He was all of 6 years old, when Amjad Ali Khan gave
his first recital of Sarod. It was the beginning of
yet another glorious chapter in the history of Indian
classical music. Taught by his father Haafiz Ali Khan,
a musician to the royal family of Gwalior, Amjad Ali
Khan was born to the illustrious Bangash lineage rooted
in the Senia Bangash School of music. Today he shoulders
the sixth generation inheritance of this legendary
lineage.
After his debut, the career graph of this musical
legend took the speed of light, and on its way the
Indian classical music scene was witness to regular
and scintillating bursts of Raga supernovas. And thus,
the
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world saw the Sarod being given a new and yet timeless
interpretation by Amjad Ali Khan. Khan is one of the
few maestros who consider his audience to be the soul
of his motivation.
As he once said, "There is no essential difference
between classical and popular music. Music is music.
I want to communicate with the listener who finds
Indian classical music remote."
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He has performed at the WOMAD Festival in Adelaide
and New Plymouth, Taranaki in New Zealand, WOMAD Rivermead
Festival in UK, Edinburgh Music Festival, World Beat
Festival in Brisbane, Summer Arts Festival in Seattle,
BBC Proms, International Poets Festival in Rome, Shiraz
Festival, UNESCO, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Adelaide
Music Festival, 1200 Years celebration of Frankfurt
and Schonbrunn in Vienna.
In the matter of awards, Amjad Ali Khan has the privilege
of winning the kind of honours and citations at his
relatively young age, which, for many other artistes
would have taken a lifetime. He is a recipient of
the UNESCO Award, Padma Vibhushan Highest Indian civilian
award), Unicef's National Ambassadorship, The Crystal
Award ( by the World Economic
Forum and Hon'ry Doctorates from the Universities
of York, England, Delhi University and the Vishva
Bharti (Deshikottam) in Shantiniketan and "Commander
of the order of Arts and letters" by the French
Government and this year, the 15th Fukuoka Asian Culture
Grand Prize 2004 in Japan.
He represented India in the first World Arts Summit
in Venice, received Hon'ry Citizenship to the States
of Texas, Massachusetts, Tennessee and the city of
Atlanta. April 20th, 1984 was declared as Amjad Ali
Khan Day in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1995, Mr. Khan
was awarded the Gandhi UNESCO Medal in Paris for his
composition Bapukauns.
His collaborations include a piece composed for the
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yoshikazu
Fukumora titled Tribute to Hong Kong, duets with gutarist
Charley Byrd, Violinist Igor Frolov, Suprano Glenda
Simpson, Guitarist Barry Mason and UK Cellist Matthew
Barley. He has been a visiting professor at the Universities
of Yorkshire, Washington, North Eastern and New Mexico.
BBC Magazine had voted one of his recent CDs titled
‘Bhairav’ among the best 50 classical albums
of the world for the year 1995. In 1994, his name
was included Biographical in International Directory
of Distinguished Leadership, 5th edition. In 1999,
Mr. Khan inaugurated the World Festival of Sacred
Music with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In 1998, Khan
composed the signature tune for the 48th International
Film Festival. In March 2002, Mr. Khan released his
Carnegie Hall concert recording, Sarod for Harmony-Live
at Carnegie Hall to commemorate his fiftieth performing
year. Once again this year, Maestro Amjad Ali Khan
performed for His Royal Highness Prince Charles at
his Highgrove Estate for the second time after earlier
recitals in 1989, 1995 and 1997(at St. James Palace).
He has been a regular performer at the Carnegie Hall,
Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Kennedy Center,
Santury Hall (First Indian performer), House of Commons,
Theater Dela Ville, Muee Guimet, ESPLANADE in Singapore,
Palais beaux-arts, Mozart Hall in Frankfurt, Chicago
Symphony Center, St. James Palace and the Opera House
in Australia.
In his case, the term 'beauty of the Ragas' acquires
a special meaning as he has to his credit the distinction
of having created many new Ragas. It is love for music
and his belief in his music that has enabled him to
interpret traditional notions of music for a new refreshing
way, reiterating the challenge of innovation and yet
respecting the timelessness of tradition.
Two books have been written on him. The World of
Amjad Ali Khan by UBS Publishers in 1995 and Abba-God’s
Greatest Gift To Us by his sons, Amaan and Ayaan published
by Roli Books-Lustre Publications in 2002. A documentary
on Mr. Khan called Strings for Freedom won the Bengal
Film Journalist Association Award and was also screened
at the Ankara Film Festival in 1996.
‘Coming Masters’ as the New York Times
calls them, his two sons, Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan
Ali Bangash are well known names in the music scene
and are the seventh generation of musicians in the
family. Amjad Ali Khan's wife Subhalakshmi Khan has
been a great exponent of the Indian classical dance,
Bharatnatyam, which, she sacrificed for her family.
As a soul, so in his heart, he is a man who has proven
his indomitable belief in the integration of two of
life's greatest forces, love and music. He is a living
example of a man who practices that integration each
day of his life, both on stage and off stage.
