One of the highly acclaimed Sarod players, Ustad
Amjad Ali Khan is considered to be a maestro of the classical instrument
Sarod. His contribution to the field of Indian classical music is
immense. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is the sixth generation Sarod player in
his family. The instrument has been modified and refined over centuries
by his ancestors. His ancestors hailed from Afghanistan who later came
to India attracted by the relaxed music atmosphere. Ustad Amjad Ali
Khan's life history is very interesting, which is given below in the
form of a short biography.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan was born in the year 1945 in Gwalior located in the
state of Madhya Pradesh, India. His first teacher was his father Ustad
Hafiz Ali Khan who was a musician in the royal court of Gwalior. Ustad
Amjad Ali Khan belongs to the Gwalior Bangash ancestry that originates
in the Senia Bangash School of music and is the sixth generation
successor of this lineage. By hard work and sheer determination, Amjad
Ali Khan has reached the height of success he is now at. His style of
playing the Sarod is very unique. He can easily play notes with
increasing or decreasing volume scales spanning the three octaves, at
the same time fully emphasizing on the composition.
There are essentially two schools of Sarod playing: One is in which the
strings are stopped by finger tips and in the other, it is done using
finger nails. Amjad Ali Khan follows the second pattern which is what
makes it even more difficult. Playing it with finger nails is what makes
the clear ringing sound and this style is the most difficult to play.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is known to create a wide variety of sounds on the
Sarod by sliding across the fingerboard over the extended bends. The
only modern change in his Sarod is the round drum of the resonating
cavity. The base frequency that he uses is also lower as compared to
others.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan has been playing the Sarod for over 40 years now.
He still continues to be one of the most popular and busiest musicians
of India. He has won many awards and honors and continues enthrall
audiences wherever he performs. His two sons are also famous Sarod
players who have played the Sarod with their father in many concerts and
public performances. It is due to his sheer determination that the Sarod
got recognition as an Indian classical instrument and is considered at
par with the Sitar.
Awards:
"Key to the City" award by Kathy Taylor Mayor of Tulsa,
Oklahoma
Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize - 2004
Honorary citizenship of Houston and Nashville - 1997
Honorary citizenship of Tulsa Padma Vibhushan - 2001
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Music of India |
