Hemang Mehta - Mewati Gharana

Profile

Born on 16th October, Hemang Mehta comes from a family of Gujarati businessmen, steeped in culture, religion and music. Soothing strands of music fell on his ears from infancy, ever since he can remember. Inspiration came from the priceless music played around him of Padmabhushan Pandit Jasrajji. He received intense training from his Guru Sri Chandrashekhar Swamy under the strict guidance of Pandit Jasrajji as a result of day to day association with the maestro. Inspiration turned into ambition under the encouragement given by his parents. This ambition to reach the pinnacles of our rich musical heritage in turn, sparked off a burning desire to get high class training and untiring “riyaz” right from the tender age of nine .

Hemang’s family’s deep love for Indian music has allowed him to devote himself passionately in the pursuit of music as a career. Hemang’s music is an extension of his personality and philosophy viz. to reach out to God through singing, as he truly believes in ‘Naad Bramha’. This is why Hemang practices a very high degree of professional ethics.

A product of the time tested ‘Guru- Shishya Parampara’ but imaginative and creative enough to exploit the freedom within discipline, innovation within tradition, which is what our music is really about, this sincere young man strikes a most appealing balance between intellectual sensitivity and aesthetic creativity. Thus, he is most highly emotive and communicative.

Hemang excels in the high watermarks of the ‘Mewati Gharana’ such as ‘meend, layakari, kan-gayaki’ and proper bandish presentation. He has several awards to his credit such as the ‘Surmani’ award. He has performed widely in India as well as abroad, at prestigious festivals and has received a good press all over.

Training

It was Padmavibhushan Pandit Jasrajji's priceless music played around me that allowed me to eventually visualize devoting my life to music.I have been receiving training under Shri Chandrashekhar Swamy, a very senior exponent of the Mewati Gharana. Shri Chandrashekhar Swamy trained with Pandit Jasrajji from the 1960s to the 1980s. Chandrashekharji has performed at several prestigious festivals across India like the Tansen Sangeet Samaroh, Sawai Gandharva Sammelan.

I have been very fortunate to be training under him since the tender age of 8. Chandrashekharji stayed with us for two years when I was in my teens, during which I received intensive taalim. We would wake up everyday to start practice at 5 AM and our practice sessions would continue throughout the entire day, often until late at night. On certain mornings when I failed to get up at 5 AM, he was loving enough to wake me up to train. He was very patient with me during our lessons and would teach each intricate phrase several times until I was able to reproduce it. Through Chandrashekharji, I was able to imbibe the salient features of the Mewati Gharana, including Pandit Jasrajji's diverse repertoire of ragas. Chandrashekharji is an extremely affectionate Guru who has continued to mentor me during every stage of my musical journey.

My family has been extremely fortunate to be associated with Pujya Guruji Pt.Jasraj Ji for more than 30 years.It was Pujya Guruji who placed me in the very caring hands of Pt.Chandrashekhar Swami , to initiate me in this celestial art called Hindustani Sangeet.

Through the years while I was training with Chandrashekharji, I also received continued guidance from the maestro, Pandit Jasrajji. I have had many opportunities to accompany him in his performances both within India and abroad. He included me in all his training camps which would sometimes last for up to a month.

Once when I was 18, I was practicing at home in the late morning. Pandit Jasrajji visited our house at that time and advised me to practice music at 5 AM in the morning. Ever since, I made it a habit to wake up early at 5 AM to start my morning riaz.

Performance (Concert)

Harvallabh Sangeet Samaroh, Jullandur 2000, 2009
Sawai Gandharva Sangeet Mahotsav, Kundgol 2002
Sangeet Kala Manch, Pune 2003
Deval Club Kolhapur 2004
Ganvardhan Pune 2005
Dadar Matunga Cultural centre Mumbai 2007
Pt.Jitendra Abhisheki Mahotsav Panjim 2007
Mewati Gharana Sammelan, Bhopal
Baithak, New Delhi
Swar Vilas, Vadodra
Nrityagram's Vasanthabba, Bangalore
Swar Sangam, Surat
Motiram Sangeet Natak Academy, hyderabad
Jhankar Music circle, Kolkotta
Swaranjali, Gulbarga
Pune Festival Sept.2008
Concerts Abroad

