Mobarak Hossain Khan is a music researcher, music expert and musician of repute. He plays '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...

', a string instrument, meant for classical music. He comes of the great family musicians of 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...

, which produces a galaxy of illustrious classical musicians like, Ustad (Maestro of Music) Dr. Alauddin Khan (his uncle), Ustad Ayet Ali Khan (his father), Ustad Dr. Ali Akbar Khan

Ali Akbar Khan

Ali Akbar Khan , often referred to as Khansahib or by the title Ustad , was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod...

 (his cousin), Srimati Annapurna Devi (his cousin), Pandit 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...

 (Annapurna's husband of first marriage), Ustad Abed Hossain Khan (his eldest brother), Ustad Bahadur Khan

Bahadur Khan

Ustad Bahadur Khan was a sarod player.-Early Life & Family:Ustad Bahadur Khan, a Bengali, was born on January 19, 1931 in Shibpur, Comilla, Bangladesh, , and died on October 3, 1989 in Calcutta, India...

 (his elder brother), Sheikh Sadi Khan (his younger brother), his other cousins Ustad Khadem Hossain Khan, Ustad Mir Kashem Khan, his nephews Ustad Phuljhuri Khan

Phuljhuri Khan

Ustad Phuljhuri Khan was a Tabla and Esraj Player from Bangladesh. He was also an accomplished Sanai, Sitar and Pakhawaj player. Commemorative Stamp on Ustad Phuljhuri Khan by Government of Bangladesh...

, Ustad Khurshid Khan, Ustad Shahadat Hossain Khan

Shahadat Hossain Khan

Ustad Shahadat Hossain Khan was born in Comilla, Bangladesh, on July 1958. He is the only son of Ustad Abed Hossain Khan. He comes of a family of great musicians of the sub-continent...

, Ustad Bidyut Khan

Bidyut Khan

Bidyut Khan is a Bengali Sarod player.-Family and early life:Khan is the elder son of sarod player Ustad Bahadur Khan. Other notable members of the family are his grandfather Ustad Ayet Ali Khan, Ustad Dr. Alauddin Khan , Ustad Dr...

, Ustad Kirit Khan

Kirit Khan

Ustad Kirit Khan was a talented Sitar player of the Indian subcontinent. He was born on 29 October 1955 in Comilla, Bangladesh and later settled in Kolkata, India. He comes of an internationally renowned illustrious family of musicians of Bangladesh, which produced a galaxy of famous classical...

, Reenat Fauzia

Reenat Fauzia

Born in 1967, Reenat Fauzia, a noted Sitarist, daughter of Mobarak Hossain Khan, a distinguished musicologist and litterateur, and a renowned Surbahar artiste, and Fauzia Khan, famous vocal artiste, comes of an internationally renowned family of musicians of Bangladesh...

 (his daughter) and many others. He is the third son of Ustad Ayet Ali Khan. His grandfather is Sabdar Hossain Khan (Sadu Khan), and other uncles include Samiruddin Khan, Fakir (Saint) Aftabuddin Khan, Ustad Nayeb Ali Khan.

Books

He has written more than 100 books, several of which are in English (published from India). His recent publications on music are:

Sangeetsadhak Abhidhan (Dictionary of Musicians).

Amar Sangeet Swajan (My Music Kindred).

Bangladesh Muslim Sangeetsadhak (Muslim Music Devotees of Bangladesh).

The three other books in English are:

Music and its study. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Limited, New Delhi, India. 1988.

Islamic Contribution to South Asia's Classical Music. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Limited, New Delhi, India. 1992).

Ustad Alauddin Khan: The Legend in Music (A Biography). Sterling Publishers Pvt. Limited, New Delhi, India. 2002.

Honours and Achievements

He has been honored with the highest two state awards of the Govt. of Bangladesh.

He has been decorated with the highest State Awards of the country, the 'Independence Day Award

Independence Day Award

The Independence Day Award , also termed Independence Award , is the highest state award given by the government of Bangladesh. Introduced in 1977, this award is bestowed upon Bangladeshi citizens or organizations in recognition of substantial contribution to one of many fields, including the War...

