perhaps Jhoola kinne daala re amaraiyan in raag Desh, the story of a bedecked swing on which two lovers sway together.

Ut Ghulam Mustafa, one of the finest Hindustani classical vocalists and torchbearer of the Rampur Sahaswan gharana, died at his home in Mumbai on Sunday. He was 89.

Expressing his condolences, PM Narendra Modi tweeted, “The passing away of Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Sahab leaves our cultural world poorer. He was a doyen of music, a stalwart of creativity whose works endeared him to people across generations. I have fond memories of interacting with him. Condolences…”

President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted, “…In his passing, music world has lost not only a doyen but also a mentor for young generation…”.

Ut Ghulam Mustafa was born and raised in Badaun, Uttar Pradesh. His mother was the daughter of the legendary vocalist Ut Inayat Hussain Khan, the court musician in Nawab Wajid Ali Khan’s court. He learned from his father Warish Hussain Khan, followed by tutelage under other family members, including Ut Fida Hussain Khan, court singer of Baroda’s royal durbar and then his cousin, Ut Nissar Hussain Khan.

His first performance was at a Janmashtami concert at the age of eight, where he was hailed as a child prodigy. What was also interesting about Ut Ghulam Mustafa was his openness to all forms of music, a rarity in classical maestros of his time. So when most classical singers were banishing Hindi film music, he found it easier to adapt.

According to Pune-based dhrupad maestro Uday Bhawalkar, Ut Ghulam Mustafa changed the colour and tone of how music in Rampur Sahaswan gharana sounded. “Someone like the great Ut Nissar Hussain had an aggression in the tone. Ut Ghulam Mustafa toned it down and made it softer,” says Bhawalkar.

The musician also sang in Mrinal Sen’s Bhuvan Shome (1969), and Badnam Basti (1969) among others. Another significant performance was a part of Coke Studio @MTV where composer and Ut Ghulam Mustafa’s student AR Rahman presented his guru on stage. The musician sang a composition in raag Yaman alongside guitars and drums.

Ut Ghulam Mustafa, till he died, remained an eminent guru to many leading musicians including Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey, Ut Rashid Khan (also his nephew), Waheeda Rehman, Geeta Dutt, Hariharan, Sonu Nigam, Alisha Chinoy and Shilpa Rao.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2003, Padma Bhushan in 2006 and Padma Vibhushan in 2018.

Once at a concert in Mumbai, Ut Ghulam Mustafa sang a thumri in Pilu, and got Ut Bade Ghulam Ali Khan on his feet. “Iitne dooble patle ho, kahan se gaate ho?” asked the musician. Ut Ghulam Mustafa Khan’s music, his bracing voice, its irrepressible vigour, probably came from his strict training. But also, from the joy he got from the seven notes that represented life for him.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Lifestyle> Art and Culture / by Suanshu Khurana, New Delhi / January 18th, 2021

Remembering the doyen

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Kolkata :

 

SHARING SIMILAR SENSIBITIES Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
SHARING SIMILAR SENSIBITIES Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan

Seasoned musicians paid melodic tributes to Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan on his 115th birth anniversary in Kolkata.

The Calcutta School of Music, in association with Saambhavi, offered homage to Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan on his 115th birth anniversary (2nd April) at the century-old School’s Sandré Hall. The evening touched the nostalgic chord when Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta who, despite his ailment, came to share his treasured memories related to Khansaheb with the audience, sobbed like a child while listening to ‘Hari Om Tatsat’, soulfully sung by Nabhodeep Chakraborty, a young torchbearer of Kasur Patiala Gharana who religiously pays melodic tributes to Khansaheb on this day every year and who conceptualised this event.

According to Dasgupta, the erudite sarod maestro who is an ardent admirer and delightful analyst of Khansaheb’s charismatic music, “Among those legendary musicians who spent part of their lives in the city of joy are Ustad Amir Khan and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. The styles of both the ustads had the biggest impact on local vocalists and quite a few Bengali musicians, without any direct taaleem have tried to blend their styles with results which often are little short of disastrous.”

Fortunately, Chakraborty, having been trained by Ustads Raza Ali Khan, Mazhar Ali Khan and Jawad Ali Khan, grandson and grand-nephews of Khansaheb, has acquired enviable gharana treasures.

Extraordinary rehearsal

He insists on the ‘Kasur’ prefix. This has a valid reason. ‘Khansaheb hailed from Kasur, a small town 30 kilometers away from Lahore; and the people still remember the superhumanly riyaaz of ‘Kasuri Bade Ghulam’, says Chakraborty. “It was Khansaheb, who modified the original Patiala style which basically thrived on taans. (Khansaheb’s son) Ustad Munawwar Ali Khan went on record while describing the olden, somewhat rough, gayaki, ‘Aisa lagta tha jaise billiyan jhagad rahi hain (it sounded as if cats were fighting)’.”

The evening was based on some select compositions of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan under the pseudonym ‘Sabrang’. A clutch of Chakrborty’s disciples presented these khayal bandish-s with sincere reverence. Each one focused on a special aspect of their gharana’s salient features. They were ably supported by Timir Baran Chakraborty on tabla.

Among them Sagnik Sen, a child prodigy who possesses ‘Classical Voice of India 2013’ title, stood out for his short but amazingly matured and melodious presentation of two compositions in ragas Bhimpalasi and Multani. The anecdotal history of every gem, displayed during the course of this edifying evening, revealed that Khansaheb believed in ‘Sab din nahi hot ek samaan’ (Multani); that he sang in praise of ‘Dev Maheshwara’ (Bhupali); that he penned a composition in Megh but sans the description of Monsoon and often sang it in Madhmad Sarang.