Milap Festival England
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan England ( As a Music Teacher At Summer School 2000-01)
Lotus Festival, New York, Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto etc.
Series Of Concerts In USA and Canada
Upcoming Tour Canada-USA July-Sept.2010


Vandana Somaia Performing Raag Malkosh With Hemang Mehta (November 12th 2009)


Website : http://www.hemangmehta.org/

Contact
Name/Address

Hemang Mehta
703 Oriole
Nyati Enclave
Mohamad Wadi,Hadapsar, Pune - 411028
Maharashtra, India


E-mail
mehtahemang@hotmail.com
hemangmehtavocal@gmail.com


Phone/Fax
Tel: +91 20 26802364
Mobile:- +91 9892376806

UDAT ABEER GULAL - Holi Special classical music program

Udatha Abil Gulal - Holi Special classical music program

Artist : Dhanashree Pandit, hemang mehta, Dr Stanley Scott, Narayan Mani,snehal Muzoomdar

अब्बाजींच्या नंतरची पिढी

दिवंगत तबलानवाज्म उस्ताद अल्लारखा हे आजचे विख्यात तबलावादक उस्ताद झाकीर हुसेन यांचे गुरू आणि वडीलही. त्यांच्या बरसीचा (पुण्यतिथी) उपक्रम ताल धरूनच साजरा व्हावा, यासाठी ‘अब्बाजी की बरसी’ हा उपक्रम झाकीर यांनी सुरू केला, त्याच्या तपपूर्तीचं- बारावं वर्ष यंदा आहे. झाकीर यांच्याकडे अब्बाजींच्या आठवणी आहेत ,पण ते नसतानाच्या १२ वर्षांत ‘बरसी’बरोबर एक पिढी
वाढत जाताना झाकीरना दिसली आहे.. या दोन्हीबद्दल सांगताहेत स्वत: उस्ताद!
अब्बाजींच्या बरसीचं हे बारावं वर्ष आहे. बारा र्वष कशी निघून गेली अजूनही कळत नाही. पहिल्यांदा केलेली बरसी अजूनही आठवतेय. त्यावेळी आपण हे केवळ पहिल्या वर्षीच करणार आहोत, असं डोक्यात होतं. त्यानंतर देवाच्या कृपेने मी जिवंत असलो, तर शंभरावे वर्ष दणक्यात करायचे ठरवले होते. पण नियतीच्या मनात काही वेगळेच होते. पहिल्याच वर्षी आम्हाला खूपच चांगला अनुभव आला. सुरांनी वेडावलेल्या हजारो लोकांचा खूपच चांगला प्रतिसाद मिळाला. मला अजूनही आठवतं पहिल्या वर्षी एनसीपीएमध्ये आम्ही हा कार्यक्रम केला त्यावेळी सकाळी सकाळी सुरेश तळवलकर, नयन घोष, भाई गायतोंडे, अरविंद मुळगांवकर, असे एकापेक्षा एक दिग्गज तबलावादक आणि त्यांचे शिष्य अशा शंभर तालवादकांनी अब्बाजींना श्रद्धांजली वाहिली होती. त्यानंतर पंडित शिवकुमार शर्मा, किशोरीताई यांनी स्वरांचं झाड उभं केलं होतं. दुपारी अब्बाजींवर, तालवाद्यांवर असे वेगवेगळे माहितीपट दाखवले होते. आणि संध्याकाळी काळा घोडा परिसरात आम्ही सर्व कलाकारांनी एकत्र येत बहार उडवून दिली होती. त्या घटनेला आता बारा र्वष होतील, पण त्यावेळचा माहोल अजूनही मनात घर करून आहे.
