Bahadur Khan
Encyclopedia
Ustad Bahadur Khan was a sarod player.
, was born on January 19, 1931 in Shibpur, Comilla
, Bangladesh
, (then British India), and died on October 3, 1989 in Calcutta, India. He was the son of famous Indian classical musician Ustad Ayet Ali Khan , nephew of the Sarode legend Ustad Alauddin Khan, cousin of Sarode player Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Surbahar
player Shrimati Annapurna Devi, and former cousin-in-law of Sitar legend Pandit Ravi Shankar. Ustad Bahadur Khan learnt playing Sarode initially from his father Ustad Ayet Ali Khan in Bangladesh
, and then from his uncle Ustad Alauddin Khan in Maihar
, before he finally settled in Calcutta. He also practiced vocal music and earned many gold medals for his performances . He was later guided in Sarode by his senior cousins Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Shrimati Annapurna Devi for a long time. Ustad Bahadur Khan was one of the three celebrated musician sons of the great maestro Ustad Ayet Ali Khan . His two other brothers, Ustad Abed Hossain Khan and Ustad Mobarak Hossain Khan
were famous Sarode and Sitar maestros based in Bangladesh, and were the highest civilian honour recipients from the Government of Bangladesh for their contributions to classical music . Bahadur Khan was the father of Bidyut Khan and Kirit Khan, who also are noted sarod and sitar players respectively. Both his sons had trained under him and carried his legacy to get acclaimed by the audience world over. While his younger son Kirit died prematurely at the age of 51, his elder son Bidyut is still in the pursuit of the height of perfection of the music, which Bahadur khan once established.
Ustad Bahadur Khan was a regular performer at the All India Radio
, Radio Pakistan, and Radio Bangladesh
. He composed and directed music for many films of the legendary Indian filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak. He received the best music director award for Ritwik Ghatak's film Subarnarekha (The Golden Line). Other films that brought out his musical virtuosity into celluloid were Meghe Dhaka Tara
(The Cloud-clapped Star), Komal Gandhar
(E Flat), Jukti Takko Aar Gappo
(Reason, Debate and A Story), Titash Ekti Nadir Naam
(A River Named Titash), Nagarik (The Citizen), Shwet Mayur (White Peacock), Yekhane Dariye (Where I Am Standing), Trisandhyay (Three Twilights), Notun Pata (New Leaf), Garam Hawa (Hot Winds), and Ajantrik (The Unmechanical) to name a few . He also directed music on documentaries on Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore
and painter Jamini Roy
, and was also a highly esteemed figure in the Indian film-music industries of Bombay and Calcutta .
He has extensively traveled Europe
, Asia
, and North America
to perform Sarode recitals; and was an honorary delegate of India to the former USSR and China
.
, in California
, USA, where he taught Indian classical music
,. His eminent disciples include Bidyut Khan (son - Sarode player), Shahadat Hossain Khan (nephew - Sarode player), Tejendra Narayan Majumdar (student - Sarode player) , Kalyan Mukherjee (student - Sarode player), and Manoj Shankar (student - Sitar player) . All of them are acclaimed classical musicians who spread through their music the legacies of Ustad Bahadur Khan. Shahadat Hossain Khan has been awarded the Ekushey Padak
, Bangladesh's highest civilian honour, for his contribution to classical music, in 1994 .
Every year, a one-day music festival takes place commemorating the death anniversary of the Ustad
in Calcutta, India
(organized by "Ustad Bahadur Khan Music Circle"); whereas in Bangladesh
, his legacies are being spread among classical musicians by his followers (notably by Shahadat and other family members) through the "Ustad Ayet Ali Khan Sangeet Niketon" (Ustad Ayet Ali Khan Memorial School of Music), a music school in memory of Ustad Bahadur Khan's father the late Ustad Ayet Ali Khan, at their native village Shibpur.
Early Life & Family
Ustad Bahadur Khan, a BengaliBengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
, was born on January 19, 1931 in Shibpur, Comilla
Comilla
Comilla is a city in south-eastern Bangladesh, located along the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway. It is the administrative center of the Comilla District, part of the Chittagong Division. The Eastern Wing of Bangladesh Highway Police is located in Comilla....
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, (then British India), and died on October 3, 1989 in Calcutta, India. He was the son of famous Indian classical musician Ustad Ayet Ali Khan , nephew of the Sarode legend Ustad Alauddin Khan, cousin of Sarode player Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and 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...
player Shrimati Annapurna Devi, and former cousin-in-law of Sitar legend Pandit Ravi Shankar. Ustad Bahadur Khan learnt playing Sarode initially from his father Ustad Ayet Ali Khan in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, and then from his uncle Ustad Alauddin Khan in Maihar
Maihar
Maihar is a city and a municipality in Satna district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Maihar is known for the temple of revered mother goddess Sharda situated on Trikuta hill of Maihar.- Origin :...
, before he finally settled in Calcutta. He also practiced vocal music and earned many gold medals for his performances . He was later guided in Sarode by his senior cousins Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Shrimati Annapurna Devi for a long time. Ustad Bahadur Khan was one of the three celebrated musician sons of the great maestro Ustad Ayet Ali Khan . His two other brothers, Ustad Abed Hossain Khan and Ustad Mobarak Hossain Khan
Mobarak Hossain Khan
Mobarak Hossain Khan , is a music researcher, music expert and musician of repute. He plays 'Surbahar', a string instrument, meant for classical music. He comes of the great family musicians of Bangladesh, which produces a galaxy of illustrious classical musicians like, Ustad Dr. Alauddin Khan ,...
were famous Sarode and Sitar maestros based in Bangladesh, and were the highest civilian honour recipients from the Government of Bangladesh for their contributions to classical music . Bahadur Khan was the father of Bidyut Khan and Kirit Khan, who also are noted sarod and sitar players respectively. Both his sons had trained under him and carried his legacy to get acclaimed by the audience world over. While his younger son Kirit died prematurely at the age of 51, his elder son Bidyut is still in the pursuit of the height of perfection of the music, which Bahadur khan once established.
