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Based on the Guru-shishya
parampara, ensuring loyalty and intensity of training,
Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khans professional lineage evolves
directly, in an unbroken line, from Maseet Sen, the
innovator of Masit Khani Baaj and the descendant of Mian
Tansen, a name which needs no introduction.
The
descendent tree includes Maseet Sen, the originator of
Maseet Khani Baaj( the slow tempo of instrumental
composition ). Mushtaq Ali Khan had his initial training
in sitar from his illustrious father from the age of
six. His father Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan was the disciple of
Barkat-ullah Khan, Aftab-e-Sitar. Ustad Mushtaq Ali
Khan joined as a core musician in Jaunpur state in U.P.
but quit early , to continue his mission in life. His
first major performance was at Allahabad in 1931 , after
which invitations to perform multipled and he became
famous overnight. Ustadji had a very wide repertoire of
professional activities interview, lectures,
demonstrations, seminars, performances, examination
evaluations of various organisations and institutions
like AIR, Doordarshan, Newspapers, various Universities
in India , Academies, Archives and Societies.
He
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
There
were many disctinctions conferred on him , to mention a
few , Sitar Sudhakar 1932, National Academy Award
1968, Tantri Vilas 1973, Sangeet Ratnakar
1974, Hony D,litt 1974 Rabindra Bharati , State
Academy Award 1974, Senior fellowship and Emeritus
1986, Bhuwalka Award 1987, Tansen Award
1987, Special Honour University of Delhi 1987. He
was a musicians Musician and that is why he always shied
away from the commercial attention .
USTAD
MUSHTAQ ALI KHAN SAHAB AND THE "SURBAHAR" :
Very
few of the present generation know that he was the only
SUR BAHAR player of India who used to play in BEEN-ANG
with 3 MEZRABS ( plectrum) and that too , with 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of this instrument with historical references in which
has cleared the myth of this instrument . Khan Sahab
had his lineage with fifth vani, called DHANDVANI named
after one of the fore fathers. The famous dhrupadiya
of Shah Jahans Court , Nayak Dhundhu . It is also
called RASAL VANI for its beauty .
." two of
my ancestors , Jaggu Khan and Makku Khan. Since Makku
Khan was childless , he adopted Waras AliKhan a great
name who learnt the art of playing Been from Ustad Bade
Mohammed Khan. When my father Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan was
six years old , my grand father Ustad 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 Sur Bahar with three Mezrabs. The Sur Bahar
was originally designed to felicitate the playing of
Alap . Those days Alap was the exclusive prerogative
of the Beenkar. Ustad Ghulam Muhammed Khan and his son
Ustad 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 Ustad Imdad Khan and Jnanoda Mukherjee. In
this instrument two angas played are ALAP & TALPARAN
and that is why the knowledge of Pakhawaj is essential
to play the Talparan
.".
He
also had to learn the art of Pakhawaj playing in order
to achieve perfection in the art of playing the SURBAHAR
with Pakhawaj A follower of RASAL VANI , Khan Sahab
was the only SURBAHA 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 . His memorable Subahar recital in Raga Purya
, in the First National Programme of the All India Radio
New Delhi , in the year 1953 , is srtill remembered
by the connoisseurs and lovers of Indian Music . It
may be recalled that in the year 1953 Pandit Ravishankar
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 . His foremost disciple
Dr. Debu Chaudhuri is now carrying on his tradition
and music to keep his name alive in the field of Indian
Classical Music . A cultural Centre in New Delhi in
being run under the name of "UMAK( acronym of Ustad
Mushtaq Ali Kahn ) CENTRE FOR CULTURE" by
Dr. Debu Chaudhuri and his students , with a view
to have his music and his belief and faith in music
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
.
Even
in the evening of his illustrious career, he and his
loving wife Begum Kaneez Khatoon were actively involved
in variety of projects for promotion of art and culture
in our country. His departure for his heavenly abode
on 21st July, 1989 left a huge void in rapidly
shrinking world of pure traditionalism in our music
world.
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