ते र्वष सरल्यानंतर पुढल्या वर्षी असं काही करायचं आहे, हे डोक्यातच नव्हतं. पण नोव्हेंबरअखेरीस मला फोन यायला लागले. गेल्यावर्षीसारखं यावर्षीही तुम्ही काही करणार असाल, तर आम्हाला त्यात आमची कला सादर करायला आवडेल, असं अनेक कलाकारांनी समोरूनच सांगितलं आणि त्यावर्षीही आम्ही षण्मुखानंद सभागृहात अब्बाजींची बरसी केली. तेव्हापासून सूर-तालाचा हा सिलसिला चालूच आहे.
अब्बाजींच्या बरसीचा विचार केला की, मला एक मैफल राहून राहून आठवते. ती मैफल आजही माझ्या मनात ताजीतवानी आहे. १९८३-८४च्या सुमाराची गोष्ट आहे. त्यावेळी मैफिलींना वेळेची मर्यादा नव्हती. त्यामुळे रात्रभर कलाकार आणि रसिकांचं हितगूज चालायचं. मला आठवतंय सेंट झेविअर्स महाविद्यालयात पंडित रविशंकरजींची मैफल होती. त्या मैफिलीला अब्बाजी संगत करणार होते. पण आयत्यावेळी त्यांनी मला तबल्यावर बसवलं आणि स्वत प्रेक्षकांमध्ये अगदी पुढल्या रांगेत जाऊन बसले.
रविजींनी सुरुवात केली, त्यावेळी उत्तररात्रीचे तीन वाजले होते. हळूहळू रंग भरायला सुरुवात झाली आणि पहाटेच्या सुमारास पहिला तुकडा संपवत असताना एक माणूस लगबगीने अब्बाजींजवळ गेला आणि त्याने त्यांच्या कानात काहीतरी सांगितलं. अब्बाजी आपल्या खुर्चीवर ताड्कन उडाले. त्यांनी इकडेतिकडे पाहण्यास सुरुवात केली. तो माणूस सूत्रसंचालकाच्या जवळ गेला आणि त्याने त्याच्याही कानात काहीतरी सांगितलं. सूत्रसंचालकही एकदम ‘सावधान’ झाला. मंचावरून हे सगळं पाहताना, नेमकं काय घडलं असावं, हा विचार सतत डोक्यात येत होता. पहिला तुकडा संपल्यानंतर निवेदक रविजींकडे आला आणि त्यांच्याही कानात तीच गोष्ट सांगितली. रविजींनी आपले डोळे मोठे करत एक छानसं हास्य केलं. आपल्या हातात माईक घेत त्यांनी संपूर्ण मैफिलीला ती बातमी ऐकवली. ते म्हणाले, ‘आजची वर्तमानपत्रं नुकतीच आली आहेत आणि त्यातील बातमीनुसार उस्ताद झाकीर हुसेन’, विचार करा, रविजींनी पहिल्यांदा मला उस्ताद म्हटलं होतं, ‘उस्ताद झाकीर हुसेन यांना नुकताच पद्मश्री पुरस्कार मिळाला आहे.’
मला काही सुचतच नव्हतं. मी अब्बाजींकडे पाहिलं, तेव्हा त्यांच्या डोळ्यांत पाणी होतं. अब्बाजी धावतच स्टेजवर आले आणि मला मिठी मारली. त्यांनी स्वत मला हार घालून माझा सत्कार केला. त्या मैफिलीत संगीत किंवा माझं वाजवणं तसं दुय्यमच होतं. पण ती मैफल माझ्या मनात ताजीतवानी राहिली आहे, ती अब्बाजींच्या किंवा माझ्या गुरूंच्या चेहऱ्यावरील समाधानामुळे! आपल्या शिष्याने, मुलाने आपल्याला गुरुदक्षिणाच दिली आहे, असे भाव त्यांच्या चेहऱ्यावर होते. ही मैफल, तिच्या आठवणी मी माझ्याबरोबर घेऊन जाणार आहे.