SagnikSenMPOs30apr2017

In the latter part of the evening, Nabhodeep Chakraborty, accompanied by Amit Chatterjee (tabla) and Keshab Banerjee (harmonium) presented a bandish in Koheri Kalyan, one of the most heard ragas invented by Khansaheb; the others being Andoli ka Sarang, Malini Basant, Hariruddh (named after a river in Afghanistan, this raga blends Dhani and Malkauns).

His selection also included a Malkauns tarana, set to Asul-e-Fakhta tala of five beats that interprets the rhythm of the fluttering wings of a bird (Fakhta). A rare Maand from the unpublished records of Khansaheb was Chakraborty’s last piece but encores led him to ‘Hari Om Tatsat’- one of the unforgettable compositions, immortalised by Khansaheb. The screening of a documentary film on the life and music of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan topped it all.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Music / by  Meena Banerjee / April 27th, 2017

INTACH to hold prayer meet at Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali’s grave

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

Charminar :

The Hyderabad chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) will hold a prayer assembly at the grave of Hindustani classical music maestro Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali  Khan at Daira Mir Momin in Hari Bowli of Charminar on Sunday to mark his 115th birth anniversary. The prayer session will begin at 10.30 am.

Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's grave in Sultan Shahi area
Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan’s grave in Sultan Shahi area

Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, though born at Kasur village (now in Pakistan) of undivided Punjab on April 2, 1902, he spent a considerable time in Hyderabad where he passed away in 1968. The Ustad, who belongs to the Kasur Patiala Gharana, is considered as the  Tansen of the 20th century.

The state government named a road after him. His grave now lies in utter neglect.

The Ustad served in the special department of music and arts of the Nizam government. The Nizam had both Western and Indian music units. The Indian unit had 108 employees on its rolls including Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

Other great musicians like Pandit Maniram, Pandit Motiram, and Begum Akthar were also part of the Nizam’s music department. News archives reveal that the highest salary offered was 50 a month. The Ustad and other maestro also received special allowances for every appearance.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City News> Hyderabad News  / TNN / April 02nd, 2017

Tribute to Tabla Maestro Brings Stalwarts to Bengaluru

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

UstadShaikDawoodMPOs28feb2016

Bengaluru :

A musical evening on February 27 marks the birth centenary of one the world’s most renowned tabla players – Ustad Shaik Dawood Khan.

This event, at the Palace Grounds, is organised by the Tabla Nawaz Ustad Shaik Dawood Trust.

Shaik Dawood Khan (1916-1992) is regarded as one of the greatest tabla maestros of his time, and was the torch bearer of the Farrukhabad, Ajrada, Lucknow, Punjab and Delhi styles.

As part of the centenary celebrations, the trust has organised concerts across the country. In December 2015, a two-day festival took place in Hyderabad. A second season began in Hyderabad on January 7 and 8, 2016.

The Bengaluru event is the third in the series.

Varied Journey

Ustad Shaik Dawood Khan is known as the ‘Thirakwa of Hyderabad’. Between 1926 and 1990, he accompanied hundreds of vocalists and instrumentalists, with equal respect and admiration, irrespective of their age or rank.

Shaik Dawood Khan was born on December 16, 1916. He was attracted to music from a very tender age, and his father Shaik Hashim took him to his neighbour Ameer Qawwal (a performing artist) from whom Shaik Dawood gained knowledge in singing and playing the tabla.

When he was nine, he became a formal disciple of Ustad Khasim Saheb of Sholapur, who had attained fame in the region as a tabla accompanist. During eight years under him, Shaik Dawood Khan emerged as a musician in his own right. Subsequently, he learnt from Ustad Alladia Khan, a Hyderabadi tabla nawaz, as also from Ustad Mohmmed Khan, Ustad Chote Khan and Ustad Jahangir Khan.

At the age of 46, when the whole music world was at his feet, Shaik Dawood Khan had the humility to become a disciple of Ustad Mahboob Khan Mirajkar.

Shaik Dawood Khan had accompanied almost all the greats of his time – Ustad Abdul Kareem Khan, Ustad Fayyaz Khan, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Abdul Haleem Jaffer Khan, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Ravi Shankar and illustrious women  vocalists such as Roshan Ara Begum, Girija Devi, Begum Akhtar, and Gangubai Hangal. In fact, Shaik Dawood had the unique distinction of having accompanied four generations of artistes.

Decorations

Shaik Dawood Khan was honoured with the Hindu-Muslim Unity Front Award in 1975. In February 1992, he was presented the Sangeet Natak Akademy Award. He was a star attraction on Deccan Radio run by the Nizam, which subsequently became All India Radio, Hyderabad.

At Palace Grounds

The musical evening on Saturday begins with a tabla homage by Sarfaraz Ahmed, grandson of Ustad Shaik Dawood, followed by a tabla ensemble featuring Ustad Shabbir Nisar (son of the ustad) and Abhman Kaushal (USA), Uday Kumar, Mihir Kallianpur and Roopak Kallurkar.

This will be followed by vocal music by Vidushi Arati Ankalikar-Tikekar. The grand finale is a sitar session with Ustad Shahid Parvez accompanied on the tabla by Pandit Anindo Chatterjee.

5.30 pm, Palace Grounds, Gate 4. Entry free.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / February 27th, 2016