Maestros of India

Hindustani Music - Vocals

Miyan Tansen (1506–1589) is believed to have been the greatest North Indian musician of all time. He was instrumental in creating the classical style of North Indian music as we know it today, and has influenced it greatly up to the present day, both through his actions and his blood descendants. He was one of the Navratnas (nine jewels) at the court of the Emperor Akbar.

Tansen was born in a Hindu family in Gwalior. His father, Mukund Misra, was a poet. His name as a child was Tannu Mishra. The boy learned music from Haridas Swami, a legendary teacher of the time, and came to serve as court musician to King Ramachandra of Mewa, Bandhavgarh and later to Emperor Akbar as one of the treasured Navaratnas (nine jewels) of the court. It was Akbar who gave him the title Miyan, and he is usually referred to today as Miyan Tansen.

Miyan Tansen accepted Islam at the hands of the great Sufi mystic and saint – Shaykh Muhammad Ghaus of Gwalior who was also his teacher and spiritual guide. Tansen had four sons and a daughter, Tanras Khan, Bilas Khan, Hamirsen, Suratsen and Saraswati Devi, all musicians; Bilas Khan created raga Bilaskhani Todi. In fact, Tansen's blood descendants held sway for hundreds of years as a most formidable force – the Senia gharana – on the North Indian music scene. The last of the line, Dr Dabir Khan, was born in 1905 and died in 1972. He was a dhrupadiya and a beenkar, working for Radio Calcutta. He came from Saraswati Devi's side of the family.

As a musician, Tansen is said to have no equal (except perhaps for his guru Swami Haridas and for a counterpart, Amir Khusro, centuries earlier), so good he is sometimes thought to have worked miracles through his singing, such as bringing the rains with Raga Megh Malhar and starting fires with Raga Deepak.

He composed several ragas that have been cornerstones in the repertoire ever since, such as Miyan ka Bhairav today simply known as Bhairav ,Darbari Todi, Darbari Kanada, Miyan ki Todi, Miyan ki Malhar, Miyan ki Mand, Miyan ki Sarang and Rageshwari. Almost every gharana (school) tries to trace its origin to him, though some try to go further back to Amir Khusro. However, it is likely that Tansen and his guru Swami Haridas really started the Dhrupad style of singing. His Sangeeta Sara and Rajmala are important documents on music.His musical power could even light up the candles in the court of Akbar.His art of music is still been saluted by the singers and composers of the world.