Raza Ali Khan
Encyclopedia
Raza Ali Khan is a Hindustani classical vocalist of the Kasur Patiala Gharana
and the current Khalifa of the Gharana. He is also an accomplished music director and composer.
He married Sahibzadi Samina Khan of the Paigah of Hyderabad in 1986.He married again,for the second time ,late Saajda Khan(daughter of famous tabla player,Ustad Allahditta Khansahib),for the third time,Seema Khan,Afghani domiciled in Germany and is said to have married a fourth time ,Neelima Azeem,a yesteryear actress and the mother of the famous star,Shahid Kapur.Sahibzadi Sameena Khan gave birth to his only son,Fazle Ali Khan alias Zuhair.
Raza is always at home while rendering Khayal, Thumri, Dadra, Ghazal, Geet, Sozkhani, Noha Khani,Manqabat.
He gave his first solo performance at the Youth Festival in 1977 at the Eden Garden Stadium at Calcutta. From then onwards there was no looking back for him.
Khan has performed in all major music festivals in India and abroad. He has performed in the national program for Indian music at Doordashan TV and in the prestigious radio Sangeet Samelan, Dover Lane Music Conference, Calcutta, Gwalior Sangeet Samaro, Harballab Music Festival in Jullundar, Shankar Lal Festival, Delhi, Krishna Gana Sabah, Chennai, at the Nehru Center for performing Arts in Bombay, Qilla Mubarak Festival, Patiala, Allaudin Khan Festival, Maihar, Triveni Kala Sangam, Chandigarh to name a few.
He was selected to perform at the 24hour Music Festival of India (the Millennium Show) at the Théâtre de la Cartucherai in Paris, which was co-sponsored by ICCR Delhi. He also performed at the Nehru Centre in London. In June 1999, he also performed at All Pakistan Music Conference, Pakistan 2005. Zurich and Basile Festival, Switzerland, 1987, Sadrang Music Festival, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, 1999.
- Gharana Lineage (NAVRAS Records, London) - 3 Generations (Gathani Records, Calcutta) - A Tribute to Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, (Audio Rec, London) - Homage to Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Raagleela and Shadab released from Venus, Ustad Raza Ali Khan live in Karachi released by APMC.
Raza Ali Khan has widely traveled the USA, Europe, Middle East and Far East for concert tours and represented India as a cultural delegate at Afghanistan in 1986, Pakistan in 1984 and Bangladesh in 1998.
His voice has a 3 and half octave range, a deep and sonorous voice, fast sapat taan
s, powerful gamak
taan and complex sargam
pattern and laykri (complex rhythm patterns), which won him a lot of admirers in India as well as abroad.
Ustad Raza Ali Khan is an A-Top musician of the All India Radio
.
His capabilities as a singer are complemented by his work as a composer. His ghazals are well written. He has composed Ghazals for Ghulam Ali which was released from Venus, 'Moods and Emotions' and for Penaz Masani
which was released by Polydor, 'Dharkan'. He remained the chief music director of Venus for four years. Raza also gave music in a Telefilm named Bindia which was produced by Doordarshan
and was directed by Uma Vasudeva. Some of his father's disciples having learned from him have been benefited to a considerable extent, namely Sangeeta Banerjee and Kumar Mukherjee. Raza Ali Khan has trained his son Fazle Ali Khan and Navodeep Chakraborty who will represent his gayaki and will keep the Kasur Patiala Gharana alive.
Patiala Gharana
The Patiala gharana is one of the most prominent gharanas of vocal Hindustani classical music. It was initially sponsored by the Maharaja of Patiala, Punjab, which was famous for ghazal, thumri, and khyal.-History:...
and the current Khalifa of the Gharana. He is also an accomplished music director and composer.
Personal life and education
Raza Ali Khan was born in Mumbai to Hindustani classical vocalist, Munawar Ali Khan and he is the grandson of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. He received his early training from his grandfather, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and after that, extensively, from his father, Munawar Ali Khan. He accompanied his father on concerts and sung alongside.He married Sahibzadi Samina Khan of the Paigah of Hyderabad in 1986.He married again,for the second time ,late Saajda Khan(daughter of famous tabla player,Ustad Allahditta Khansahib),for the third time,Seema Khan,Afghani domiciled in Germany and is said to have married a fourth time ,Neelima Azeem,a yesteryear actress and the mother of the famous star,Shahid Kapur.Sahibzadi Sameena Khan gave birth to his only son,Fazle Ali Khan alias Zuhair.
