Aashish Khan
Encyclopedia
Aashish Khan Debsharma (Hindi
: आशिष खान देबशर्मा, Urdu
: آشیش خان ) (born 5 December 1939) is an eminent Indian classical music
ian, known for his virtuosity on the Sarod
. He was nominated for a Grammy Award
in 2006 in the 'Best World Music' category for his album "Golden Strings of the Sarode". He is also a recipient of Government of India's highest honour in performing arts, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
. Besides being a high-profile performer, composer, and conductor, he is also an adjunct professor of Indian classical music
at the California Institute of the Arts
, and the University of California at Santa Cruz, in the United States
.
, a small princely state of British India, where his revered grandfather Ustad Alauddin Khan, founder of the "Senia Maihar Gharana" or "Senia Maihar School" of Indian classical music, was a royal court musician at that time. His mother the late Zubeida Begum was Ustad
Ali Akbar Khan
's first wife. He was initiated into North Indian classical music at the age of five by his grandfather. His training (or taalim) later continued under the guidance of his father Ustad Ali Akbar Khan
, and his aunt, Annapurna Devi. Though the music school they represent is popularly known as "Senia Maihar Gharana"; it is essentially the traditional "Senia Gharana". (The founder of this "Senia Gharana" or "Senia School" is believed to be the court musician of Mughal Emperor Akbar Mian Tansen. "Senia Maihar Gharana" follows the traditional "Beenkar" and "Rababiya" pattern of the "Dhruvapada" style of the original "Senia Gharana". However, followers of the "Senia Maihar School" tradition have principally been responsible for a renaissance in Indian classical instrumental music in the twentieth century.
and Calcutta performing Indian classical music
among distinguished circles of connoisseurs. He gave his debut public performance at the age of 13, with his grandfather, on the All India Radio
"National Program", New Delhi
, and in the same year, performed with his father and his grandfather at the "Tansen Music Conference", Calcutta. Since then he has performed at major venues of classical music
and world music
both in the Indian subcontinent
and abroad.
Besides his virtuosity as a traditional Sarode Ustad Aashish Khan is also one of the pioneers in the establishment of world music genre, as founder of the Indo-American musical group "Shanti" with tabla
player Ustad
Zakir Hussain
in 1969, and later, fusion group, "The Third Eye". In "Shanti", Aashish Khan is featured playing the acoustic Sarode sometimes through a fender guitar amplifier with vibrato effect.
Under Pandit Ravi Shankar
, he has worked as a background artist on musical products for both film and stage, including Oscar
Winner Satyajit Ray
's Apur Sansar
, Parash Pathar, Jalsha Ghar, and Sir Richard Attenborough
’s film Gandhi
. He has also worked as a background artist with Maurice Jarre
on John Huston
's film The Man Who Would be King
, David Lean
's A Passage to India
, and composed the music for Tapan Sinha
's films, Joturgriha (he received Best Film Score Award for Jotugriha) and Aadmi Aurat.
During 1989-1990, Aashish Khan served as the Composer and Conductor for the National Orchestra of All India Radio
, New Delhi
, India
, succeeding musical stalwarts like Sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar, and flautist Pandit Pannalal Ghosh
.
with Western music
, and world music
. He is thus remembered by the music fraternity as one of the representatives of Indian classical music
in the Western world. He has collaborated with such diverse western musicians as John Barham
, George Harrison
, Ringo Starr
, Eric Clapton
, Charles Lloyd, John Handy
, Alice Coltrane
, Emil Richards
, Dallas Smith
, Don Pope
, Jorge Strunz
, Ardeshir Farah
, and the Philadelphia String Quartet. Ustad Aashish Khan is currently co-leading "Shringar" with Andrew McLean and other notable New Orleans musicians such as Tim Green and Jason Marsalis. Shringar is the first foray of any classical Indian musician into the music culture of New Orleans, widely considered the Mecca of Jazz. His recordings include Wonderwall Music
, Young Master of the Sarode, California Concert, Sarode and Piano Jugalbandi, Shanti, Live at the Royal Festival Hall London
, Homage, Inner Voyage, Monsoon Ragas, The Sound of Mughal
Court
, and the latest, Jugalbandi Sarode & Sarangi
Duet, with Ustad Sultan Khan
.
, Los Angeles
, U.S.
