Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan

Articles on Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan

The Monarch

While film stars continued to fascinate the people with their singing and acting, a new class of gifted classical singers and instrumentalists was being born. Film music has a tremendous attraction for the masses and it has great commercial value. But, like the films, its appeal is short-lived. A popular film and its songs may hold the public interest for some time, but as other films come along the old film and its songs are gradually forgotten. It is not so with classical music, which has a lasting hold on the interest of listeners. Even though records of classical music do not sell as fast as film records, their value to music lovers does not decline. In 1944 the Vikramaditya Sangit Parishad was held in the Bombay University Convocation Hall. An artist from Punjab presented Raga Marwa and a thumri, as they had never been presented before, and will never be presented again. This was how Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan introduced himself to lovers of classical music in Bombay. Raga Marwa, which he selected as his opening item, has a combination of notes -komal rishab and shudha dhaivat- which sounds very pensive and persuasive. The Ustad's melodious voice and his most arresting style gripped the listeners from the start. He unfolded before the amazed audience a most attractive and elaborate picture of Raga Marwa. The almost effortless phirat of his voice, which ranged through three octaves -Mandra, Madhya and Taar-elevated the artist and the listeners to immeasurable heights of musical experience. This was Bade Gulam Ali's maiden appearance in this city. He came, he sang, and he conquered the entire musical world of Bombay. The audience that day was star-studded. Eminent artists like Alaudin Khan (father of Ali Akbar Khan and guru of Pandit Ravi Shankar), the famous sarod player from Gwalior-Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan (father of the young sarod player Amjad Ali Khan), Marhoom Ustad Alla Diya Khan and many others were seen nodding in appreciation of Bade Gulam Ali's performance. Ustad Alla Diya Khan with his snow-white mustache and fair complexion, was a very impressive person. He had settled in Bombay a few years before, but having stayed many years in Kolhapur, he always dressed in the Maharashtrian style. He looked very dignified, clad in a pure white dhoti in Brahminic style, an open collared coat, shining pump shoes and a turban tied in the impressive Kolhapuri fashion. Amidst the galaxy of artists he looked like an emperor holding his darbar. M. R. Jayakar honoured him that night with the title: 'The Mount Everest of classical music'. This was a significant night, not only because I heard Bade Gulam Ali, but also because it was the last appearance of Ustad Alla Diya Khan in such an august assembly. That night the Ustad was flanked by his disciple Surashri Kesarbai Kerkar on the right and his son on the left as tanpura accompanists. This was indeed an unforgettable experience. Bade Gulam Ali Khan was the biggest attraction of the evening. In this, his very first visit, I managed to bring him to our studio to record a few of his choicest khayals and thumris. He sang lilting thumris like Yad piya ki aaye, Katena birahaki raat, Tirachhi Nazariya ke baan and Premke fandeme aakar sajani, and these records, cut almost forty years ago, are still popular with listeners, not only in India, but all over the world. Bade Gulam Ali Khan had an impressive physique and the lofty gait of a monarch. It was hard to believe that this broad-faced, bewhiskered giant was capable of producing such sweet, soulstirring notes. A year after our first meeting, on the occasion of my elder daughter's birthday, I invited Bade Gulam Ali to my place for dinner. It was a pleasant surprise to see the great Ustad at the dinner table, consuming, with great relish, a whole chicken. nearly two dozen chappatis and more than a kilo of mithai (sweetmeats). and still more amazing was his 4 hour musical recital immediately afterwards. I thanked him profusely and jocularly remarked that people would always remember him as rangila gavaiyya and rasila khawaiyya (a versatile singer and an appreciative gourmet). Bade Gulam Ali was also an excellent cook. On many occasions for several years thereafter, he pressed on me delicious dishes such as mutton paya and karela mutton which he had prepared himself. Bade Gulam Ali hailed from Lahore in Punjab. It was his heartfelt desire that I, who was by now one of his dear friends and great admirers, should visit him in Lahore. A chance to respond to this invitation came very soon. Mr. Z. A. Bokhari the then station director of All India Radio, Bombay, offered me a chain booking to broadcast from the Lucknow, Delhi and Lahore radio stations. I spent most of my stay in Lahore with the great Ustad. Walking with him through the Hiramandi park of Lahore city I felt as if I was walking by the side of a majestic elephant who was parading through thc streets, accepting the reverent salutations of numerous admirers. He lavishly showered hospitality on me. This was the end of the year 1945. During his short visit to Bombay in 1948 I fixed up a recording session with him. In the afternoon, when I had everything arranged for recording in our studio, he telephoned to say that he was not feeling well enough to record. I insisted that he should come over and that we would not do any recording but we would have a nice long chat and dinner. Very reluctantly he accepted my pressing invitation. Before he came I had to plan a strategy whereby I would be able to persuade him to strain his vocal chords. I gave a hundred rupee note to my peon Sakharam and instructed him to procure a bottle of Scotch, which was the Ustad's favourite drink. Sakharam was to bring the bottle and the glasses into the studio only when I gave him the signal to doso. I had arranged things in the studio in such a manner that I could start recording at a moment's notice. I instructed that the accompanying musicians be kept waiting in an ante-room. I escorted the great Ustad into the studio, assuring him that we would not do any recording but would have just an interesting and enjoyable evening. On the spacious wooden platform were two tanpuras already tuned to suit his pitch. The Ustad, a man of generous proportions, always preferred to sit cross-legged on the platform instead of on a chair. I seated myself near him with one tanpura close at hand. While we conversed I casually started playing on the strings of the tanpura. 'Khan Saheb,' I said, ' I want to know why followers of the Gwalior gharana prefer to use tivra dhaivat, in Raga Lalat, instead of komal dhaivat which sounds so much sweeter.' With the sound of the tanpura playing in the background Khan Saheb could not resist demonstrating why komal dhaivat is preferable to tivra dhaivat. 1 noticed with satisfaction that my strategy was succeeding. Unseen by him, I gave the signal to Sakharam who walked in with the bottle and the glasses. Noticing this, the Ustad looked happier, though he protested mildly. I said to him, 'Since we are not going to do any recording we might as well have a gay time.' I came up with another question while the maestro was enjoying the drink. 'Why is it that some singers use both tivra and komal nishads in Raga Adana? Is it correct to do so?' I refilled Khan Saheb's glass, and he who had been sitting in a relaxed position so far sat upright in his usual singing posture, fully inspired and in the mood to sing. He picked up the other tanpura which was close to him and began to demonstrate how Raga Adana should be rendered. I allowed him to sing for a while and then said, 'Khan Saheb, your voice is in absolutely top form!' He guessed the implication of my remark, and smiling a little mischievously he said, 'So, you do want to do a recording'. Taking this as a form of consent, I immediately summoned the accompanists and in a few minutes all was ready for the recording. Khan Saheb was indeed in great form that night. The next two hours literally flew by. He sang one enchanting song after another, and we were able to record such immortal pieces as Aaye na baalam, kya karun sajani, Naina more taras rahe hatn and Prem ki maar katar, to name a few. Like a person possessed Khan Saheb poured his heart and soul into the magic notes. He did not even know how many songs he recorded; this after having been determined not to record at all. During a short respite I handed him a fresh glass. After taking a sip from it he said, 'Joshi Saheb, you must have cast a spell on me. I was determined not to sing. How many have you recorded?' I smiled and replied, 'We need only 2 more.' We had a hearty laugh and thus the memorable recording session came to a close. Outside it had rained very hard and inside the studio we had had torrents of music. Bade Gulam Ali's study of music was extensive. While discussing any aspect of music, he would make intelligent observations that would surprise and impress the most learned and knowledgeable persons. A seminar was once arranged under the auspices of the Sur Singar Samsad. In Hindustani classical music, ragas are ascribed particular hours of the day or night for their exposition. The point under discussion at the seminar was whether there was any scientific reason for this convention or whether it was just a result of custom and tradition. Bade Gulam Ali gave his opinion with practical demonstrations. According to him ragas are divided into two types. A raga of the first type may be played between 12 noon and 12 midnight. Ragas of the second type may be played at any time from midnight to 12 noon. The ragas in the first section are known as 'Purva ragas' and those of the second section as 'Uttar ragas . A saptak is also divided into two parts or 'tetrachords'. The first contains Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, and the second the other four notes, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa. In the purva ragas the vadi swara (the prime or 'life' note of the raga) is taken from the first tetrachord and therefore these ragas are known as purvangavadi ragas. In the same way, the vadi swara in the uttar ragas is usually taken from the second tetrachord, i.e., Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa, and these ragas are called uttarangavadi ragas. When the vadi swara is either 'Sa' or 'Pa', there is no time restriction for the performance of that raga. He also propounded another theory explaining why a particular raga should be sung at a particular time and why, if it is rendered accordingly, it is more effective and appreciated by thelisteners. The 24 hours of the day are divided as follows:

(1) 4 in the morning to 7 in the morning. (2) 7 in the morning to 10 in the morning. (3) 10 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon. (4) 4 in the afternoon to 7 in the evening. (5) 7 in the evening to 10 at night.
• (6) 10 at night to 4 in the morning.

It will be observed that in the ragas of the first and fourth divisions the 2nd note rishabh and 6th note dhaivat are komal swaras. These ragas are also known as Sandhiprakash ragas. Bhairava of the morning variety and Purvi of the evening, having these notes, are Sandhiprakash ragas. Khan Saheb explained how just a slight change of half a note in the structure of the octave changes the raga from a morning to an evening one. In Raga Bhairava the 4th note, madhyam, is shudha, while in Purvi the 4th note is half a note higher, that is tivra madhyama. He also demonstrated and explained the difference between the morning raga Todi and the afternoon raga Multani. Although both have identically the same notes in the octave, they differ from one another owing to different vadi samvadi notes and different chalan. In the same way ragas in the 2nd and 5th parts have the 2nd note rishabh and the 6th note dhaivat as shudha notes. The ragas of the 3rd and 6th parts have the 3rd note gandhara and the 7th note nishad komal. Khan Saheb however added that this theory was based on his observations of general practices. He was of the firm opinion that the theory of division of ragas according to time has some scientific basis and that physicists should be able to arrive at some final explanation after experiments. Ragas are also seasonal melodies. For example, Raga Malhar is associated with the rainy season and Raga Vasant with spring. One evening during the monsoon I had the good fortune to find Bade Gulam Ali in a very exuberant mood. From the balcony of his flat on Malabar Hill one could see the turbulent sea with its rising mountains of waves. This exhibition of nature's strength always inspired Khan Saheb and that day he gave vocal expression to his feelings, in a number of variations of Raga Malhar. He reeled out gamak taans when there was a clap of thunder. He would be inspired by a flash of lightning to indulge in a brilliant 'Phirat', and when it poured cats and dogs, the result would be a torrent of powerful taans ranging over two to three octaves. It sounded as if a jugalbandi programme was in progress between Nature and this great man. Bade Gulam Ali was very generous in sharing his knowledge and rare compositions with deserving persons. And what is more. he did not feel it below his dignity to accept compositions not known to him. There was a frequent exchange of such knowledge and compositions between my guru Gunidas (Pandit Jagannathbua Purohit) and Khan Saheb. I have often enjoyed such musical discussions and exchanges at Khan Saheb's residence in the com- pany of my Guruji and Professor B. R. Deodhar. Bade Gulam Ali had a lively wit and sense of humour. His elder son Karamat Ali, who lived in Pakistan, was on a visit to his father when Bade Gulam Ali introduced him to me as 'my Bade Shahzede - Karamat Ali'. When I inquired about the nature of his profession, Bade Gu]am Ali gave a loud burst of laughter and, pointing to four or five little children playing nearby, he said, 'Look, that is his Karamat.' Karamat Ali joined in our burst of laughter. His younger son, Munawar Ali, was his constant companion and was being groomed to succeed him. He always accompanied Khan Saheb on the tanpura and being so close to his father, he imbibed the vast treasure of his father's musical knowledge. Naturally with such training and all the makings of a first grade artist, everyone expected him to follow in Bade Gulam Ali's footsteps. Unfortunately, however, Bade Gulam Ali had always kept Munawar under his wing. Consequently, Munawar did not learn the art of performing independently and in spite of the vast knowledge he received from his father, this gifted but unlucky singer is still struggling to make a name for himself. Bade Gulam Ali's brother Ustad Barakat Ali Khan also had great talent. The sweetness and phirat of his voice sometimes surpassed that of Bade Gulam Ali. Bade Gulam Ali, however, allowed his brother to accompany him on the harmonium but never to sing with him in public. Therefore Barakat Ali remained unknown to most music lovers in India. It is difficult to say for what reason Bade Gulam Ali always kept his son Munawar and brother Barakat Ali in the background, not giving them a chance to display their talents independently. I had the gond fortune to hear Bade Gulam Ali and Barakat Ali sing together in the same Mehfil when I was a guest of Nawab Zahir Yar Jung at the Basheerbag palace in Hyderabad. The Jainophone Record Company of Lahore, which was a sister concern of H.M.V., was the first to market Barakat Ali's records. Of these Bagome pade zule, Ek sitam aur lakh adaen and Ufari jawani haye jamane have made his name immortal. In 1962 Barakat Ali camc on a visit to Bombay. At my request he made three records, one of ghazals and the other two very lilting dadras. At this recording session. Barakat Ali was in the mood and willing to record many more songs but my boss (the same 'Kudhon ke Badshah' mentioned before) came in the way. He was of the opinion that we could record more when Barakat Ali next came to the city. I helplessly obeyed and, after making three records, Barakat Ali returned to Pakistan never to come back. Only a few months later he passed away in Karachi. I felt extremely upset with my boss for coming in the way of my recording more of this gifted musician's work. Years later I was able to lay my hands on some of Barakat Ali's tape recordings from which I got enough material for two LPs. Although we embarked on the production of LP records in 1960, I could not get Bade Gulam Ali for LP recording till 1963, There is a story behind this. In 1959 we received from our head office a copy of the first Indian classical LP record, featuring Ustad Ali Akbar Khan on the Sarod. The record had an introduction by the world renowned violinist Yehudi Menuhin. Obviously, it was meant for Western audiences. I was asked to evaluate the sales potential of LP records in India. Until then all our records had been made on 78 R.P.M. and were 3 minutes and 20 seconds long. Most classical musicians found it very difficult to do justice to a raga and give their best within such a short time. The LP record would be 5 times the length of a 78 R.P.M. record and I felt that this would be very welcome, not only to the performers but also to listeners and lovers of classical music. However, an LP disc would cost more than Rs. 30 in those days, and considering the pockets of Indian listeners, I had to be very cautious, bearing in mind the sales aspect of the venture. I was, however, very anxious to have the facility of putting classical music on a long playing record and hence advised our head office to send to us 300 copies of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan's record. These, when put in the market, sold out very quickly. Hence it was obvious that, in spite of their high price, the market was ready to absorb LP records. I took this as the green signal to bring stalwarts in the classical field before the microphone for such microgroove recordings. To persuade an artist to record was always a problem. Apart from the conservative outlook of our musicians, their performing form, health and condition of voice had to be considered. To add to this, artists usually put a very high price on their performance, Bade Gulam Ali, like others, had always complained about the inadequate length of records. Therefore, when I approached him, telling him that he would be able to get about 17 to 18 minutes per side, he was very happy and immediately consented. 