अब्बाजींच्या बरसीच्या निमित्ताने मला या मैफिलीची नेहमीच आठवण होते. हा कार्यक्रम म्हणजे माझ्या वडिलांना श्रद्धांजली अर्पण करण्यापेक्षाही आम्ही संगीतकारांनी एकत्र येऊन संगीताचे मानलेले आभार आहेत. भारतीय शास्त्रीय संगीत या एका गोष्टीशी आमची नाळ जोडलेली आहे.
खूप आधीपासूनच राजकारण आणि धर्म यावरून सतत झगडा सुरू असतो. पण हा झगडा थांबवण्यासाठी संगीतासारखे प्रभावी माध्यम नाही. तांडवच्या ‘ता’मधून आणि लास्यच्या ‘ल’मधून ताल साकारला. भगवान शंकराच्या डमरूचा आवाज श्री गणेशाने बोलात मांडला तो तबला! अब्बाजी नेहमी म्हणत की मी सरस्वतीचा पुजारी आहे. यात धर्माचा काहीच भाग नाही. धर्माचा विचार केला, तर ते सहिष्णू मुसलमान होते. पण संगीत ही त्यांची पूजा होती. आमच्यात एक रिवाज असतो. बाळाला जन्मानंतर घरी आणतात तेव्हा वडील बाळाच्या कानात अजान देतात. मला अब्बाजींनी जवळ घेऊन माझ्या कानात तबल्याचे बोल वाचले होते. माझी अम्मी नाराज झाली, त्यावेळी अब्बाजींनी तिची समजूत काढताना तिला सांगितले होते की, ‘तबल्याचे बोल हीच माझी अजान आहे.’ त्यामुळे आम्हा कलाकारांसाठी संगीतच एक धर्म आहे.
आयुष्यभर मी तबल्याचा प्रचार केला. पण प्रचार करावा, म्हणून कधीच तबला वाजवला नाही. तबल्यावर प्रेम होते म्हणूनच ते झाले. आज जगभरात एवढा मानसन्मान मिळतो तेव्हा या तबल्याचे आणि संगीताचे केवढे आभार मानावेत, हेदेखील कळत नाही. पण आज विजय घाटे, रामदास पळसुले, योगेश शमसी, सत्यजित तळवलकर, केदार पंडित, सावनी तळवलकर, आदित्य कल्याणपूर, अनुराधा पाल, प्रफुल्ल आठले, शुभंकर बॅनर्जी, अनिंदो चतर्जी, राशिद मुस्तफा, अक्रम खान असे एकापेक्षा एक सरस तबलावादक ऐकले की तरुण झाल्यासारखे वाटते. माझ्या मते भारतीय शास्त्रीय संगीताचा सुवर्णकाळ आता सुरू आहे. आपल्याकडे जयतीर्थ मेवुंडी, आरती अंकलीकर, अश्विनी भिडे, श्रुती सडोलीकर, राहुल देशपांडे, महेश काळे असे एकापेक्षा एक सरस कलाकार आहेत.
माझ्या मते, शास्त्रीय संगीताची ही बेंचस्ट्रेंथ आपल्या क्रिकेट टीमच्या बेंचस्ट्रेंथपेक्षाही चांगली आहे. पूर्वी काही मोजकीच नावे होती. पण आजच्या तरुणांमध्ये प्रचंड ऊर्जा आहे. त्याचबरोबर इंटरनेट, यू-टय़ुबमुळे संगीताच्या माहितीचे मोठे ज्ञानभांडार त्यांना खुले झाले आहे. याचा वापर ते उत्तमरीत्या करतात. त्यामुळे आजच्या १५ वर्षांच्या कलाकाराच्या जाणिवा आणि मी १५ वर्षांचा असतानाच्या माझ्या जाणिवा यात महद्अंतर आहे. त्याशिवाय त्यांच्यापैकी कोणी माझ्याबरोबर वाजवायला बसतो त्यावेळी माझा तीस वर्षांचा अनुभव हा त्यांच्या गाठीशी आधीच असतो. त्यात ते त्यांच्या अनुभवांची भर घालत असतात. संगीताचा हा नंदादीप असाच तेवत राहो..
याउपर काय बोलणार!