, and as an adjunct professor of Music at the University of California at Santa Cruz, United States
. He has formerly taught at the faculties of the Ali Akbar College of Music
in San Rafael, California
, University of Alberta
in Canada
and the University of Washington
, Seattle. While pursuing a busy career as a concert artist and composer, he teaches students throughout the U.S.
, Canada
, Europe
, and Africa
, as well as India
. Many of his students have established themselves as stage performers in India and abroad. Notable mention among them would be of Sarode players Anupam Shobhakar, Rick Henderson, Debanjan Bhattacharjee (He has secured the FIRST position (President’s Gold Medal) in the music competition held by the All India Radio (AIR) in the year 2008), Aditya Verma, Ranajit Sengupta and Siddhartha Banerjee (USA); Sitar player Amelia Maciszewski; Santoor player Dishari Chakraborty; and Rabab player Rishi Ranjan .
He presently divides his time principally between Calcutta, and California
, where most of his students and disciples are located.
in 2002, and India's highest award for performing arts, i.e., the Sangeet Natak Akademi
award in 2005. In 2006, he was nominated for a Grammy award
in the 'Best World Music' category. He is one of the very few Indian musicians who have been nominated for this award (other Grammy nominees and/or winners include Sitar maestro Ravi Shankar
, Sarode maestro Ali Akbar Khan
, and Guitarist Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
; all are from "Senia Maihar Gharana"). Among Sarode maestros, he is second to only his father Ustad Ali Akbar Khan who earlier received Grammy nominations. On 24 May 2007 Ustad Aashish Khan became the first ever Indian classical maestro to become a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland
, the U.K.'s highest society in Asian arts and culture. Several Indian media have also declared that Ustad Aashish Khan is "India's greatest living Sarode player".
Brahmin
s of the East Bengal
, and held the surname "Debsharma", he wished to use his forefathers' surname to help people understand the root of his great musical lineage. He also stated that his family were never officially converted into Islam
and the surname "Khan" did not necessarily imply he was a Muslim. He based this assertion on the fact that his grandfather the late Ustad Allauddin Khan
wrote in his biography (Aamar Katha, (Bengali
), published by Ananda Publishers, Calcutta) that his forefathers were indeed Hindus with the surname "Debsharma". He also said that his name (Aashish) and his brothers' names (Dhyanesh, Pranesh, Amaresh) were all given by their grandfather Allauddin; and these are essentially Hindu names. However, his father Ali Akbar Khan
has rejected Aashish's claims as fallacies. An anguished Ali Akbar Khan told the Times of India newspaper in an e-mail: "I do not support his (Aashish's) choice. Unfortunately, many statements made by my son in the newspaper regarding the history of my family are incorrect. My family has been Muslim for many generations, and we will remain Muslims. It's a shame that he is trying to reinvent the history of our family and in turn hurting past generations of our family."
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
: आशिष खान देबशर्मा, Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
: آشیش خان ) (born 5 December 1939) is an eminent Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
ian, known for his virtuosity on the Sarod
Sarod
The sarod is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is the most popular and prominent instrument in the classical music of Hindustan...
. He was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in 2006 in the 'Best World Music' category for his album "Golden Strings of the Sarode". He is also a recipient of Government of India's highest honour in performing arts, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
. Besides being a high-profile performer, composer, and conductor, he is also an adjunct professor of Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
at the California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
, and the University of California at Santa Cruz, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Ustad Alauddin Khan tradition
Aashish Khan was born in 1939 at MaiharMaihar
Maihar is a city and a municipality in Satna district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Maihar is known for the temple of revered mother goddess Sharda situated on Trikuta hill of Maihar.- Origin :...
, a small princely state of British India, where his revered grandfather Ustad Alauddin Khan, founder of the "Senia Maihar Gharana" or "Senia Maihar School" of Indian classical music, was a royal court musician at that time. His mother the late Zubeida Begum was Ustad
Ustad
Ustad is an Arabized Persian word is a honorific title for a Muslim man in South Asia. The title precedes the name and is usually used for well regarded teachers and artists, most often musicians. It is applied and used via informal social agreement. It is abbreviated as ut. or ud.-References:*...
Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan , often referred to as Khansahib or by the title Ustad , was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod...
's first wife. He was initiated into North Indian classical music at the age of five by his grandfather. His training (or taalim) later continued under the guidance of his father Ustad Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan , often referred to as Khansahib or by the title Ustad , was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod...
