Amir Khan

Infobox musical artist
Name = Ustad Amir Khan
अमीर ख़ान

---

Img_capt = Amir Khan
Img_size =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Amir Khan
Alias =
Born = August 15, 1912
Died = February 13, 1974
Origin = Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
Genre = Indian classical music
(Khayal, Tarana)
Occupation = Hindustani Classical Vocalist
Years_active = 1934-1974?
Label =
URL =

Ustad Amir Khan (Hindi: अमीर ख़ान) was a well-known Indian classical vocalist. He is considered one of the most influential figures in Hindustani classical music, and is the founder of the Indore Gharana.

Life and career

Amir Khan was born in a family of musicians on August 15, 1912 in Indore, India. His mother passed away when he was nine years old.

Young Amir Ali was initially trained in the sarangi by his father Shahmir Khan, himself an expert sarangi player from the Bhendibazaar gharana. However, seeing his interest in vocal music, his father gradually devoted more time to vocal training, focusing on the Merukhand technique. Amir Ali was exposed at an early age to many different styles, since just about every musician who visited Indore would come to their house, and there would be mehfils at their place on a regular basis. His father died in 1937.

Amir Khan lived for some time in Delhi and Calcutta, but after the partition of India he moved to Bombay.

He developed his own singing style, incorporating the styles of Abdul Waheed Khan, Rajab Ali Khan and Aman Ali Khan. This unique style, known as the Indore Gharana, blends the spiritual flavor and grandeur of dhrupad with the ornate vividness of khayal. His performances had an understated elegance, reverence, restrained passion and an utter lack of showmanship that both moved and awed listeners. [ [http://www.itcsra.org/tribute.asp?tribute=6 Amir Khan - Tribute to a Maestro] ] He helped popularize taranas, as well as compositions in Fārsi. He often used the Jhoomra and Tilwada taals, and generally preferred a simple 'theka' from the tabla accompanist. As in the case of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Amir Khan's initial sarangi training was important in establishing him as a great singer, showing up in his intricate taans.

Besides singing in concerts, he also sang film songs in ragas, most notably for the films "Baiju Bawra", "Kshudhita Pashan", "Shabaab", and "Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje".

His disciples include Pandit Amarnath, A. Kanan, Srikant Bakre, Singh Brothers, Mukund Goswami, Gajendra Bakshi, Kankana Banerjee, and Poorabi Mukherjee. His style has also influenced many other singers and instrumentalists, including Rashid Khan, Mahendra Toke, Shanti Sharma, Gokulotsavji Maharaj, Nikhil Banerjee, and the Imdadkhani gharana.

He died a premature death in a car accident in Calcutta on February 13, 1974.

Discography

Movies

* "Baiju Bawra"
** 'Tori Jai Jai Kartar' (raga Puriya Dhanashree)
** 'Sargam' (raga Darbari)
** 'Langar Kankariya Ji Na Maro' (raga Todi)
** 'Aaj Gawat Man Mero Jhoomke' (raga Desi, with D. V. Paluskar)
** 'Ghanana Ghanana Ghana Garjo Re' (raga Megh)
* "Kshudhita Pashan" (Music director: Ali Akbar Khan)
** 'Kaise Kate Rajni' (raga Bageshree, with Protima Banerjee)
** 'Piya Ke Aavan Ki' (thumri in raga Khamaj)
** 'Dheemta Dheemta Derena' (tarana in raga Megh)
* "Shabaab"
** 'Daya Kar He Giridhar Gopal' (raga Multani)
* "Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje"
** Title song 'Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje' (raga Adana)
* "Goonj Uthi Shehnai" (ragamala with Bismillah Khan)
** Bhatiyar
** Ramkali
** Desi
** Shuddh Sarang
** Multani
** Yaman
** Bageshree
** Chandrakauns
* "Ragini"
** 'Jogiya Mere Ghar Aaye' (raga Lalit)

Public and private recordings

* Abhogi
* Adana - longer performance of 'Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje' title song, two other versions
* Ahir Bhairav
* Amirkhani
* Bageshree
* Bageshree Kanada
* Bahar
* Bairagi
* Barwa
* Basant Bahar
* Basant Mukhari
* Bhatiyar
* Bihag
* Bilaskhani Todi
* Chandrakauns
* Chandramadhu
* Charukeshi
* Darbari - three versions
* Deshkar
* Gaud Malhar
* Hansadhwani
* Hem Kalyan
* Hindol Basant
* Jaijaiwanti
* Janasanmohini
* Jog - three versions
* Kafi Kanada
* Kalashri
* Kausi Kanada
* Kedar
* Komal Rishabh Asavari
* Lalit - two versions
* Madhukauns
* Malkauns - three versions
* 'Maru Kalyan'
* Marwa
* Megh
* Miya Malhar
* Multani
* Nand
* Nat Bhairav
* Puriya
* Rageshree
* Ramdasi Malhar
* Ramkali
* Ram Kalyan
* Shahana - two versions
* Shree
* Shuddh Kalyan
* Shuddh Sarang (with drut section in Suha)
* Todi
* Yaman
* Yaman Kalyan

Awards and recognitions

* Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1967
* Presidential Award in 1971
* Padmabhushan in 1971
* Swar Vilas from Sur Singar Sansad in 1971

Links

* [http://sarangi.info/amirkhan Amir Khan recordings on www.sarangi.info]
* [http://moutalpatrick.free.fr/amirkhandocu.mov Biographical documentary on Amir Khan produced in 1970 by the Films Division of India]
* [http://www.pathcom.com/~ericp/ak_discography.html Discography]
* [http://caferisko.ca/ak/LPCOVER.html LP cover images]
* [http://caferisko.ca/ak/music%20of%20the%20soul.html Pandit Nikhil Banerjee's article on Amir Khan]
* [http://www.itcsra.org/tribute.asp?tribute=6 Tribute from the ITC Sangeet Research Academy]
* [http://www.jstor.org/pss/834468 Forgotten Patterns] - Preview of an article on Amir Khan by his disciple Thomas Ross

References