'Very good' he said, 'I will do the recording but I have a request. On the previous occasions, you paid me on a royalty basis, but this time I wantcash.' I tried to reason with him as to how a royalty agreement would be more advantageous to him in the long run. But he was very adamant so I asked how much he would expect in cash. 'I want only a lakh of rupees,' he said. This was an impossible demand, and I told him so. I decided, therefore, to drop Bade Gulam Ali for the time being. During the next few months I recorded artists like Nazakat Ali, Salamat Ali, Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Amir Khan, Bismillah Khan and several others on LPs. These records found quite a big market and became popular. Whenever we brought out a new LP I made it a point to show a copy of it to Bade Gulam Ali. The LP records always had very attractive ccvers and these tempted Bade Gulam Ali to agree to my proposal. The demand for a lakh of rupees was the main hurdle. My bosses also tried to reason with him, but this only made Bade Gulam Ali more obstinate. 'If you are not ready to pay my fees I will go and record abroad,' was his final answer to them. I had however not given up hope. I kept up friendly relations with him and persisted in my persuasive tactics. In the course of 6 months Khan Saheb climbed down from a lakh to 45 thousand, and after another 4 months he agreed on 25 thousand, from which he would not budge. >From the commercial point of view, film records with their huge sales potential are most profitable to the company. Records of classical music, even by a top artist, would never have such a large sale in a short period. The company, being always eager to get quick returns and a large turnover, was naturally reluctant to enter into a cash contract. Therefore Bade Gulam Ali's demand for 25 thousand was also unacceptable. One more year passed, and around 1962 his health started deteriorating. This affected his voice and performance. Early in 1963 he gave a concert at Shivaji Mandir, the theatre in the Dadar area of Bombay. Of course, I attended it. With Munawar Ali accompanying him on the tanpura, Bade Gulam Ali started with Raga Bhoop. After some alap he started the Bandish. But instead of giving it his usual slow and thorough treatment, he very soon switched over to Sargams. It was obvious that he found it difficult to keep his voice steady and stable on the raga notes. In my opinion the concert was an absolute failure. More than 60% of the singing was done by the son. Whenever I attended his concerts it was my practice to meet him after the concert. But on this occasion I was so painfully disturbed in my mind that I went home without meeting him. The thought of this rich treasure slowly but steadily dwindling. caused me much mental anguish. The next day, however, I could not resist the temptation of meeting him. He had noticed my absence after the concert the previous night, and wanted to know the reason for it. I told him the truth. Previous to this appearance in Shivaji Mandir I had noticed distinct signs of decline in his health and performance. I said to him, 'What you presented a month ago at Akola you could not present yesterday and what you achieved yesterday you may not be able to give tomorrow. This is really a very serious state of affairs. An artist of your calibre is born, maybe, once in a century. For God's sake listen to me and make an LP record.' For a few moments he looked worried and pensive, then he said, 'Very well, I will make only one record. I will sing one morning and one evening raga. The morning raga must be recorded in the morning and the evening raga at the appropriate time.' I was delighted beyond words, and asked when we could do the recording. A very important film recording was scheduled for the next day, but as I was getting Bade Gulam Ali after years of patient waiting, I arranged to cancel the film recording the following evening I drove him to the studio in my car. On the way he said, 'Joshi saheb, I am doing this for your sake, but I want you to give me at least some cash.' I was moved almost to tears at these words and I felt that had I the authority and power, I would have thrown open the cash boxes of the company and asked him to help himself. I said to him, 'I am indeed grateful to you and overwhelmed at his sign of your affection for me. I will give you some cash but please do not ask me how much it will be. Whatever I give you after the recording would be out of love and respect for you and you will have to accept it in the same spirit.' This touched his artistic soul and soon the commercial side of the recording was forgotten. That night he rendered raga Darbari Kanada with Munawar giving him only instrumental support on the tanpura. Before we started I told him that he would get about 19 minutes for the performance. 'All right, but it would have been nice if you had given me half an hour,' he said. However, since Munawar was not allowed to sing with him, Khan Saheb soon found the strain too much. After just 1O minutes of singing he showed signs of being tired and wanted to find out how much longer he would have to sing. Instead of the alloted 19 minutes he finished in around 17 minutes. Sweating profusely he remarked, 'Are Bhai, 15 minutes of singing for you here is equivalent to 3 hours singing in a mehfil'. We played back the raga recorded by him. This gave him the rest he badly needed and it also gladdened him to listen to his delightful performance. He then said, 'Now I would like to sing Malkauns.' I did not remind him of his earlier stipulation. It was to my advantage to keep him in good humour. In the following hour Malkauns was satisfactorily recorded. At last I had got an LP record out of him. Then I reminded him, 'Khan Saheb, you promised to sing one morning raga.'shall do it tomorrow morning.' The following morning he sang first Raga Gunakali and then something that sounded to me like Khambavati or Rageshri He told me that it was neither, but was known as Kaushi Dhani. Thus, instead of one, I succeeded in bagging 2 LP records. Finding him in a very amiable mood and quite happy about his perfornance, I felt it would be a good idea to get something more out of him. So I said, with your listeners and a must in your mehfil. So you must record it.' would be a good idea to put it on a semi long playing (extended play) 45 R.P.M. disc. So I said ,to him, 'You sing it only for about 7 minutes'. Thus I got him to record the beautiful bhajan. Then I reminded him of the other side of the disc. He smiled and said, 'You are very smart; last time, I remember. you got 10 songs out of me when I did not want to record even a single one.' I said, 'But Khan Saheb, every record has to have 2 sides; you must give me one more piece.' I suggested the thumri Kanakar mar jagaye-Bamna ka chora and he readily accepted my suggestion since this was also his pet song. In this manner he eventually gave us 2 LPs and one extended play record. I prevailed upon him to sign a royalty contract. but, as promised, I paid him Rs. 5000/- in cash, as advance against royalty. Once again the fact was proved, that a genuine artist values affection more than money. This recording had been delayed for more than two and a half years because of his unreasonable demand for a lakh of rupees. His failing voice is evident in these records. If he had only agreed to my requests earlier, we would have had a number of recordings of this great artist which would have been appreciated by millions of his fans. Just a few months after this his health deteriorated further.