, and his aunt, Annapurna Devi. Though the music school they represent is popularly known as "Senia Maihar Gharana"; it is essentially the traditional "Senia Gharana". (The founder of this "Senia Gharana" or "Senia School" is believed to be the court musician of Mughal Emperor Akbar Mian Tansen. "Senia Maihar Gharana" follows the traditional "Beenkar" and "Rababiya" pattern of the "Dhruvapada" style of the original "Senia Gharana". However, followers of the "Senia Maihar School" tradition have principally been responsible for a renaissance in Indian classical instrumental music in the twentieth century.
Music and accomplishments
Aashish Khan grew up in MaiharMaihar
Maihar is a city and a municipality in Satna district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Maihar is known for the temple of revered mother goddess Sharda situated on Trikuta hill of Maihar.- Origin :...
and Calcutta performing Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
among distinguished circles of connoisseurs. He gave his debut public performance at the age of 13, with his grandfather, on the All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
"National Program", New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, and in the same year, performed with his father and his grandfather at the "Tansen Music Conference", Calcutta. Since then he has performed at major venues of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
both in the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
and abroad.
Besides his virtuosity as a traditional Sarode Ustad Aashish Khan is also one of the pioneers in the establishment of world music genre, as founder of the Indo-American musical group "Shanti" with tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
player Ustad
Ustad
Ustad is an Arabized Persian word is a honorific title for a Muslim man in South Asia. The title precedes the name and is usually used for well regarded teachers and artists, most often musicians. It is applied and used via informal social agreement. It is abbreviated as ut. or ud.-References:*...
Zakir Hussain
Zakir Hussain (musician)
Zakir Hussain , , is an Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer.-Early life:Hussain was born in Mumbai, India to the legendary tabla player Alla Rakha. He attended St...
in 1969, and later, fusion group, "The Third Eye". In "Shanti", Aashish Khan is featured playing the acoustic Sarode sometimes through a fender guitar amplifier with vibrato effect.
Under Pandit Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent...
, he has worked as a background artist on musical products for both film and stage, including Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
Winner Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray
Satyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker. He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray was born in the city of Kolkata into a Bengali family prominent in the world of arts and literature...
's Apur Sansar
Apur Sansar
Apur Sansar , also known as The World of Apu, is a Bengali film directed by Satyajit Ray. It is the third part of The Apu Trilogy, about the childhood and early adulthood of a young Bengali named Apu in the early twentieth century Indian subcontinent...
, Parash Pathar, Jalsha Ghar, and Sir Richard Attenborough
Richard Attenborough
Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough , CBE is a British actor, director, producer and entrepreneur. As director and producer he won two Academy Awards for the 1982 film Gandhi...
’s film Gandhi
Gandhi (film)
Gandhi is a 1982 biographical film based on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who led the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. The film was directed by Richard Attenborough and stars Ben Kingsley as Gandhi. They both...
. He has also worked as a background artist with Maurice Jarre
Maurice Jarre
Maurice-Alexis Jarre was a French composer and conductor.Although he composed several concert works, he is best known for his film scores, and is particularly known for his collaborations with film director David Lean. Jarre composed the scores to all of Lean's films since Lawrence of Arabia...
on John Huston
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...
's film The Man Who Would be King
The Man Who Would Be King (film)
The Man Who Would Be King is a 1975 film adapted from the Rudyard Kipling short story of the same title. It was adapted and directed by John Huston and starred Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Saeed Jaffrey, and Christopher Plummer as Kipling .The film follows two rogue ex-non-commissioned officers of...
, David Lean
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
's A Passage to India
A Passage to India (film)
A Passage to India is a 1984 drama film written and directed by David Lean. The screenplay is based on the 1924 novel of the same title by E. M. Forster and the 1960 play by Santha Rama Rau that was inspired by the novel....
, and composed the music for Tapan Sinha
Tapan Sinha
Tapan Sinha , was a Indian film director. He was arguably the most uncompromising filmmaker outside the orbit of Parallel Cinema.-Personal life and background:...
's films, Joturgriha (he received Best Film Score Award for Jotugriha) and Aadmi Aurat.
