|
There are many who feel that
Ameer Khan was a man ahead
of his times, far more
sophisticated in thought and
expression than musicians
before and after him. In his
lifetime he became an icon
for purists, and the large
number of vocalists who have
tried to follow his
vocalism, is testimony to
his genius. In the 30 odd
years since his death, his
music continues to command a
large following among khayaliyas.
Ustad Ameer Khan`s serene,
tranquil and contemplative
music rested on an
incredibly fertile
intellect. Born in a family
of musicians in Indore in
1912, he was brought up in
the rich musical atmosphere
of Indore, where the Royal
court had appreciable
patronage for Hindustani
classical vocal music. Ameer
Khan`s chief mentor was his
father, Ustad Shahmir Khan.
However, his formative years
saw the young Ameer Khan
experiencing a steadily
growing interest in the gayaki of
Ustad Rajab Ali
Khan, whose mehfils were
frequent in town and also
that of the other Kirana
giant, Ustad Abdul Waheed
Khan. He drew inspiration
from Ustad Aman Ali Khan of
Bhendibazar too and in
course of time, through
arduous riyaz, he developed
a unique gayaki bearing his
own exclusive stamp. The
sum-total of influences and
impressions filtered through
his highly sensitized being,
and in perfect accord with
the natural quality of his
voice and his aesthetic
individuality, gave birth to
a style that was a rare
combination of spirituality,
technique, cerebration,
serenity and emotion. All
this he presented with an
understated elegance,
reverence, restrained
passion and an utter lack of
showmanship that both moved
and awed listeners.
The dominant element in his
music was the Merukhand
system of Raga progression,
inspired and influenced by
Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan when
he was around 25-30. Merukhand did not remain a
mere technique but became a
vehicle of expression for
him.
Ameer Khan`s singing struck
a perfect balance between
the easy paced and highly
evocative vistars on one
hand and very difficult and
speedy taan-sargams on the
other. He wrote and set to
tune several khayals and
composed a number of taranas.
In the emotional content of
his sargams, Ameer Khan
leaned heavily towards Abdul Karim Khan and shared with
him a close relationship. In Khayal singing,
Ameer Khan
drew voluminously from Aman
Ali Khan`s sargams. His
taranas were deeply
influenced by the
spirituality of Hazrat Amir
Khusrau.
Ustad Ameer Khan`s musical
idiom and intention changed
in the course of his life.
Unlike other gharanedar
musicians he was open to new
ideas and re-invented his
vocalism in the latter part
of his musical career. The
influence of the Kirana
maestro Ustad Abdul Waheed
Khan is predominant in his
early recordings of Marwa,
Malkauns, etc. In the later
phase of his career, the
expansion of the Raga almost
always employed the lower
octave phrases as
complimentary to the
progression in the normal
scale. This was a distinct
departure from all other Ustads and
Pandits of the
other gharanas including
Kirana.
Ameer Khan was known as the
emperor of Khayal and never
sang Thumri in his concerts.
But his rendition of Khamaj
Thumri in the famous film
`Khsudita
Pashaan` mesmerized everyone
at the intensity of emotion
he could create in this
genre also.
He was awarded the Padma
Bhushan and the Sangeet
Natak Akademi award by the
President of India. His
disciples included the likes
of Pandit Amarnath,
Prodyumna Mukherjee, Kankana
Banerjee, Shrikant Bakre,
Shankar Mazumdar etc. and
many more vocalists all over
the country who were deeply
influenced by his style and
were virtually blind
followers of his gayaki.
His sudden death in 1974 in
a car accident created a
permanent void in the world
of Hindustani music. |
Maestros
of India