Music & Accomplishments
His special contribution to Indian classical music, that he could wonderfully combine folk music elements with that of the classical music, made a unique niche for himself among fellow musicians .Ustad Bahadur Khan was a regular performer at the All India Radio
All 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...
, Radio Pakistan, and Radio Bangladesh
Bangladesh Betar
Bangladesh Betar is the state-owned radio broadcasting organisation of Bangladesh. It was also known as Radio Bangladesh between 1975 and 1996.-History:...
. He composed and directed music for many films of the legendary Indian filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak. He received the best music director award for Ritwik Ghatak's film Subarnarekha (The Golden Line). Other films that brought out his musical virtuosity into celluloid were Meghe Dhaka Tara
Meghe Dhaka Tara
Meghe Dhaka Tara is a 1960 film by written and director Ritwik Ghatak, based on a novel Shaktipada Rajguru. It stars Supriya Choudhury, Anil Chatterjee, Gita Dey, Bijan Bhattacharya, Niranjan Roy, and Gyanesh Mukherjee...
(The Cloud-clapped Star), Komal Gandhar
Komal Gandhar
Kamol Gandhar is a 1961 Bengali film written and directed by noted film maker Ritwik Ghatak...
(E Flat), Jukti Takko Aar Gappo
Jukti Takko Aar Gappo
Jukti Takko Aar Gappo is a 1974 Bengali film directed by Ritwik Ghatak....
(Reason, Debate and A Story), Titash Ekti Nadir Naam
Titash Ekti Nadir Naam
Titash Ekti Nadir Naam is a 1973 Bengali film directed by Ritwik Ghatak. The movie was based on a novel by the same name, written by Advaita Malla Burman. The movie explores the life of the fishermen on the bank of the Titash River in Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh.Rosy Samad, Golam Mostafa, Kabori,...
(A River Named Titash), Nagarik (The Citizen), Shwet Mayur (White Peacock), Yekhane Dariye (Where I Am Standing), Trisandhyay (Three Twilights), Notun Pata (New Leaf), Garam Hawa (Hot Winds), and Ajantrik (The Unmechanical) to name a few . He also directed music on documentaries on Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
and painter Jamini Roy
Jamini Roy
-Early life:Jamini Roy was born in 1887 into a middle-class family of land-owners in a village called Beliatore in the District of Bankura in Bengal .When he was sixteen he was sent to study at the Government School of Art in Calcutta...
, and was also a highly esteemed figure in the Indian film-music industries of Bombay and Calcutta .
He has extensively traveled Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
to perform Sarode recitals; and was an honorary delegate of India to the former USSR and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Teaching
Ustad Bahadur Khan was a highly sought-after musical guru, and a faculty member at the Ali Akbar College of MusicAli Akbar College of Music
The Ali Akbar College of Music is the name of three schools founded by Indian musician Ali Akbar Khan to teach Indian classical music. The first was founded in 1956 in Calcutta, India. The second was founded in 1967 in Berkeley, California, but moved to its current location in San Rafael,...
, in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA, where he taught Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
,. His eminent disciples include Bidyut Khan (son - Sarode player), Shahadat Hossain Khan (nephew - Sarode player), Tejendra Narayan Majumdar (student - Sarode player) , Kalyan Mukherjee (student - Sarode player), and Manoj Shankar (student - Sitar player) . All of them are acclaimed classical musicians who spread through their music the legacies of Ustad Bahadur Khan. Shahadat Hossain Khan has been awarded the Ekushey Padak
Ekushey Padak
Ekushey Padak is one of the highest civilian awards in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of the martyrs of the Language Movement of 1952 that took place on February 21, 1952.-2001:*Shah Abdul Karim...
, Bangladesh's highest civilian honour, for his contribution to classical music, in 1994 .
Every year, a one-day music festival takes place commemorating the death anniversary of the Ustad
Ustad
Ustad is an Arabized Persian word is a honorific title for a Muslim man in South Asia. The title precedes the name and is usually used for well regarded teachers and artists, most often musicians. It is applied and used via informal social agreement. It is abbreviated as ut. or ud.-References:*...
in Calcutta, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
(organized by "Ustad Bahadur Khan Music Circle"); whereas in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, his legacies are being spread among classical musicians by his followers (notably by Shahadat and other family members) through the "Ustad Ayet Ali Khan Sangeet Niketon" (Ustad Ayet Ali Khan Memorial School of Music), a music school in memory of Ustad Bahadur Khan's father the late Ustad Ayet Ali Khan, at their native village Shibpur.
Discography
- Ustad Bahadur Khan: Raga Ahir Bivash, Raga Dayabati; HMVHMVHis Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
& EMIEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, U.K. - Ustad Bahadur Khan: Raga Nat Bilawal, Raga Rageshri; Classic Collection, Atlantis Music, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
- http://www.sawf.org/audio/bilawal/bk_natbilawal.ram Listen to Raga Nat Bilawal from the South Asian Women's Forum, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, U.S.A. - Ustad Bahadur Khan: Raga Kausi Kahnara, Heritage; Bihaan Music, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...