During 1989-1990, Aashish Khan served as the Composer and Conductor for the National Orchestra of All India Radio
All India Radio
All India Radio , officially known since 1956 as Akashvani , is the radio broadcaster of India and a division of Prasar Bharati. Established in 1936, it is the sister service of Prasar Bharati's Doordarshan, the national television broadcaster. All India Radio is one of the largest radio networks...
, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, succeeding musical stalwarts like Sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar, and flautist Pandit Pannalal Ghosh
Pannalal Ghosh
Pannalal Ghosh , also known as Amulya Jyoti Ghosh, was a Bengali Indian flute player and composer. He was a disciple of Allauddin Khan, and is credited with giving the flute its status in Hindustani classical music....
.
Collaborations
Aashish Khan has pioneered in the art of collaborating Indian classical musicIndian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
with Western music
Western music (North America)
Western music originated as a form of American folk music. Originally composed by and about the people who settled and worked throughout the Western United States and Western Canada. Directly related musically to old English, Scottish, and Irish folk ballads, Western music celebrates the life of...
, and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
. He is thus remembered by the music fraternity as one of the representatives of Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
in the Western world. He has collaborated with such diverse western musicians as John Barham
Wonderwall Music
Wonderwall Music is George Harrison's first solo album and the soundtrack to the film Wonderwall. The songs are virtually all instrumental, except for some non-English vocals and a slowed-down spoken word track. The songs were recorded in December 1967 in England, and January 1968 in Bombay, India...
, George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Charles Lloyd, John Handy
John Handy
John Richard Handy III is an American jazz alto saxophonist.-Biography:In the 1960s, Handy led several groups...
, Alice Coltrane
Alice Coltrane
Alice Coltrane, née McLeod was an American jazz pianist, organist, harpist, and composer.-Biography:...
, Emil Richards
Emil Richards
Emil Richards, born Emilio Joseph Radocchia on September 2, 1932 in Hartford, Connecticut, is a percussionist who plays a variety of different percussion instruments.-Biography:...
, Dallas Smith
Dallas Smith
Dallas Earl Smith is a former National Hockey League defenceman who played fifteen seasons for the Boston Bruins.-Playing career:...
, Don Pope
Don Pope
Don Pope is a strongman competitor from the USA. He is best known for participating in the World's Strongest Man finals of 2005, 2006 and 2007. His best finish was 3rd at the 2006 World's Strongest Man competition. Don has a maximum dead lift of 800 pounds, and can squat nearly 1000 pounds. He...
, Jorge Strunz
Strunz & Farah
Strunz & Farah is a guitar duo with an eclectic sound that have been described as a cross between world fusion and flamenco.-History:Jorge Strunz, born in Costa Rica, and Ardeshir Farah, hailing from Iran, met in the United States in 1979. Jorge Strunz was one of the founders of the Latin jazz...
, Ardeshir Farah
Strunz & Farah
Strunz & Farah is a guitar duo with an eclectic sound that have been described as a cross between world fusion and flamenco.-History:Jorge Strunz, born in Costa Rica, and Ardeshir Farah, hailing from Iran, met in the United States in 1979. Jorge Strunz was one of the founders of the Latin jazz...
, and the Philadelphia String Quartet. Ustad Aashish Khan is currently co-leading "Shringar" with Andrew McLean and other notable New Orleans musicians such as Tim Green and Jason Marsalis. Shringar is the first foray of any classical Indian musician into the music culture of New Orleans, widely considered the Mecca of Jazz. His recordings include Wonderwall Music
Wonderwall Music
Wonderwall Music is George Harrison's first solo album and the soundtrack to the film Wonderwall. The songs are virtually all instrumental, except for some non-English vocals and a slowed-down spoken word track. The songs were recorded in December 1967 in England, and January 1968 in Bombay, India...
, Young Master of the Sarode, California Concert, Sarode and Piano Jugalbandi, Shanti, Live at the Royal Festival Hall London
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
, Homage, Inner Voyage, Monsoon Ragas, The Sound of Mughal
Mughal era
The Mughal era is a historic period of the Mughal Empire in South Asia . It ran from the early 15th century to a point in the early 18th century when the Mughal Emperors' power had dwindled...
Court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
, and the latest, Jugalbandi Sarode & Sarangi
Sarangi
The Sārangī is a bowed, short-necked string instrument of India which is originated from Rajasthani folk instruments. It plays an important role in India's Hindustani classical music tradition...
