Tag Archives: Ustad Rashid Khan

‘Music without spirituality is meaningless’

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Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :

Ustad Waseem Ahmed Khan on maintaining his gharana’s parampara and his views on music.

Ustad Waseem Ahmed Khan

The illustrious Agra gharana of Hindustani classical music has had distinguished exponents and teachers who have imparted this school of music to countless disciples over the centuries. Ustad Waseem Ahmed Khan is a prominent vocalist of this gharana.

Born in 1974, Waseem Khan is the grandson of Ustad Basheer Khan from his father’s side and of Ustad Ata Hussain Khan from his mother’s side. He has thus inherited the rich repertoire of both the khandans . He took his initial taleem (education) from Ata Hussain Khan at the age of six. Thereafter, he learnt from his father, Ustad Naseem Ahmed Khan.

Waseem’s debut performance was at the age of 10. In July 1999, he became a scholar of ITC Sangeet Research Academy ( ITC – SRA) under erstwhile guru Ustad Shafi Ahmed Khan. He left the academy in April 2003 as an A-grade scholar. Since then he has performed at various venues all over the world, sharing the stage with maestros. He taught for five years as a senior faculty member of Shakhri Begum Memorial Trust, an academy run by Ustad Rashid Khan and is currently assisting with ITC-SRA projects. He is also a regular performer for All India Radio.

Waseem, based in Kolkata, will give his first ever concert in Kerala at the Kerala Sangeeta Nataka Akademi Hall, Thrissur, on September 21 at 5 pm. Prior to the concert, Waseem spoke to Friday Review on his gharana, Indian classical music and more. Excerpts from an e-mail interview.

What are the defining features of the Agra gharana?

The voice production is distinctive; the voice throw is open-throated. The other distinctive features are nom-tom alaap (the rhythmic section where the raga develops with a steady pulse employing syllables such as non-tom but without the binding of tala). The method of presenting a bandish (fixed, melodic composition) is also distinctive of this gharana. We break the bandish into many parts. For example, if there is an interesting line in the antara, we use this line for bol tan (rhythmic pattern of notes which uses the words of the bandish), bol bandh, bol vistar and so on. We are not supposed to create an artificial voice but rather polish the one gifted by God.

Is there an amalgamation of features of various gharanas in the Hindustani music we hear today?

Yes. It is healthy as long as one is able to express one’s identity clearly. Every gharana has its own beautiful features. Artistes of the past also adapted the features of other gharanas and enriched their music. They, however, retained a stamp of their gharana, which could be identified by the opening ‘sa’.

Being part of an ancient and reputed gharana, what are your responsibilities? Do you have another generation to take on the mantle?

It is a huge responsibility. But I feel proud too. I consider it is my duty to carry on this tradition and, if possible, enrich it. The most important aspect is to pass on this legacy to the next generation. My young daughter has started learning it and I’m also teaching students at the ITC-SRA Kolkata apart from my own students. The Agra gharana, today, has a lot of good artistes making their mark in the world of music.

Ustad Waseem Ahmed Khan

What is your opinion about lighter forms of classical music such as thumri, dadra…?

It is beautiful to sing the light forms also. Old masters of our gharana like Ustad Faiyaz Khan Sahib, for instance, used to sing the thumri and the dadra. I sing these in almost all my concerts. It is nice to switch to a relaxed mood after a heavy khayal.

Is there a link between spirituality and Indian classical music?

Definitely! Music without spirituality is meaningless. Our bandishes address gods irrespective of religion, requesting their mercy for the well-being of this world.

How do you decide which raga to sing at a concert?

The time of the concert plays an important role. Each raga is associated with a specific time. We follow that strictly. But this can be modified depending on the weather and the mood of the concert. For example, Malhar is a night raga. But we may choose it intuitively during a concert held in the day if it is raining outside. We do it because we feel that it will suit the mood and the effect is usually amazing. During festivals like Durga Puja or Basant Panchami, we render ragas like Gouri, Durga or Basant accordingly. And if it is a concert series, we render it according to the raga rendered earlier.

How much does an audience affect your performance?

Like any musician, I love to sing before a huge audience. But there should at least be a handful of good listeners whose presence should motivate me to sing wholeheartedly. In the past, music was confined to a few, now it is accessible to millions across the globe. The gharanas are flourishing, Dhrupad and khayal are intact, there are gurus and shishyas, and there is innovation.

Do you think that the classical music scene is strong and prosperous?

I don’t think there is any threat to good music. Earlier, maharajas were the promoters of classical music. Now we have corporates and organisations in that place. I can say that ITC is a classic example. Then there are organisations like SPICMACAY and NCPA that have also done their bit to carry forward this great tradition.

How relevant is Indian classical music in the modern world?

