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Ali Akbar Khan
The well known musician who was considered as the master of Indian musical field is Ali Akbar Khan (14April 1922- 18 June 2009) who was devoted his precious time in the field of music. He was commonly known as the Ustad (master) in classical Music in playing the sarod. After a continuous training, Khan had given his performance which was the debut performance in the year 1936 when he was near about 13 years old. In the year of 1939 in December he had given his second performance on playing the sarod with Ravi Shankar. This duet performancehas remarked a great history in classical music because of jugalbandis created by two great musicians. Khan had also given his performance in All India Radio in Bombay in the year 1938 by the famous tabla wadak Alla Rakha. Later on he continued giving his performance on AIR,Lucknow from the year 1940. Accompanied with the Shankar, Khan had left for Maihar for their career but later on Shankar moved to Bombay and Khan was honored being the director of music on AIR, Lucknow. He engulfed with responsibility to give the solo performance and organizing the orchestra for radio.
Khan has performed mainly in the west part of the country. In order to spread the knowledge of classical music, he opened a music school o his own name in the year 1956 in Calcutta. Then he decided to spread the knowledge of classical music in foreign countries too. He opened a music school in Berkeley n the year 1967 and opened another branch in California too. He was awarded with the title to be the first Indian to launch LP album on classical music.
Khan is also known for his jugalbandis wit the various musicians like Ravi Shankar, Vilayat Khan Etc. He has given his performance for Bangladesh concert too in the year 1971. Being having belongings to the Maihar Gharana, Khan is known as the teacher in the west part of the country
Allaudin Khan, his father played a very important role in the success of Ali AKbar Khan to be the best Musician and even the best Instrumentalist in the Indian classical music. Khan was nominated for the most important award (Grammy Award) 5 times in the year 1989 he was awarded with Padma Vibhushan award too.
Biography
Ali Akbar Khan had taken birth in the small district of East Bengal which was commonly known by the name of Shivpur district in the year 14 April, 1922. At the age of three, he started his learning and playing of music. His father Allaudin Khan, late Padma Vibhushan Acharya was his first teacher who taught him the every concept of Indian classical music. Allaudin Khan was one of the inspiring faces of his time in the part of North India. Allaudin khan played a vital role in inspiring and attracting a many faces towards the Indian classical by acting both as a teacher and the great musician.
Ali Akbar Khan belongs to the family who followed a rich tradition of Indian classical music over a many years mainly say from 4000 years. Their music customs were generally based on the principles of Rag (melody) and Taal (rhythm).
Allauddin Khan was also considered as the master of western and African instruments during his Career time. Till the 1972, a death date of Dr. Allaudin Khan, he continued his responsibility of teaching his son, the every concept of classical music and even with his son he also teaches his other children and also to the other musicians who wished to learn from him. Some of the musicians who wish to learn from him were sitarist Ravi Shankar, flautist Pannalal Ghosh and many more. Ali Akbar Khan used to spend near about 18 hours in a day for his riyaz from the age of three. Ali Khan stated a statement on an interview with V.S Rao that ‘’ He started learning music same as the child starts learning language’’ which states that he was not so much keen to learn music but he learns it like language for him. Ali Khan started his musical learning with the instruments like Sarod, Sitar, Sursingar etc. Later, after his learning from his father he also took learning from his sister Jehanara and from his uncle Aftabuddin too. As per his father wishes, he mainly focus on the learning of Sarod. He married for a three times from which he got seven sons and three daughters.
Career
Ali Akbar Khan, after a long time of struggle and his riyaz, he gave his first musical performance at the age of 13 in 1936 in the music conference which was held in Allahabad. After a period of three years, mainly say in the year of 1939 he gave his second performance which was a debut performance on the same conference with the famous musician Ravi Shankar on the Sarod. It was the first jugalbandis between the two great musicians which remarked a great achievement. Ali Akbar Khan started his achievement by giving a multiple of performance. He gave his performance on All India Radio at Bombay in the year of 1938 with the help of the famous tabla wadak Alla Rakha and then he started giving his performance in AIR in Lucknow on a monthly basis from the year 1940. He started his career as musician from Maihar accompanied by Shankar in the year of 1944. After Khan was honoured been as the youngest music director for AIR, Lucknow and Shankar was left for the Bombay. Ali Khan started giving his solo performances and even composing the orchestra for the radio events.
Another achievement for the Ali Khan was that he was appointed as a musician in the court of Hanwat Singh Maharaja of the Jodhpur kingdom. Maharaja had given him the title of Ustad for the music composed by him to present it in the court of maharaja. Ali Akbar Khan was moved to Bombay after the death of Maharaja of Jodhpur in a plane crash in 1948.
In order to spread the importance of Indian classical music, Khan had opened a music college in Calcutta in the year of 1956 on his own name. Not only in India, he also wanted to spread the knowledge of Indian classical music in foreign countries too. He had opened a music college of the same name in Berkeley, California in the year of 1967. In the year of 1969, Khan had given his performance in Boston with Shankar Ghosh. Ali Akbar Khan was also awarded with the title to be the first Indian to launch an LP album in the United States of America for spreading the knowledge of Indian classical music and with that he also played Sarod for television of America.
Khan has been also known for his jugalbandis with the top most musicians such as Ravi Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee etc. He also performed for Bangladesh for their concert in Madison Square Garden in the year 1971.
Awards
In the year of 1989, Khan was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan Award which is honourable award among the other awards. He was also called for a MacArthur Fellowship in the year of 1991. In the field of Arts, Khan was also been awarded with the United Nation honor National Heritage Fellowship that is National Endowment for Art in the year 1997. He has also nominated two times for Grammy award.
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