Duet, with Ustad Sultan Khan
Ustad Sultan Khan
Ustad Sultan Khan was an Indian sarangi player and singer who performed Hindustani classical music. He was one of the members of the Indian fusion group Tabla Beat Science, with Zakir Hussain and Bill Laswell...
.
Teaching
Aashish Khan is a music teacher, currently serving as adjunct professor of Indian Classical Music at the California Institute of the ArtsCalifornia Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and as an adjunct professor of Music at the University of California at Santa Cruz, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He has formerly taught at the faculties of the Ali Akbar College of Music
Ali Akbar College of Music
The Ali Akbar College of Music is the name of three schools founded by Indian musician Ali Akbar Khan to teach Indian classical music. The first was founded in 1956 in Calcutta, India. The second was founded in 1967 in Berkeley, California, but moved to its current location in San Rafael,...
in San Rafael, California
San Rafael, California
San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
, University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, Seattle. While pursuing a busy career as a concert artist and composer, he teaches students throughout the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, as well as India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Many of his students have established themselves as stage performers in India and abroad. Notable mention among them would be of Sarode players Anupam Shobhakar, Rick Henderson, Debanjan Bhattacharjee (He has secured the FIRST position (President’s Gold Medal) in the music competition held by the All India Radio (AIR) in the year 2008), Aditya Verma, Ranajit Sengupta and Siddhartha Banerjee (USA); Sitar player Amelia Maciszewski; Santoor player Dishari Chakraborty; and Rabab player Rishi Ranjan .
He presently divides his time principally between Calcutta, and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where most of his students and disciples are located.
Recognition
He is the recipient of several distinguished honours in recognition of his excellence in Indian classical music and world music as well. He has been awarded, among many, the Fellowship of the Illinois Arts Council, U.S.United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2002, and India's highest award for performing arts, i.e., the Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
award in 2005. In 2006, he was nominated for a Grammy award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the 'Best World Music' category. He is one of the very few Indian musicians who have been nominated for this award (other Grammy nominees and/or winners include Sitar maestro Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent...
, Sarode maestro Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan , often referred to as Khansahib or by the title Ustad , was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod...
, and Guitarist Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt also known as V. M. Bhatt is an Indian slide guitar player. Bhatt is the creator of the Mohan Veena...
; all are from "Senia Maihar Gharana"). Among Sarode maestros, he is second to only his father Ustad Ali Akbar Khan who earlier received Grammy nominations. On 24 May 2007 Ustad Aashish Khan became the first ever Indian classical maestro to become a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland
Royal Asiatic Society
The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was established, according to its Royal Charter of 11 August 1824, to further "the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia." From its incorporation the Society...
, the U.K.'s highest society in Asian arts and culture. Several Indian media have also declared that Ustad Aashish Khan is "India's greatest living Sarode player".
Religious conversion
In September 2006, he announced at a press conference in Calcutta that since his forefathers were HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s of the East Bengal
East Bengal
East Bengal was the name used during two periods in the 20th century for a territory that roughly corresponded to the modern state of Bangladesh. Both instances involved a violent partition of Bengal....
, and held the surname "Debsharma", he wished to use his forefathers' surname to help people understand the root of his great musical lineage. He also stated that his family were never officially converted into Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and the surname "Khan" did not necessarily imply he was a Muslim. He based this assertion on the fact that his grandfather the late Ustad Allauddin Khan
Allauddin Khan
Allauddin Khan , 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...
wrote in his biography (Aamar Katha, (Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
), published by Ananda Publishers, Calcutta) that his forefathers were indeed Hindus with the surname "Debsharma". He also said that his name (Aashish) and his brothers' names (Dhyanesh, Pranesh, Amaresh) were all given by their grandfather Allauddin; and these are essentially Hindu names. However, his father Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan , often referred to as Khansahib or by the title Ustad , was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod...
has rejected Aashish's claims as fallacies. An anguished Ali Akbar Khan told the Times of India newspaper in an e-mail: "I do not support his (Aashish's) choice. Unfortunately, many statements made by my son in the newspaper regarding the history of my family are incorrect. My family has been Muslim for many generations, and we will remain Muslims. It's a shame that he is trying to reinvent the history of our family and in turn hurting past generations of our family."
Discography
- Aashish Khan: Inner Voyage; Raga BhimpalasiBhimpalasiBhimpalasi is a Hindustani classical raga.-Theory:Writing about the musical theory of Indian classical music is fraught with complications. First of all, there have been no set, formal methods of written notation...