Career
Khan's gayaki contains the magic of both his Ustads. His intricate taankari, hypnotising behlawas and electrifying sargams put his performances a notch above the current generation of Indian Classical Singers and make him the foremost exponent of Kasur Patiala Gharana.Raza is always at home while rendering Khayal, Thumri, Dadra, Ghazal, Geet, Sozkhani, Noha Khani,Manqabat.
He gave his first solo performance at the Youth Festival in 1977 at the Eden Garden Stadium at Calcutta. From then onwards there was no looking back for him.
Khan has performed in all major music festivals in India and abroad. He has performed in the national program for Indian music at Doordashan TV and in the prestigious radio Sangeet Samelan, Dover Lane Music Conference, Calcutta, Gwalior Sangeet Samaro, Harballab Music Festival in Jullundar, Shankar Lal Festival, Delhi, Krishna Gana Sabah, Chennai, at the Nehru Center for performing Arts in Bombay, Qilla Mubarak Festival, Patiala, Allaudin Khan Festival, Maihar, Triveni Kala Sangam, Chandigarh to name a few.
He was selected to perform at the 24hour Music Festival of India (the Millennium Show) at the Théâtre de la Cartucherai in Paris, which was co-sponsored by ICCR Delhi. He also performed at the Nehru Centre in London. In June 1999, he also performed at All Pakistan Music Conference, Pakistan 2005. Zurich and Basile Festival, Switzerland, 1987, Sadrang Music Festival, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, 1999.
Discography
Raza Ali Khan has 6 CDs to his credit:- Gharana Lineage (NAVRAS Records, London) - 3 Generations (Gathani Records, Calcutta) - A Tribute to Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, (Audio Rec, London) - Homage to Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Raagleela and Shadab released from Venus, Ustad Raza Ali Khan live in Karachi released by APMC.
Raza Ali Khan has widely traveled the USA, Europe, Middle East and Far East for concert tours and represented India as a cultural delegate at Afghanistan in 1986, Pakistan in 1984 and Bangladesh in 1998.
His voice has a 3 and half octave range, a deep and sonorous voice, fast sapat taan
Taan (music)
Taan is a virtuoso technique used in the vocal performance of a raga in Hindustani classical music. It involves the singing of very rapid melodic passages using vowels, often the long "a" as in the word "far", and it targets at improvising and to expand weaving together the notes in a fast tempo...
s, powerful gamak
Gamak
Gamaka, also known as gamak or gamakam, refers to ornamentation that is used in the performance of Indian classical music. The unique character of each raga is given by its gamakas, making their role essential rather than decorative in Indian music...
taan and complex sargam
Swara
The seven notes of the scale , in Indian music are named shadja, rishabh, gandhar, madhyam, pancham, dhaivat and nishad, and are shortened to Sa, Ri or Re , Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni and written S, R, G, M, P, D, N. Collectively these notes are known as the sargam...
pattern and laykri (complex rhythm patterns), which won him a lot of admirers in India as well as abroad.
Ustad Raza Ali Khan is an A-Top musician of 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...
.
His capabilities as a singer are complemented by his work as a composer. His ghazals are well written. He has composed Ghazals for Ghulam Ali which was released from Venus, 'Moods and Emotions' and for Penaz Masani
Penaz Masani
Penaz Masani an Indian Ghazal singer who started singing in 1981 and has made over 20 albums in following years In her career, she has won a number of awards, including the title of 'Shehzadi Tarunnam' , by the state government of Uttar Pradesh 1996 and the 11th 'Kalakar Award' for 'Outstanding...
which was released by Polydor, 'Dharkan'. He remained the chief music director of Venus for four years. Raza also gave music in a Telefilm named Bindia which was produced by Doordarshan
DoorDarshan
Doordarshan is an Indian public service broadcaster, a division of Prasar Bharati. It is one of the largest broadcasting organizations in India in terms of the infrastructure of studios and transmitters. Recently, it has also started Digital Terrestrial Transmitters. On September 15, 2009,...
and was directed by Uma Vasudeva. Some of his father's disciples having learned from him have been benefited to a considerable extent, namely Sangeeta Banerjee and Kumar Mukherjee. Raza Ali Khan has trained his son Fazle Ali Khan and Navodeep Chakraborty who will represent his gayaki and will keep the Kasur Patiala Gharana alive.