My friend Nawab Zahir Yar Jung, a true patron and lover of music, took Khan Saheb to Hyderabad and looked after him till he breathed his last in the Basheerbag palace. It was here that I had heard his memorable mehfil with Barakat Ali on the harmonium, and it was here that the mehfil of his life came to an end. He left behind a priceless and glorious heritage of music. For me, besides this, there remain very fond and enduring memories of his warm-heartedness and intelligence.

Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1902-1968)

Profile

Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan can be described as an artiste who has had the maximum impact on the 20th Century Hindustani Classical Music scenario. Born in 1902 into a great musical lineage from Kasur in the Western Punjab, this great savant amalgamated the best of four traditions; his own Patiala - Kasur style, sculpturesque Behram Khani elements of Dhrupad, the intricate gyrations of Jaipur and finally the robust behlavas (embellishments) of Gwaiior. But what actually characterised Bade Ghulam Ali Khan was an effervescent melodic quality which was concertised in a masterly flow of ideas which were delivered with a unique sense of alacrity, aided by one of the most pliable and dextrous voices ever heard in living memory in this land. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan had a relatively short career span. He blazed the trails of Calcutta in 1938 and in the 1944 All India Music Conference in Bombay, was virtually anointed Lord of all he surveyed in the field of Indian Music. But 24 years later, he was dead, prematurely at 66, having given the World less of himself than it would have wished to have. The maestro's approach to khyal was essentially traditional - as seen in the medium pace of his vilambit Khayal presentation and his style of straightforward sthaibharana avoiding permutations. The character of his Gayaki was derived from an inclination towards looking beyond the traditional method of intoning a Swara to discover unchartered facets of beauteous melody, often achieved by very subtle inflexions of notes. This approach was bom of a mind which always strove to find that beauty in Indian Music which went beyond the Raga itself. For Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, 'Taleem' was but a means to a greater end where sheer melody and freedom of movement became unified His music was the joyous expression of an unfettered musical psyche. In 'Thumri', Bade Gliulam Ali Khan looked beyond the tradition of bol-banav where verbal and musical expressions are unified. He saw in Thumri an avenue for playing with notes with even greater abandon than was possible in the raga-restrained Khayal. From this perspective was born the now well-established Punjab-ang of Thumri.