' (Shwadhinata Padak) in 1991 for his substantial contribution in Music.

He received 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...

in 1986 for his contribution in Music.

Among other notable awards is Bangla Academy Literary Award for his commendable contribution in the field of music in 2002.

He has also been adorned with quite a number of other awards including 'Nazrul Gold Medal', 'Moulana Akram Khan Gold Medal', 'Arish Dipankar Gold Medal' etc. to name a few.

Other publications

His article on 'Music of Bangladesh' has been published in the Swedish Encyclopedia. He has also contributed to the 'Banglapedia

Banglapedia

Banglapedia, or the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh, is the first Bangladeshi encyclopedia. It is available in print, CD-ROM format and online, in both Bangla and English. The print version comprises ten 500-page volumes...

' (the National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh) published by the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh

Asiatic Society of Bangladesh

The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh was established as the Asiatic Society of Pakistan in Dhaka in 1952. It was renamed as the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh in 1972. Ahmed Hasan Dani, a noted historian and archaeologist of Pakistan played an important role in founding this society. He was assisted by...

.

Career and Achievements

He is the former Director General of National Academy of Fine and Performing Arts (Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy) and former Chairman of Nazrul Institute named after the Poet-Laureate of Bangladesh Kazi Nazrul Islam

Kazi Nazrul Islam

Kazi Nazrul Islam , sobriquet Bidrohi Kobi, was a Bengali poet, musician and revolutionary who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression. His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi...

. He is also the President of the Bangladesh Chapter of International Council for Traditional Music

International Council for Traditional Music

The International Council for Traditional Music is a UNESCO-recognized NGO, an academic organization focused on musicology and dance research. Founded in London on September 22, 1947, it publishes the Yearbook for Traditional Music once a year, and a twice-yearly bulletin. Since 2005, its...

 (ICTM), the headquarters being in the U.S.A. and also the President of Ustad Ayet Ali Khan Academy of Music. He has served Radio Bangladesh and former Radio Pakistan for long 30 years. He is also the Secretary General of the International PEN

International PEN

PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....

 Bangladesh Chapter, headquarters being in London, U.K.

He has visited many countries including U.S.A, U. K. China, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, North Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain, Kuwait, Iran, India, Pakistan, and Australia as a leader of cultural delegation and also as an expert on Radio, Saarc, Unesco

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 as well as on Classical Music.

He, along with his wife Fauzia Khan, is currently involved in planning, research and hosting a popular TV Musical Program on NTV (Bangladesh)

NTV (Bangladesh)

NTV is a Bengali language satellite television channel based in Bangladesh. It started operation in 2003. It is one of the most popular Bengali TV channels in the country. In the anniversary of the channel, the founder expressed interest in creating NTV2 to satisfy the watchers further, however he...

, named 'Bajo ebong Bajao', which features Nazrul Sangeet with the sangat (co-performance) of Sitar

Sitar

The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...

, Sarod

Sarod

The sarod is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is the most popular and prominent instrument in the classical music of Hindustan...

, and other classical instruments.

Academics

He is a visiting lecturer of College of Music, Dhaka, Bangladesh, and associated with the Department of Drama and Music of Dhaka University and Rajshahi University.

He is an M. A. in History from Dhaka University.

External links

• Mobarak Hossain Khan in Sydney
• Review of Mobarak Hossain Khan's Book entitled 'Music and its study'; by Scott L. Marcus
• USTAD ALAUDDIN KHAN: Monarch in the realm of music Daily New Age
• Mobarak Hossain Khan: Official Home page
• Remembering the musical legend Ustad Alauddin Khan The Daily Star, September 8, 2004
• Ustad Mobarak Hossain Khan honored by Ekushe Academy Australia December 1, 2008
• Mobarak Hossain Khan honored in Sydney March 1, 2008
• SydneyBashi-Bangla.com
• Book: 'Ustad Alauddin Khan- The Legend in Music' by Mobarak Hossain Khan
• Author Particulars: Mobarak Hossain Khan

More information

• List of books of Mobarak Hossain Khan http://www.mobarakhossainkhan.com.