Life and Contribution of Bismillah Khan
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Ustad Bismillah Khan (21 March 1916 – 21 August 2006) (born as Qamaruddin Khan), often referredto by the honorific title Ustad, was an Indian musician credited with popularizing the shehnai, a subcontinental wind instrument of the oboe class.
Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi, instituted the Ustad Bismillah KhanYuva Puraskar in 2007, in his honour. It is given to young artists in the field of music, theatre and dance.
Answer:
Bismillah Khan was born on 21 March 1916
His name also bears a unique story behind it: On his birth, his grandfather thanking God, uttered "Bismillah" and the name Bismillah stuck!
His ancestors were court musicians in the princely state of Dumraon in Bihar.
His grandfather, Rasool Bux Khan was the shehnai-nawaz of the Bhojpur King's court.
His father, Paigambar Bux, and other paternal ancestors were also great shehnai players.
At the age of three when his mother took him to his maternal uncle's house in Banaras, Bismillah was fascinated watching his uncle practice the shehnai. The little child's reaction astonished his uncle who predicted that the boy would one day become a great player of the instrument.
Bismillah Khan was trained by his uncle, the late Ali Bux `Vilayatu’, a shehnai player attached to Varanasi’s Vishwanath Temple.
At an early age, he familiarized himself with various forms of the music of UP, such as Thumri, Chaiti, Kajri, Sawani etc. Later he studied Khayal music and mastered a large number of ragas. *At the age of 14 (1930), Bismillah accompanied his Ustad to the Allahabad Music Conference. This was his first opportunity to reproduce the composition of 'bandash' and his skill was greatly appreciated. At the end of his recital, the great Ustad Faiyaz Khan patted the young boy's back and said, "Work hard and you shall make it".
He brought the shehnai to the center stage of Indian music with his concert in the Calcutta All India Music Conference in 1937.
With the opening of the All India Radio in Lucknow in 1938 came Bismillah's big break. He soon became an often-heard Shehnai player on radio.
When India gained Independence on August 15,1947, Bismillah became the first Indian to greet the nation with his shehnai. He played to an audience, which included Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, who later gave his famous 'Tryst with Destiny' speech.
January 25, 1950: Bismillah Khan performs Raga Kafi from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the eve of India’s first Republic Day ceremony.
Bismillah Khan, a devout Muslim referred to his Shehnai his Quran- I-le. Every year, on the eighth day of Muharram, he would lead a procession through the narrow lanes of Banaras, proudly displaying his rebellion by blowing on his Shehnai.
His first trip abroad was to Afghanistan where King Zahir Shah was so taken in by the maestro that he gifted him priceless Persian carpets and other souvenirs. He also performed in Europe, Iran, Iraq, Canada, West Africa, USA, USSR, Japan, Hong Kong and almost every capital city of the world.
Bismillah Khan is also the first Indian who was invited to perform at the prestigious Lincoln Center Hall in the USA.
Bismillah Khan receives the 'Padmashri' in 1961.
Bismillah Khan receives the 'Padma Bhushan' in 1968.
Bismillah Khan receives the 'Padma Vibhushan' in 1980.
Bismillah Khan receives the Second Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhana Award in 1994.
Bismillah Khan is the third classical musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna (in 2001), India's highest civilian honour in India.
Bismillah Khan acquired honorary doctorates from the Banaras Hindu University and the Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan. He has been awarded the Sangeet Natak Academi Award, the Tansen Award of the Madhya Pradesh government and also the prestigious Padma Vibhushan.
Khan Saheb's shehnai recitals were a cultural part of the Independence Day Celebrations telecast on Doordarshan every year on August 15th since the days of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister (1947-1964).
August 21, 2006: Bismillah Khan, one of India's most celebrated classical musicians, dies of cardiac arrest at Varanasi's Heritage Hospital. Government declares one day national morning. Bureau Report with ANI inputs