Discography

In alphabetical order of the title

Title	Nature	Music / recording	Contents	Label	Other Artists	Year
Bade Gulam Ali Khan	Hindustani Vocal		Gujri Todi - Bhor Bhai; Desi Todi - Manva Larje; Bhimplas - Be Gun Kahe; Kamod - Chand De Mora; Pahadi - Hari On Tatsat; Kedar - Navelli Naar; Jajjaiwanti - Binati Ka Kariye; Darbari - Bhaj Re Har Naam--- More. Old Release.	EMI India
Bade Gulam Ali Khan Vol 1,2,3,4,5	Hindustani Vocal		Vol 1: Desi, Des, Hindoli Sarang, Thumri Bhairvi ; Vol 2: Basant, Todi Vol 3: Asawari - Ab Bhai Bhore; Madhumad Sarang - Mor Mandip Ab Aayo / Thumri In Bhairavi Vol 4: Khayal Tarana (Raag Behag), Thumri Bhairavi, Thumri Pilu Vol 5: Raag Darbari Kanada, Thumri	T Series
Bade Gulam Ali Khan Vol 6,7,8,9,10,11	Hindustani Vocal		Vol 6: Gunkali, Bol: He Kartar, Adana Bahar. Vol 7:Bihag, Thumri - Bol: Paniya Bharan Kaise Jaanu Vol 8: Malkauns, Thumri Bhairavi - Bol: Suniyo Nand Kumar, Thumri Pilu Vol 9: Jaunpuri, Behag, Thumri - Paniya Bharan Kaise Vol 10 : Malkauns, Thumri, Dadra - Saiyan Gaye Pardesi Vol 11: Jaijaiwanti, Darbari Kanada, Dadra, Bhajan	T Series
Classical Heritage of India Series	Hindustani Vocal		Piloo, Bhairavi, Rageshree	Multitone Prestige	Munawar Ali Khan, vocal
Sab Rang - The Lineage Series	Hindustani Vocal Collection		Ragas Marwa, Hameer, Malini Basant / Raza Ali Khan Raag Kohari Kalyan 2 CD Set	Navras	Raza Ali Khan
The Legend	Hindustani Vocal		Goonkali: Ae Kartar Poori Karo; Malkauns: Aree Kab Ave Sajan, Ab Yahi Bheda Hota; Darbari Kannada: Sugar Madha Peevan Re, Anokha Ladala	EMI India
The Legend Lives On	Hindustani Vocal		Rageshri, Thumri in Pilu & Bhairavi	OMI Music	Munawar Ali Khan, vocal
Ustad Bade GhulamVocal	Hindustani Vocal		Bhairavi Bahar, Lalit, Pahari, Kalengra, Thumris & Dhuns. Baju Band Khul Khul, Toret Naina Jadu, Ham Sang Tum Sang, Kurban Se Mariye, Piya Man Mandira, Balam Aye	Inreco Pyramid
Vocal	Hindustani Vocal		Jai Jaivanti, Lecture/Demo Raag Bhupali	Biswas

Smt Susheela Mishra's Artilcle on Ustaad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
"Hari Om Tatsat..."


Susheela Misra
The man who lived, moved and had his being in music has merged into Nadabrahma! Whether it was a khayal with a courtly theme, a thumri with wistfully romantic word content or a bhajan with highly devotional words, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan could always put his heart and soul into the song. Among his many contributions to Hindustani Music, the outstanding one is that he opened the eyes of contemporary musicians and music lovers to the prime importance of voice culture and voice modulation, and the supreme value of emotion in music.

We have quite a large number of musicians who can sing perfectly correctly and perhaps impress the listener's intellect; but few could touch the listener's heart as Bade Ghulam Ali Khan could. And no other classical vocalist has earned such countrywide adulation from musicians, music lovers and critics. The remarkable pliability of his voice, the unpredictable swara combinations, the incredible speed of his taans and the ease with which he could sway his audiences by his emotional renderings -- these are qualities which have been envied by many a rival.

By his varied and richly expressive style, he has silenced the detractors of classical music who argue that it cannot appeal because it is "dry and flat". For the rare perfection and popularity that he brought to the Punjab ang he has been rightly called "The King of Light Classical Music".

As I sit and recall the numerous Bade Ghulam Ali recitals that I attended, I find that there was not a single rasa he could not bring to life through his music. What passion cannot music raise and quell! When he would sing "Kali ghata ghir ayee sajani", the audience could almost hear the rumbling of thunder, see the flashes of lightning and share the agony of the separated one. He would put his heart and soul into the rendering of a highly devotional khayal like "Mahadev Maheshwar" or his favourite bhajan "Hari Om Tatsat". In his thumri, "Naina more taras rahe", Bade Ghulam Ali would portray the entire longing of the eyes to behold the beloved, while he could bring out all the playfuly romantic, half-exquisite complaint of the Gopi whom Krishna was teasing.

Among classical musicians, Bade Ghulam Ali was truly the king of emotions and thumris. He often used to say: "Many people have the idea that classical music has no powers of expression. This is because generally our musicians are more interested in technical virtuosity. But emotion is the very soul of our music. In fact our music has the power to express the subtlest nuances of feeling." Bade Ghulam Ali has proved this point by his own style, which is an excellent blend of impressive tehchnical mastery and appealing emotional expression. "From the heart of the singer to the hearts of listeners!" is true in the case of his music.

Born in Lahore in 1901 as the son of Khan Saheb Ali Bux, Ghulam Ali's musical gifts were evident at an incredibly early age. Reminiscing over his childhood, he said: "I do not know at what age I began to master the twelve notes. This much I can say: that, at the age of three or four when I started talking, I had some ideas of the twelve notes! I learnt sargams as a child learns his mother tongue."

Recognising the musical potentialities of the child, Ali Bux put him, at the age of seven, under the tutelage of Khan Saheb Kale Khan of Patiala for the next ten years. After the Khan Saheb's death, Ghulam Ali continued his training under his own father.

What fired him with a feeling of challenge was a small incident. When Kale Khan died, a certain musician made a caustic remark that music was dead with Kale Khan. This put young Ghulam Ali on his mettle. In his own words: "For the next five years, music became my sole passion. I practised hard, day and night, even at the cost of sleep. All my joys and sorrows were centred on music."

Ghulam Ali was gifted with all the attributes of a great musician: musical lineage, intelligence, sound training and high artistic sensibility. "To me the purity of the note is the supreme thing," he used to say. Ghulam Ali also had the privilege of receiving talim from Ashiq Ali (who belonged to the gharana of Tanras Khan), and from the late Baba Sindhi Khan. Some people detected shades of Ustad Wahid Khan's charming style in his khayal alap.

