Ustad Alladiya Khan
| Alladiya Khan | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ghulam Ahmad Khan |
| Born |
10 August 1855 Uniara, Rajasthan, India |
| Origin | Atrauli, Uttar Pradesh |
| Died | 16 March 1946 (aged 90) Bombay, Maharashtra, India |
| Genres | Dhrupad, Dhamar , Khayal, |
| Occupation(s) | singer |
| Years active | 1870–1944 |
Alladiya Khan (Hindi: अल्लादिया ख़ान; 10 August 1855 – 16 March 1946) was an Indian classical singer, known as "Gaan Samraat" (Emperor of Music). He is also known as "Gauri-Shankar" i.e. Mount Everest of the Indian Classical music. Khansaheb founded the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana rooted in Dagar Bani. He is also recognized for his revival and creations of many rare ragas.
Alladiya Khan was born in Uniara, a small village in the present Indian district of Tonk (Rajasthan), then under the native state of Jaipur, on 10 August 1855, in a family of musicians. Though his father Ahmed Khan died early in Alladiya's life, his uncle, Jehangir Khan (of Jaipur), taught him dhrupad for 5 years and then khyal for another 8 years.
Alladiya Khan served in the court of various kings of Rajasthan, including that of Amlata. He sang so well and so much for the kings that he nearly lost his voice due to hours of riyaaz (practice). While trying to regain his voice he developed a new and profound style of singing by which he could sing without compromising the purity of raga but the passage, taans, and creativity of singing the raga. Later he settled down in Kolhapur as the court musician of the local king, Shahu Maharaj. In 1922 he moved to Mumbai after the king died. With his distinguished reputation, Ustad Alladiya Khan became a gem among the many masters in Mumbai. He taught many disciples and sang in many mehfils in Mumbai to which his reputation as an academic grew.
His autobiography, as narrated to his grandson Azizzudin Khan Sahab, is available in English translation, as My Life, translated with and introduction by Amlan Dasgupta and Urmila Bhirdikar, published by Thema, Kolkata, 2000
Alladiya Khan was acknowledged for his creation and resurrection of many complex Raags such as Nat Kamod, Bhoop Nat, Kaunsi Kanada, Sampoorna Malkauns, Basanti Kedar, Shuddha Nat, Malavi, Savani Kalyan, DhavalaShree and many more.
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