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Bismillah Khan
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Think of
the shehnai and the first thing you'll probably visualize is an
auspicious occasion or a function. The second would probably be an
image of Bismillah Khan, (India's most famous master shehnai player)
playing this instrument.
Born on
March 21, 1916, Bismillah belongs to a well-known family of
musicians from 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.
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The
young boy took to music early in life. At the age of three when his
mother took him to his maternal uncle's house in Banaras, Bismillah
was fascinated watching his uncles 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. |
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Did you know?
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Shehnai was never played in a classical musical conference in
India till Bismillah Khan elevated it into a dignified musical
instrument. |
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Soon
Bismillah started accompanying his Uncle Ali Bux to the Vishnu temple of
Varanasi where Bux was employed to play the shehnai. Ali Bux would play
the Shehnai and Bismillah would sit captivated for hours on end. Slowly,
he started getting lessons in the instrument and would sit practicing
for hours. |
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There is
an interesting story behind Bismillah's name. On his birth, his
grandfather thanking God, uttered "Bismillah" and the name Bismillah
stuck! |
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What
is the shehnai?
The
shehnai is a pipe shaped musical instrument 13 to 16 inches long,
generally with seven holes to manipulate the melodic expression. The
tonal dynamics and pitch of the instrument are controlled by the
movements of the lips and by the pressure used in blowing. |
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At the
age of 14, 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".
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 Pt Jawaharlal Nehru, who
later gave his famous
Tryst
with Destiny speech. |
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Fundu Fact |
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Music is taboo for Muslims. But Bismillah Khan, otherwise a
devout Muslim calls his Shehnai his Quran- I-le. Every
year, on the eighth day of Muharram Bismillah leads a procession
through the narrow lanes of Banaras, proudly displaying his
rebellion by blowing on his Shehnai. He says, "How could my
music that gives me such peace and happiness be haraam"? |
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Bismillah Khan has given many memorable performances both in India
and abroad. 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.
Bismillah Khan is also the first Indian who was invited to perform
at prestigious Lincoln Center Hall in the USA.
Many
awards and honours have come the way of this genius. The Padmashri
came in 1961, the Padma Bhushan in 1968 and the Padma Vibhushan
followed in 1980. In 1994, the second Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhana
Award was conferred on him. But even after all the honours and
awards Bismillah remains a humble man. |
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The King
of Afghanistan is not the only one to be fascinated with Bismillah's
music. Film director Vijay Bhatt was so impressed after hearing
Bismillah play at a festival that he named a film on the instrument
called "Gunj Uthi Shehnai". The film was a hit, one of
Bismillah's composition, "Dil ka khilona hai toot gaya…."
turned out to be a nation wide chartbuster! |
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