U. Srinivas

Uppalapu Shrinivas (Telugu: ఉప్పలపు శ్రీనివాస్), (born February 28, 1969) is an Indian mandolin player of the Carnatic musical tradition of Southern India. Shrinivas plays an electric mandolin and has collaborated with John McLaughlin, Michael Nyman, and Michael Brook. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1998 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2010

Early life

Shrinivas was born February 28, 1969, in Palakol in Andhra Pradesh. At the age of six he picked up his father Satyanarayana's mandolin. Upon realising the talent of his son, his father started teaching him. Soon, Satyanarayana's guru, Rudraraju Subbaraju, realized the potential of U. Shrinivas and started teaching him. Since Rudraraju Subbaraju did not know how to play the mandolin he would just sing and U. Shrinivas would play it on the mandolin. His brother U. Rajesh is also an accomplished mandolin player.

Performing career

U. Shrinivas made his first public Carnatic concert performance in 1978 in Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh, during the Thyagaraja Aradhana festival. Soon, he came to perform in the Madras Music Season in 1981 for the Indian Fine Arts Society. In 1983, he performed at the JazzFest Berlin where the audience requested him to do a repeat performance.
He continued touring the world, Australia, Southeast Asia and then Southwest Asia, followed by the United States and Canada.

Jazz tours

Shrinivas performing in Germany, 2001
In the West Berlin Jazz Festival in 1983, he pitted against Miles Davis and his All Star Band.
In 1987, U. Shrinivas became the first South Indian Carnatic music artist to perform at the Cevantino Festival in Mexico.
Olympics Arts Festival at Barcelona, 1992

Awards and achievements

U. Shrinivas runs a music school called the Shrinivas Institute of World Music (SIOWM).
Some of the awards that Mandolin U. Srinivas has received:
Padma Shree on April 12, 1998 by The President of India
Sangeeta Ratna
Sanatan Sangeet Puraskar from Sangeet Sanskriti
Titled Asthana Vidwan of Govt. of Tamil Nadu in July 1984, Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam on October 1, 1990, Pillayarpatti Temple on 27 August 1995
Raja-Lakshmi Award for 1985 from Sri Raja-Lakshmi Foundation, Chennai
Mysore T. Chowdiah Memorial National Award
Sangeetha Bala Bhaskara by Sangeetha Kalanidhi M.S. Subbulakshmi
National Citizen's Award, 1991 by The President of India
Special TTK Award and Best Artist Award by the Madras Music Academy in 1983 and 1993 respectively
Rajiv Gandhi National Integration Award

Discography

Shrinivas has performed with Western artists such as John McLaughlin, Michael Brook, Trey Gunn, Nigel Kennedy, Nana Vasconcelos, and Michael Nyman, as well as with Hindustani music artists such as Hariprasad Chaurasia and Zakir Hussain. He has recorded a CD of Carnatic compositions by Ilaiyaraaja called Ilaiyaraaja's Classics in Mandolin. Recently, U Shrinivas also released Samjanitha featuring Debashish Bhattacharya (Lap Steel Guitar), John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Sivamani, Vikku Vinaykram, Dominique Piazza George Brook, U Rajesh, Anil Srinivasan and others.

Kadri Gopalnath

Dr. Kadri Gopalnath (Tulu: ಕದ್ರಿ ಗೋಪಾಲನಾಥ್) (born 11 December 1949) is an Indian saxophonist and one of the pioneers of Carnatic music on the saxophone.

Early life

Kadri Gopalnath was born in 1950 in the city of Mangalore to Thaniappa and Gangamma.He acquired a taste for music from his father Thaniappa, a nadaswaram vidwan. As a child, Gopalnath once saw the saxophone being played in the Mysore palace band set. Upon hearing the vibrant tone of the saxophone, Gopalnath decided to master it. It took him nearly 20 years to conquer the complex western wind instrument, and he was eventually crowned as the "Saxophone Chakravarthy".