(Pilgrimage), Raga JogJog (Raga)Jog is a Raga in Hindustani classical music belonging to Kafi thaat. It is one of the more popular ragas appearing often in films.-Structure:...
(Two Dimensions), Raga Mishra Kafi (Inner Voyage), Raga Mishra GaraGaraGara is a bilingual newspaper published in the city of San Sebastián in the Basque Autonomous Community...
(Remembering You), Raga Mishra AbhogiAbhogiAbhogi is a raga in Carnatic music and has been adapted to Hindustani music. It is a pentatonic scale, an audava or owdava raga. It is a derived scale , as it does not have all the seven swaras...
(Love Within), Raga Mishra Kafi (Under The Stars); Keyboards and Producer: Alan Scott Bachman; and Percussion: George Grant. (DDD) - Aashish Khan: Raga Desh Malhar, Raga Mishra Sivaranjani, Raga Mishra KhamajKhamajKhamaj is one of the ten Thaats of Hindustani music. It is also a specific raga in Khamaj thaat.-Khamaj Thaat:The parent-scale Khamaj Thaat, notated in sargam notation, has the following structure:S R G m P D n S'.n is komal here....
. Accompanists: Pranesh Khan in Tabla and Amie Maciszewski in Tanpura. Bihaan Music, Calcutta, India. (DDD) - Aashish Khan: Peace & Joy: Music For Relaxation; Raga Darbari KanadaDarbari KanadaDarbari Kanada, or simply Darbari, is a Hindustani raga in the Kanada family, which is thought to have originated in Carnatic music and brought into North Indian music by Miyan Tansen, the legendary 16th century composer in emperor Akbar's court...
, Raga Kaushi. Accompanist: Swapan Chaudhuri in Tabla. Ninaad Records, India (NC 0035). (DDD) - Aashish Khan & Sultan Khan: Jugalbandi - Sarode & Sarangi Duet; Live in Stuttgart 1995; Raga Shri, Raga Maru Behag, Raga Maand; Tabla: Zakir Hussain, Tanpura: Shefali Nag & Madhuri Chattopadhyay. Chhanda Dhara, Germany (SNCD 70197).(DDD)
- Aashish Khan: Rainy Season Ragas; Raga Desh Malhar - Alap, Jod, Jhala, Raga Mian Ki Malhar - Gat in Tintal, Ragamalika - Gat in Tintal; Tabla: Zakir Hussain, Tanpura: Karuna Eff & Daniela Birschel. Chhanda Dhara, Germany (SNCD 70394).(DDD)
- Aashish Khan & Indranil Bhattacharya: Homage to Our Guru - Jugalbandi; Raga Darbari Kanara - Alap & Jod, Raga KirwaniKirwaniKirwani is an Indian raga specially suited for instrumental music. The scale is the same as the harmonic minor in western music.There are shades of Pilu in Kirwani.-Arohana & Avarohana :ArohanaS R g M P d N S'Thus: C D E-flat F G A-flat B c...
- Gats in Teental, Raga KhamajKhamajKhamaj is one of the ten Thaats of Hindustani music. It is also a specific raga in Khamaj thaat.-Khamaj Thaat:The parent-scale Khamaj Thaat, notated in sargam notation, has the following structure:S R G m P D n S'.n is komal here....
in Thumri Style - Taal in Chanchar; Tabla: Anindo Chatterjee. Chhanda Dhara, Germany (SNCD 70994) & Navras Records, UK. (DDD) - Aashish Khan: Golden Strings of the Sarode; Raga Bhimpalashi, Raga BhairaviBhairaviBhairavi is a fierce and terrifying aspect of the Devi virtually indistinguishable from Kali, except for her particular identification as the consort of the Bhairava.-Symbolism:...
, Raga Lalitagouri; Tabla: Zakir Hussain. Moment Records, USA (MRCD 1022) & Music Today, India. (DDD)
External links
- Biography at Sony Music India
- Biography at Simlahouse
- Photos of Ustad Aashish Khan at Buckingham Music
- Grammy Nominated Album at Moment Records
- Bihaan Music
- UCSC Faculty
- The Times of India
- India Daily
- The Hindu
- Chennai Online
- Ustad Aashish Khan Interview