It is relevant in the modern world. When I see young boys in half-pants touching my feet and learning classical music seriously, I feel it is because they feel it is pertinent. And in the West, the young generation has taken it up enthusiastically.

If you were asked to pick a memorable concert, which would you choose and why?

That’s a tough one. There are so many, like the one in New York recently where the listeners asked me to sing only khayals with elaborate nom tom alaap and not even thumri or dadra. I was surprised. I’m looking forward to the concert series here where I’m sure I will be in the company of avid listeners.

Is the guru-shishya parampara still existent? And what is the best way of doing riyaaz (practice)?

I teach my students the same way I learned from my gurus. But it was tough then, as the gurus were task masters. In the case of riyaaz, my advice would be to do ‘Kharaj Riyaaz’(practice of holding notes on the lower octave, where every single sur is used with full breath) in the morning. It is extremely important for improving one’s voice culture.

If not a professional musician, what career would you have chosen?

I would have been a cricket player, perhaps. I was passionate about the game and played it during my college days. I admire Sourav Ganguly, I’m a great fan of his.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Music / by K Pradeep / September 19th, 2019

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

Ustad and the world of gharanas

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Indore, MADHYA PRADESH /  Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :

tad Amir Khan in performance. | Photo Credit: 14dfrmeena1
tad Amir Khan in performance. | Photo Credit: 14dfrmeena1

As the late Ustad Amir Khan’s magic continues to awe listeners, various musicians claim that he was from their gharana.

Ustad Amir Khan (born on August 15) was an introvert and a man of few words, yet Khan saheb had validated during an exhaustive interview for a documentary film on him by the Films Division, “Mai Indore (gharane) ke naam se gaa raha hoon.” (I am singing under the identity of Indore gharana.)

Obviously, his unique style took a tangible, modern form very gradually; turned his listeners around as gradually and became a rage, specially in Bengal. Generations of most eminent musicians came under his majestic charm.

On a more formal ground, his disciples like Pandit Amarnath, Pandit A. Kanan, Pandit Tejpal Singh and several others also had established themselves not only as performers but also as revered gurus.

Under the circumstances, the “three-generation” stipulation too was met during Amir Khan saheb’s lifetime that was crudely cut short by a horrible car accident when he was barely 62 and at the peak of his career.

Since his magic refuses to spare sensitive souls even now, several gharanedar musicians are screaming foul and claim Ustad Amir Khan as one of them.

Ironically no other gharana faces such sharp controversy; rife with appalling stories!

But a large number of musicians, in their pursuit to serve the cause of good music, do not care to indulge in such tactical claims to attest their blue blood. Moreover, the modern era is open to different ideas, irrespective of their origin or lineage. For example, I noticed a marked change in Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar’s singing around 1998. The pristine style of this top ranking khayal exponent, equally adept at handling three major styles, was suddenly steeped in soulful depths of a slower than usual Gwalior, Jaipur or Agra pace that usually floats around medium tempo.

Asked why, Kashalkar’s answer was simple, “Everybody is singing that way here (in Bengal) and it facilitates space for more emotions.” But this was actually a slow process initiated by Ustad Vilayat Khan.

For his 75th birthday celebration his ardent fan, Jayant Chatterjee had roped in Kashalkar to sing the legendary sitar maestro’s khayal and thumri compositions.

Hailed as “Amir Khan on the sitar”, the Ustad was very close to Khan saheb who was his elder sister’s husband but things soured later.

In “Komal Gandhar” (his autobiography, compiled by Shankarlal Bhattacharya; translated by me from Bengali to Hindi; published by Kanishka, Delhi), Ustad Vilayat Khan admitted to have “spent hours of riyaz together” with Khan saheb. A photograph adorning the living room of Maharaj Banerjee, a renowned but retired harmonium player, bears testimony to this fact.

Amir Khan (born 1912) and Vilayat Khan (born 1928) doing ‘riyaz together’ leaves a lot left unspoken. So does Ustad Vilayat Khan’s indelible impression on Kashalkar’s psyche. And what a wonderful result it has yielded ever since! Furthermore, Pandit Vijay Kichlu, the erudite founder-director of ITC Sangeet Research Academy, who actually was behind the phenomenal rise of the Academy’s young students, including Rashid Khan, gave a memorable introduction while presenting him during a Sangeet Ashram event on August 10th 2007. The date signifies that it was close to Khan saheb’s birthday and the introduction, abounding with audio-clips, significantly highlighted his deep imprint on Ustad Rashid Khan’s musical thoughts.

Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta, veteran sarod maestro and an erudite analyst, also says that this extremely popular khayal singer with a golden voice is deeply influenced by Amir Khan’s music. So is young Arshad Ali Khan of Kirana gharana. They are not isolated cases. The list of Ustad Amir Khan’s followers or admirers is pretty impressive. Some greats, like Vidushi Kishori Amonkar and Ustad Shujaat Khan have openly admitted Khan saheb’s influence on their music.

Even four decades after his untimely demise, there are many such eminent musicians who avoid confessing his impact but their music reveals Khan saheb’s indelible stamp loud and clear. This style’s unmatched popularity had transcended all barriers during the short life-span of its creator. Moreover his disciples are carrying forward the legacy steeped in ‘abstract’ modernism. Eminent musicologist-author Vamanrao Deshpande saw this coming. He, therefore, acknowledged Indore as an independent Gharana in his book “Gharandaj Gayaki” (Marathi, published in 1961); and rightly so.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Friday Review / by Meena Banerjee / August 13th, 2015

When Ustad Rashid Khan mesmerised Hyderabad

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KOLKATA, WEST BENGAL :

UstadRashidKhanMPOs26aug2017

The moment the scion of the Rampur-Seheswan gharana Ustad Rashid Khan stepped on stage, it felt like magic was infused at Rock Heights on Saturday evening.

The maestro of Hindustani classical music began the performance with the aalap of raag Yaman. Exploring every note of the intricate ragas, his sonorous rich timbre, lulled the audience into a musical bliss. The slow elaboration of vilambit khayal, the relaxed vistaars, passionate flourishes, and masterful taankaris defined the prowess of the Ustad. The second rendition, a composition in the beautiful ratrikalin raag Desh, enthralled the audience with meends rom madhyam to rishabh via gandhar that defines the raag.

Rashid then swung into the poignant Yaad Piya Ki Aaye, the famous thumri by Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan piece much to the delight of the rasikas present there.

“Will he sing Aayoge Jab Tum Saajna? I will be so heart-broken if he does not sing the song,” whispered a member of the audience. So when he concluded his concert with his famous Bollywood number, the crowd broke into a thundering applause.

When we caught up with the singer backstage to ask him if he had deliberately saved the song for the last, he said, “It’s good that people like it. The song is actually a thumri. Achhi baat hai ki usmein maine kuch aalag kiya hai. There are many thumris as good as Aaoge Jab Tum Sajna, if they are incorporated in films, they will become as popular as this score.”

The exponent of the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, who is a father to Suha, Shaona and Armaan is proud about the fact that his daughters will carry forward his legacy .

“Girls in our family never sang in public. But when they decided to become singers and pursue a career in singing, I gave them my whole-hearted support. Zamana change ho raha hai. I believe in their happiness more than tradition. I wanted them to live their dreams,” he says, signing off.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Hyderabad News / by Papri Paul / January 11th, 2017

Ustad Rashid Khan’s children mesmerize audience with soulful singing

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UTTAR PRADESH  / WEST BENGAL :

SuhaKhanMPOs30mar2017

For the first time ever, Ustad Rashid Khan, exponent of the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana and a leading light of Indian classical music along with his three children, Suha, Shaona, Armaan, were part of a concert last Saturday , leaving everyone mesmerized with their performances.

While son Armaan followed in father’s footsteps with a classical rendition, all eyes were on the daughters, who looked like rockstars and sang like nightingales. While Shaona belted out a Bollywood hit, elder sister Suha lent her voice to a Sufi number! And from the applause, it was evident that they had nailed it.

If that is a not a break from tradition, we don’t know what is, we tell Shaona. But she counters that there is nothing extraordinary about that. “In our family , girls are not allowed to sing and perform. But both of us wanted to sing as it’s in our blood, and our mother supported us whole-heartedly . However, to our delight, baba is slowly warming up to the idea of us singing in public,” shares the 19-year-old, whose head of curly highlights were as much of a hit as her singing. For the record, her rendition of Judaai from Badlapur left the audience speechless.

We got to know that while 11-year-old Armaan is being trained by the maestro himself, Suha and Shaona were trained not under their father, but at his academy . “I felt blessed to perform on the same stage with my family ,” says Rashid’s elder daughter, 23-year-old Suha, who has embraced Sufi music. “I secretly dreamt of sharing the stage with my father. Finally it came true. I have always wanted to excel in Sufi music. Before this concert, I performed in public only once, when I was 15.That was also a special day . But sharing the stage with Shaona, Armaan and father, was beyond special,” adds Suha.

Saturday’s show was special for Armaan too, since this was his first solo act. “We would definitely want to do more concerts like this in future,” says, Shaona, who has also formed a band, named Asian Heat, with five friends. Let’s hope we get to see the Khan children and their dad together again on stage soon!

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> Entertainment> Bengali / by Madhushree Ghosh / TNN / July 16th, 2015