Career

Gopalnath had to make certain modifications to the conventional alto saxophone to play Carnatic music. So successful has this adaptation been that the great musician Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, the doyen of Carnatic music, has acknowledged Kadri Gopalnath as a true Carnatic music genius.
Gopalnath learned to play the instrument under Gopalkrishna Iyer of Kalaniketana, Mangalore. In Madras, Gopalnath came in contact with the mridangist T.V. Gopalkrishnan, who identified the youngster's potential and tutored him.
His maiden performance was for the Chembai Memorial Trust. The 1980 Bombay Jazz Festival was a turning point for Gopalnath. John Handy, a jazz musician from California was present at the festival. Hearing Gopalnath play, Handy asked if he could go on stage and perform alongside with him. So well did the two mesh, Handy in the jazz style and Gopalnath in the Carnatic style, that it became an instant hit with the audience. Gopalnath has participated in the Jazz Festival in Prague, the Berlin Jazz Festival, the International Cervantino Festival in Mexico, the Music Hall Festival in Paris, the BBC Promenade concert in 1994 at London, and has toured all over the world.
He has cut many albums and has recorded a number of cassettes and CDs. Together with jazz flautist James Newton, he recorded Southern Brothers. His production called 'East-West' is an audio-video presentation that, as the title suggests, is a fusion of Western and Indian music. This album took 6 months to produce and has compositions from Saint Tyagaraja, Beethoven and the likes.
Film director K. Balachander used Gopalnath's services in his Tamil film Duet. The film had music composed by A.R. Rahman and all the songs had saxophonic instrumentation by Gopalnath, mostly in raga Kalyana Vasantam. He once said about this album: : "I played some 30 ragas for Rahman. He wasn't satisfied. Finally I played Kalyana Vasantam, and he said, "Thats it!". After that movie I became known. I was in all the papers. It became difficult to travel in buses and trains. Of course I enjoyed the mass appeal."
In 2005, Gopalnath began a collaboration with American saxophonist and composer Rudresh Mahanthappa, which resulted in the 2008 album Kinsmen (Pi Recordings) and supporting US tour.

Awards, titles and tributes

Titles and honors have come his way, the most cherished being the Asthana Vidwan of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Pettam, Sri Sringeri Sharadha Peetam, Sri Ahobila Mutt and Sri Pillayapatti Temple. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2004.
Gopalnath has the distinction of being the first Carnatic musician to be invited in the BBC Promenade concert in 1994, in the Royal Albert Hall at London. The Asian Music Circuit, U.K, sponsored his recital.
Among his other distinctions are: Saxophone Charkravarthy, Saxophone Samrat, Ganakala Shree, Nadapasana Brahma, Sunada Prakashika, Nada Kalarathna, Nada Kalanidhi, Sangeetha Vadya Rathna, Karnataka Kalashree in 1996, Vocational Excellency Award from the Rotary of Madras, Tamil Nadu State Award "Kalaimamani" and Karnataka Rajyotsava Award in 1998.
He received an honorary doctorate from Bangalore University in 2004.

The 2008 album Blue Rhizome by the New Quartet features a tribute to the saxophonist called "Gopalnath" (composed by Karl E. H. Seigfried).


Website : http://www.kadrigopalnath.com

Endaro Mahanubavulu Kadari Gopalnath Carnatic Fusion

The Godfather of Indian Classical Music: Allauddin Khan

It was a noon time. A poor man was trying to sell his sub standard music drums called as Dafli which are played with the help of hands. He was merely successful in doing go. Along with him were sitting his poor children waiting for a customer; if he buys the drum they are going to get the food. Suddenly a man comes to the man. Not bearing the pain of the poor condition, he just lifts up one of those drums and starts playing them. Within a moment, the whole crowd is enchanted by that magical rhythm played on those very ordinary drums. For the entire time, people are out of their senses. The performance is over. People within a moment, hypnotized by that divine music, take out whatever they find in their pockets and put it in front of the man. That man collects all that money, hands it over to the owner of the drums and without speaking a single word, leaves the place.

This soft hearted and India’s most loved and most respected musician was,Ustad Allauddin Khan. What we call as divine music is the music of Allauddin Khan. Allauddin Khan with a lot of efforts was accepted as a disciple by famous Veena player Ustaad Wazir Khan of Rampur. He was court musician to the Maharaja Of Maihar Estate.