It is true that Bade Ghulam Ali belonged to a long and illustrious musical lineage. But it was his genius that chiselled off all the harsh crudities and angularites of the once dry Patiala Gharana and lent it such a rare polish and glow that today it has achieved countrywide popularity. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan has left behind not only hundreds of singers trying to emulate him but also thousands and thousands of music lovers who cherish his music. No other North Indian vocalist ever attracted such large audiences in the South as did Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

Bade Ghulam Ali never tried to win the approbation of those classical purists who judge the excellence of a performance by the length of delineation of each raga. His aim was to appeal to the hearts of the millions who heard him. He would say: "What is the use of stretching each raga for hours ? There are bound to be repetitions."

A true artist, Bade Ghulam Ali was not interested in political and religious differences. He knew of only two categories of humanity: music lovers and the uninterested ones. "I know only one thing: Music! I am little interested in other things. I am just a humble devotee of God and Music."

At his abode, wherever he used to stay -- Bombay, Delhi, Calcutta or Hyderabad -- he was surrounded by his admirers all the time and the swarmandal was always with him. Every few minutes, he would break into song -- to illustrate a point he was making. A firm believer in the debt that classical music owes to folk airs, he could, with amazing dexterity, demonstrate the simple folk lilts like a real villager, and then suddenly sing out its fully polished classical counterpart in a scintillating manner. No wonder his admirers were always crowding around him throughout his waking hours.

During his last stay in Bombay (prior to his departure to Hyderabad and his last fatal attack), a young admirer from the South had a few hours' halt in Bombay, before taking a plane to Calcutta. It was 11 p.m. when he reached Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's place. Yet, with joy, the Ustad showed his hospitality, not by serving tea and sweets but by something more precious. "Bring my swarmandal!" he said to his son Munnawar. "Let me sing awhile for my guest." As the young admirer said: "Can you beat this great artiste's humility and his utter absorption in music ?"

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan was not only everyone's favourite but a musicians' musician. Leading artistes of the country have paid homage to this great musician. Begum Akhtar says in her tribute: "I have never seen such a rare combination of greatness and simplicity. When I first heard him, I felt that I was hearing real music for the first time. He was my honoured guest for several months in Calcutta. He used to sing all day long: in fact, music was his sole interest in life. In sorrow he would draw solace from music; in joy also he would burst into song. What a rare musician!"

Under his pen name, "Sabrang", he has left numerous lilting compositions -- khayals and thumris. "Sabrang" had only one passion in life : Music. Today the great singer has merged into Nadabrahma -- eternal bliss through music. His favourite bhajan ever was and will be: "Hari Om Tatsat".

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan: The King of light classical music

Once in a while in the history of Indian classical music comes a singer who touches such dizzying heights that an entire tradition or gharana becomes synonymous with his name. Such was the case with musicians like Ustad Abdul Karim Khan of the Kirana gharana and Ustad Alladiya Khan of the Jaipur-Atrauli. And such is the case with Bade Ghulam Ali Khan of the Patiala gharana.

Born into a family of musicians in 1902, Bade Ghulam Ali received his initial training from his father Ali Buksh and later by uncle Kale Khan of Patiala. Consequently, the singer came to represent the Patiala school of music. Ironically, Bade Ghulam Ali began his musical career as a sarangiya. But luckily for music lovers he switched to vocal music quite young in age. There is a very interesting anecdote about why he switched streams. Apparently, during a concert where he was accompanying a leading vocalist of those times, Ustadji found himself unable to keep up with the vocalist. In sheer humiliation he gave up playing the sarangi and took up singing.

What Bade Ghulam Ali Khan is remembered for today is his soulful rendering of thumris like, Babul Mora, Ka Karun Sajani and Yaad Piya ka Aaye. For a man of such enormous girth, the Ustad had an amazingly sweet and melodious voice. It was soft as butter and could float up and down the octaves with absolute ease. Little wonder then that he was known as the king of light classical music. Besides thumris and bhajan, to which he brought a deep sense of grace, melody and chastity, the Ustad was an exceptionally consummate khayal singer. There was great artistry involved in the manner in which he developed a raga. Ustadji was also a very prolific composer. He composed many khayals and bhajans under the pseudonym of Sabrang.

In his later years, even when Ustadji's health took a turn for the worse, he continued to perform with his usual zest and vigour. A man with a huge appetite for food, the Ustad was also an ustad at the kitchen and could turn out dishes with lan.

Unfortunately there is no true successor to the Ustad's legacy. For reasons unknown, neither Ustadji's son, Munawar Ali Khan or his brother Barkat Ali Khan were never really encouraged by the Ustad to perform in public during his lifetime. But after his death in April 1968 in Hyderabad, these two have carried his legacy forward.

Manisha Vardhan

Saluting Bade Ghulam Ali Khan in Lahore Wednesday, 17 May 2006 | http://www.nerve.in/news:2535001601

"Renowned ghazal singers Mehdi Hasan and Ghulam Ali were given the Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Award for ghazal singing, Fateh Ali Khan was declared the best classical singer, Allah Ditta Lunay Wala was given the best folksinger award and Farrukh Bashir was given best music producer award."

Islamabad, May 17 - Singing into the early hours at a function in Lahore earlier this week, three generations of the Patiala Gharana that have enriched classical music in India and Pakistan paid rich tributes to their founder Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

Three generations of the renowned Patiala family -- Fateh Ali Khan, Fateh's son Rustam Ali Khan, Hamid Ali Khan and Hamid's son Nayab Ali Khan -- performed together after three years and received a standing ovation.

The India branch of the family was represented by Jawad Ali Khan and Mazhar Ali Khan, who sang thumri and raag Bageshwari.

Talking to the Daily Times newspaper, Indian singers Jawad and Mazhar said they had come with a message of peace and love because Pakistan was the birthplace of their grandfather Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

Renowned ghazal singers Mehdi Hasan and Ghulam Ali were given the Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Award for ghazal singing, Fateh Ali Khan was declared the best classical singer, Allah Ditta Lunay Wala was given the best folksinger award and Farrukh Bashir was given best music producer award.

