MUMBAI: The Indian music fraternity has organized a day long musical tribute to the late legendary Sarod player, Padmavibhushan Ustad Ali Akbar Khan in Mumbai at Shanmukhanand Sabha Auditorium on Saturday 11 th July 2009 from 7.30am – 11 p.m. Artistes from all over India representing different genres of Indian Music including veterans namely Dr. L. Subramanium (Violin), Ustad Rashid Khan (Hindustani Vocals), Anup Jalota (Bhajans) and young maestros namely Munawwar Masoom (Qawwali), Rakesh Chaurasia (Flute), Niladri Kumar (Sitar), Devaki Pandit (Hindustani vocal), Savani Shendye (Bhajans), Jayateerth Mevundi (Hindustani Vocals), Shashank (Carnatic flute), Shounak Abhisheki (Hindustani Vocals), Kavita Seth (Sufi), Ritesh & Rajneesh Mishra (Hindustani vocal), Jaswinder Singh (Ghazals), Ambi Subramaium (Carnatic -Violin) will come together to offer their musical tribute to the legendary sarod player. The entry to this concert is free and open to all music lovers.
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan passed away peacefully on June 18th at his home in San Anselmo, California was considered a “National Treasure” in India who was admired by both Eastern and Western musicians for his brilliant compositions and his mastery of the sarod. Ustad Ali Akbar Khan’s family traces its gharana to Mian Tansen, a 16th century musical genius and court musician of Emperor Akbar. Ali Akbar Khan’s father, the late Padma Vibhusan Acharya Dr. Allauddin Khan, was acknowledged as the greatest figure in North Indian music in this century. Born in 1922 in East Bengal, Ali Akbar Khan began his studies in music at the age of three. He studied vocal music from his father and drums from his uncle, Fakir Aftabuddin. His father also trained him on several other instruments, but decided finally that he must concentrate on the sarod and on vocal. For over twenty years, he trained and practiced 18 hours a day. After that, his father continued to teach Khan sahib until he was over 100 years old and left behind such a wealth of material that Khan sahib felt he is still learning new things from it. Khan sahib has continued his father’s tradition, that of the Sri Baba Allauddin Seni Gharana of Maihar and Rampur, India.
For those new, Ali Akbar Khan gave his first public performance in Allahabad at age 13. In his early twenties, he made his 1st recording in Lucknow for a label, and the next year, he became the court musician to the Jodhpur Maharaja. He worked there for 7 years until the Maharaja’s untimely death. The state of Jodhpur bestowed upon him his first title, that of Ustad. Many years later, he received the title of Hathi Saropao and Dowari Tajeem at the Jodhpur Palace’s Golden Jubilee Celebraton in 1993. At Lord Menuhin request, Khan sahib first visited the America in 1955 and performed an unprecedented concert at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He also made the 1st Western LP recording of Indian classical music and the first TV performance of Indian music on Allistair Cooke’s Omnibus, sowing the seed for the wave of popularity of Indian music in the 1960’s until date.
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This Tribute to Khan Sahib is a joint initiative of Durga Jarsaj & Vikram Shankar of Art & Artistes & Shri. Shashi Vyas of Pancham Nishad.