Ustaad Allauddin Khan unlike other musicians, never practiced music as an profession. He was completely absorbed in music or rather music had absorbed him completely. He had reached the highest peaks and also the deepest and most subtle roots of the music. Allauddin Khan was a Sarod player, but he could play any instrument with so much mastery that anybody would think that this man must have wasted his whole life in playing that instrument. He could play all sort of instruments with equal ease and equal command.

As a musician he was the most successful; but as a Guru or Music master also, no one will deny the fact that he was most successful. He was father and Guru of world famous Sarod player and one of the finest musician of this country, Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan and very divine SurBahar player, Shrimati Annapurna Devi (Pt.Hariprasad Chaurasia is a pupil of Annapurna Ji). Many of the most successful musicians like Sitar player Pt. Ravishankar, Sarod player Pt. Nikhil Banerjee, flautist Pt. Pannalal Ghosh were his disciples. If we consider producing a chain of worthy disciples as a success, no one is as successful as Ustaad Allauddin Khan.

Another big contribution of Ustaad Allauddin Khan to the world of music is world famous Maihar Band. This band was Started By Allauddin Khan by training orphan and disabled people.He himself taught them various instruments and took the band to very high reputes.

Along with the musician, Allauddin khan was a very spiritual person. Greatest musicians of those times and also today’s music lovers, with love and respect call him Baba, which means father. He was also one of those rare musicians who explored themselves through music. He was equally in love of all religions and also always absorbed in the godliness. Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, also known as Osho was very much interested in Baba Allauddin Khan and used to visit him frequently. When Osho was asked that if he knew any musician who had attained enlightenment through music, Osho answered that it was only Baba who had realized the self through his music. As Osho says, while playing the Saord, Baba got his enlightenment. As at that time Allauddin Khan was above 100 years old, his delicate and fragile body could not bear that load, and Allauddin Khan left his body at the very moment.

This essence of his divine search can be felt in the music of Baba Allauddin Khan and it is a real mystical experience to listen to his music.


This article by Mandar Karanjkar

Allauddin Khan

Allauddin Khan (Urdu: علا الدین خان Bangla: ওস্তাদ আলাউদ্দীন খ়ান, also known as Baba Allauddin Khan) (ca. 1881 – 6 September 1972), was a Bengali sarodiya and multi-instrumentalist, composer and one of the most renowned music teachers of the 20th Century in Indian classical music.

In 1935, he toured Europe, along with Uday Shankar's ballet troupe, and later also worked at his institute, 'Uday Shankar India Culture Centre' at Almora for a while.[5] During his lifetime, he composed several ragas and laid the foundation of a modern Maihar gharana. Amongst his recording which are rare, the most important ones are those he recorded with the All India Radio in 1959-60.

He was the father of sarod maestro Ali Akbar Khan and Annapurna Devi, and the uncle of Raja Hossain Khan, as well as the guru of Ravi Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee, Vasant Rai, Pannalal Ghosh, Bahadur Khan, Sharan Rani and other influential musicians. He himself was a disciple of many great musicians, including Gopal Chandra Banerjee, Lobo, Munne Khan, and most importantly after a lot of struggle managed to become a shagird of the legendary Veena player, Wazir Khan of Rampur.

He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour in 1971, and prior to that in 1954, the Sangeet Natak Akademi awarded him with its highest honour, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime contribution to Indian music.

Early life and background

Allauddin Khan was born in Shibpur village in greater Comilla (now in Bangladesh), the son of Sabdar Hossain Khan, also known as Sadhu Khan. Allauddin's elder brother, Fakir Aftabuddin, first taught him the basics of music at home.
At the age of ten, Allauddin ran away from home to join a jatra band, a traditional Bengali form of theater. This experience exposed him to the rich folk tradition of Bengal. After some time, he went to Kolkata, and was accepted as a student by singer Gopal Krishna Bhattacharya, alias Nulo Gopal. Allauddin committed to a 12-year practice program; However, Nulo Gopal died of plague after the seventh year. Khan then became a disciple of Amritalal Dutt, a close relative of Swami Vivekananda and music director at Kolkata's Star Theatre, with the goal of becoming an instrumentalist. At this time, he also took lessons in European classical violin from Lobo, a bandmaster from Goa.