The event was organised by Caravan, the first non-official organisation formed in Lahore in 1986 to promote music in Pakistan.

Thanx Babu for strting this thread. will b a good change after all that happened frm the morning. here's another picture of the ustad.

A book 'Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan -His Life and Music' on late Bade Ghulam Ali Khan emiment musician is being releasing by the Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology Shri Arun Shourie and the Union Minister of Tourism and Culture Shri Jagmohan, in New Delhi on June, 30, 2003 (Monday). Photo No. CNR - 3445

Originally posted by: Barnali

Thanx Babu for starting this thread. will b a good change after all that happened frm the morning. here's another picture of the Ustad.

Thanks Barnali Didi, So glad I could do this and we both were thinking on the same subject, I am really happy about this thread.

MUSIC

An ustad's legacy

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's enduring contributions to the world of Hindustani music and to the singing of the thumri, the bhajan and folk tunes are in focus in this, his birth centenary year. V.N. MAVIN KURVE
AS a young journalist then, I was in good time that morning for my interview with Morarji Desai, then Chief Minister of Bombay State, at his official residence. But something had upset the morning's schedule, and there I was, cooling my heels, as officials, politicians and visitors trooped in and out. When I was finally sent for, Morarji Desai apologised for the delay. "You know," he explained, "Bade Ghulam Ali, from Lahore, was here this morning. He is the very best living exponent of Hindustani classical music. After 10 years in Lahore, he has discovered that his cultural roots are in India, and he wants a permanent immigrant visa. What do you think I should do - recommend his case?"
Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. He made a major contribution to Hindustani music and revolutionised the singing of the classical khayaal as well as the folksy ditties. I was flattered to be 'consulted' by Desai. I said: "For me, he isn't the best living singer, but certainly, an Indian citizenship for him benefits us immensely." Morarji Desai was not used to being contradicted, and certainly not by an upstart junior scribe. What I said was not music to his ears. "Oh, so for you he isn't our best singer, is it? Who meets your exacting standards?" he asked. I should have demurred, but persisted: "I honestly think Ustad Amir Khan from Indore is our best singer." It was only years later I came to know that despite being professional rivals and despite possessing diametrically opposite styles, the two maestros (Amir Khan was seven years junior to Bade Ghulam Ali Khan) retained an innate respect for each other. It is a measure of the depth and diversity of Indian classical music that despite the contrasting styles of singing, both had their vast, loyal following and aficionados. Music critic Mohan Nadkarni, in his Great Masters: Profiles in Hindustani Classical Vocal Music, says Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's music was extroverted, exuberant, volatile and eclectic. On the other hand, Amir Khan's magic amalgam came from the Khanda-Meru school - an introverted, dignified durbar style, where the pattern and the tempo of singing builds upon itself and evolves ever so gradually. Morarji Desai successfully negotiated the grant of a permanent immigrant visa to Bade Ghulam Ali Khan between 1957 and 1958. In an unusual gesture, he also helped the ustad to settle down in Mumbai, earmarking for him a posh Malabar Hill bungalow facing the sea, and inviting the city elite to a musical concert at his residence. In 1962, in the evening of an event-filled life, the ustad moved to Hyderabad, where Nawab Zahir Yar Jung, a long-time admirer of his music, offered him support and space in his Bashir Baug palace. It had begun a hundred years ago in Kasur, near Lahore, and ended, after many highs, honours and haunting concerts in Hyderabad in April 1968. This year we celebrate the ustad's birth centenary, and attempt a centennial assessment of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's lasting contribution to Hindustani music and to the singing of the thumri, the bhajan and folk tunes. He made a major contribution to Hindustani music and revolutionised the singing of the classical khayaal as well as the folksy ditties. We select him from among several outstanding exponents of classical music because in the 20th century, he came closer than many others to re-inventing the raison d'etre of Indian music - the vision of a "Naadh-Brahma", the nirvaan of secular music, a vision of a self-sustained universe created from the exquisite amalgam of raag, taal and taan. As a child and as an adolescent, Ghulam Ali learnt music from his uncle, Ustad Kalle Khan of the Kasur gharana. Inspiration and hard work helped this ambitious youngster to chisel out the angularities in his singing. His preparatory years were marked by industry and determination, which fact became evident in the unsurpassed range and quality of his voice. In the years that followed, it was the maestro's voice that gave his art an immortality which was rarely equalled. The voice could articulate the quiver of a delicate note to the opening of the floodgates of powerful taans. His listeners were awe-struck at the amazing voice range, which moved freely through three octaves and the most intricate patterns of signing without losing its flexibility and sweetness. Curiously, young Ghulam Ali, like Amir Khan and some other outstanding vocalists, began his musical career by learning to play on the exquisite stringed instrument, the sarangi. It is said of Ustad Allauddin Khan of Maihar that he was proud that most of his pupils, including the sitar wizard, Ravi Shankar, the sarod virtuoso, Ali Akbar Khan, and the flautist, Pannalal Ghosh, had firm foundations in their musical expressions because of the intense training that they had with the sarangi and later, in dhrupad dhamar and pakhawaaj. High-quality music required a unity of raag, taal and taan, said the Maihar maestro, Ustad Allauddin Khan. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan admitted that it was his early felicity with the sarangi that influenced his musical articulateness profoundly and later, his ability to execute difficult but exceedingly fluent and sonorous taans. "Can you find another instrument which is so close to the human voice?" he would ask. Whether it was the khayaal with its courtly discipline, the thumri with its wistful romance or the bhajan with its devotional elan, the ustad opened the eyes and attuned the ears of music-lovers, critics and experts to the importance of voice culture and voice control and the place of emotion in music. Ghulam Ali Khan made his first bow before the public in a Delhi durbar, organised in honour of the Prince of Wales by the British government and the princely states in the early 1920s. He arrived on the Hindustani musical scene in the 1930s, riding a new gharana style called the Patiala Gaiki. But what caused a sensation were his debuts at the All-India Music Conference, Kolkata (1939) and later, at the Vikramaditya Sangeet Parishad, Mumbai (1944). These heralded the rise of a new star on the musical firmament. Distinguished musicians participating in the classical music soirees praised the virtuosity of the 40-year-old Ghulam Ali Khan, whose voice combined a sweetness and pliability that could handle unpredictable swara combinations, deliver taans at incredible speed and captivate audience with ease with surcharged emotion in singing. An usually attractive trait of the ustad's singing was his absolute virtuosity and mastery over intricate taan patterns. It won him friends, admirers and fans across the musical divide, in Carnatic music also. An admirer recalled a visit he made to the ustad's Mumbai residence, shortly before he moved to Hyderabad. The doting follower had to fly to Calcutta a few hours later and it was almost 11 p.m. when he rang the ustad's doorbell. The fan revealed that not only was he treated to tea and sweets at that hour, but that the ustad asked his son Munawar to fetch his swar-mandal so that he could sing a few thumris for the visitor. Overwhelmed, the visitor remarked to his host in Mumbai: "Can you beat this great artist's humility and uttar absorption in music?" FEW luminaries have shone so brightly on the classical music firmament for almost two generations as Bade Ghulam Ali Khan did. Few still could combine so remarkably, tradition with magnetism, technique with grace and pure classicality with popular appeal. "It is rare to come by a musical wizard", writes music critic Mohan Nadkarni, "who could intone with such finesse for aligning his music to the moods and tastes of his mixed audiences. His clear and mellifluous voice, which had both range and depth, was his fortune and he had admirably adopted it to his medium to render fluent khayaals, sprightly thumris, erotic ghazals, soulful bhajans and perennial folk songs with an artistry all his own." Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan himself said once: "Many people think that classical music has no power of expression and has only technical virtuosity. They forget that emotion is the very soul of our music and that it has the power to express even the subtlest of nuances." While singing thumris, especially, the ustad would often break his singing to emphasise the sensitive depiction and the charm of its poetic element, enunciate its beauty and delicately delineate the erotic colour or the depth of its emotive concerns. Occasionally, while singing classical raags, he would stop to show how a certain pattern of singing would go if it were a thumri, and if it were classical singing. The ustad had his critics, too, who would criticise him for compromising on the chaste purity of the classical compositions "for cheap popularity". This is, of course, a variant of the old conundrum: whether music, especially classical music, should be for the "classes" or for the "masses". Bade Ghulam Ali himself once said: "I know I have been criticised by the so-called high-brow votaries - for shortening the vilambit, singing in raags like Durbari Kanada, Marwa and Lalit and compromising on tradition. I agree that the charm and the heart of classical music is in its leisurely rendering. But then, gone are the days of the leisurely durbar music concerts, which could go on for hours, repeating its contents. We now have to sing for the people whose leisure is limited, and align our music to their moods and caprices." G. N. Joshi, a recording company executive in Mumbai and himself a singer, has written with feeling of the human side of the maestro. Once Joshi was in the ustad's Mumbai bungalow when there was a cloudburst, and the anger of the sea nearby, amid the lightning, created an eerie atmosphere. Joshi recalls how Bade Ghulam Ali sang the many variations of Malhaar raag trying to match the lapping of the waves on the seashore, "echoing the clap of thunder with gamak taans; the lightning with brilliant phirats or vocal pirouettes, and the rain with torrents of taans over the three octaves". It was a jugalbandhi between Man and Nature. Similarly, at a musical mehfil in Hyderabad's Bashir Baug palace, when a night-train in the nearby Nampally station gave a shrill whistle to mark the start of its journey, Bade Ghulam Ali (who was about to begin his recital), started on the same high note and progressively came down through the Tivra, Madhya and Mandra octaves - to the deafening applause of his audience. Bhimsen Joshi, the veteran classical singer, recalls how impressed younger singers were with the ustad's uncanny ability to cross three octaves and touch an even higher note. "When we tried it, our larynxes went on strike," he recalled recently. In his last few years, when the ustad was afflicted by partial paralysis, he had to undergo physical massage daily for two hours in order to condition his body. This was a ritual he hated - until he chanced to match the massage with musical raags. Like some other wizards of music in Hindustani and Carnatic music, his commitment to the swara, raag and laya was so total that daily life became a musical exercise. Not to be missed is his contribution to restoring the thumri to its pristine place among folk ditties. Under his tutelage, thumri singing reached an esoteric level that had not been reached earlier. Indeed, many who listened to his haunting thumris such as Aaye na baalam, kya karun sajani; Yaad piya ki aaye; Kate naa biraha ki raat for the first time, realised how powerfully music could display emotions. Many were attracted to the ustad's music through his thumris. His thumris are a magical amalgam of dexterity, vitality, flexibility and range of voice which ensures an electrifying impact. The bol-banao thumri, set on vilambit taal, provided the ustad an extended canvas for reposeful improvisation; the bol-bant thumri (popular in Kathak dances) is faster and allows rhythmic play. Single-handedly, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan created what is known as the "Punjab Ang" of the thumri. The ustad's repertoire included the Dadra, with its coquettish metric cadence; the Kajri (for which Mirzapur town is famous) which extols romantic moments and pining; the Chaiti depicting the trauma of separation in the post-harvest season, and so on. Under the pen name Sab-rang, Bade Ghulam Ali composed many of his own songs.

G. N. Joshi has written of how in 1948, a dozen exquisitely sung thumris were recorded by his company at one sitting, "under false pretenses"! The ustad, like numerous artists, had a weakness for scotch whisky and a toothsome viand. After he had said he was too unwell for a recording, the ustad was invited to come to the company's offices for a "small drink". Joshi had prepared a couple of tanpuras attuned to the maestro's pitch, and called his senior instrumentalists to an adjoining room. After a peg or two of scotch, the maestro took up the tanpura to make a technical point which did catch him off-guard, but made him want to show his progress. One after another Bade Ghulam Ali reeled off his thumris. It was only when Joshi said "we just need two more" that Bade Ghulam Ali demanded to know how many had been recorded. "Two more will make the right dozen to cut a record," he was told. Joshi said ustad was a gourmand - "Rangila Gavayya and Rasila Khavayya".