Sarod career

Khan got interested in sarod after a concert at Jagat Kishore Acharya's, zamindar of Muktagachha, where he listened to Ahmed Ali Khan, a student of Asghar Ali Khan (Amjad Ali Khan's granduncle). Alauddin became his student, and studied the sarod under him for five years. His next step was to go to Rampur for lessons from Wazir Khan Beenkar, court musician of the Nawab there, and one of the last direct descendants of the legendary Tansen. Through him, Alauddin was given access to the Senia gharana (Tansen school of music). He later became the court musician of Brijnath Singh Maharaja of Maihar Estate in Central Province.

Maihar Gharana

During his time as a court musician, Khan completely reshaped the Maihar gharana of Indian classical music. The Maihar gharana was established in the 19th Century, but Khan's contribution was so fundamental that he is often thought to be its creator. This was a period of rapid change for Hindustani instrumental music, thanks not least to Khan, who infused the beenbaj and dhrupad ang, previously known from the been, surbahar (bass sitar) and sur-sringar (bass sarod), into the playing of many classical instruments.
For though he gave concerts on the sarod, Allauddin played many instruments, something that shaped his pedagogy. He put together an orchestra with Indian instruments, the String Band now known as Maihar Band, and while his son, Ali Akbar Khan, was taught the sarod, his daughter Annapurna Devi (Roshanara Khan) learned the surbahar, students such as Ravi Shankar and Nikhil Banerjee played the sitar, Rabin Ghosh played on violin and Baijnath Singh and Pannalal Ghosh the bansuri bamboo flute. Baijnath Singh was first and Vasant Rai was Allauddin Khans last student. Of course Ravi and Ali Akbar Khan were to be very famous and spread this gharana over the world – something that Allauddin himself had started when, in 1935–1936, he went on an international tour with Uday Shankar's dance troupe.
Allauddin stayed at Maihar from 1918 to his death. In 1955, he established a Maihar College of Music. He was given the Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 1952, and the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan – India's third and second highest civilian decorations – in 1958 and 1971, respectively.
Personal life

Anecdotes about Khan range from throwing a tabla tuning hammer at the Maharaja himself to taking care of disabled beggars. (Nikhil Banerjee said that the tough image was "deliberately projected in order not to allow any liberty to the disciple. He always had the tension that soft treatment on his part would only spoil them".)

A few years before the turn of the century, he married Madanmanjari Devi (1888–?). He had one son and sarod heir, Ali Akbar Khan, and three daughters, Sharija, Jehanara and Annapurna who grew up as Roshanara Khan. Sharija died an early death suffering from diseases in her childhood and when Jahanara got married and a jealous mother-in-law burnt her tanpura, a shocked Alauddin Khan decided not to train his only remaining daughter. One day, however, he came home to discover Annapurna teaching her brother Ali Akbar Khan, and her talent made the emotional father change his mind. Annapurna learned classical vocal music, Sitar, and Surbahar from her father. She later married and divorced Ravi Shankar.

Ragas created by Allauddin Khan

Khan was fond of sankeerna (compound) ragas, and created many ragas of his own, including Arjun, Bhagabati, Bhim, Bhuvaneshvari, Chandika, Dhabalashri, Dhankosh, Dipika, Durgeshvari, Gandhi, Gandhi Bilawal, Haimanti, Hem-Behag, Hemant, Hemant Bhairav, Imni Manjh, Jaunpuri Todi, Kedar Manjh, Komal Bhimpalasi, Komal Marwa, Madanmanjari, Madhabsri, Madhavgiri, Malaya, Manjh Khamaj, Meghbahar, Muhammed, Nat-Khamaj, Prabhakali, Raj Bijoy, Rajeshri, Shobhavati, Subhabati, Sugandha and Surasati. Many of these have not become common Maihar repertoire; Manjh Khamaj is perhaps the best known. Some of Allauddin's recordings have been released on CD, on the Great Garanas: Maihar compilation in RPG/EMI's Chairman's Choice series.

Films

Raga (1971). Directed by Howard Worth.

BABA ALLAUDDIN KHAN-raag jaijaiwanti on sarod

BABA - documentary