Our Correspondent
Renowned Indian classical musician in the Hindustani classical music tradition, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan has been selected for prestigious Padma Vibhushan award.
Ghulam Mustafa Khan is among three personalities who have been chosen for the prestigious award which is announced today. Others are Illaiyaraja musician from Tamil Nadu and Parameswaran Parameswaran (Literature and Education) from Kerala.
‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service;
He belongs to the illustrious school of music of Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana which owes its allegiance to Seniya tradition represented by great Ustads like Ustad Wazir Khan, Ustad Bahadur Hussain Khan, Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan, Ustad Fida Hussain Khan, Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan and Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan.
Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan was born on March 3, 1931 in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh. He started learning to sing before he had even started to talk properly. His father and first Guru Waris Hussain Khan used to hold him on his chest and teach him Sa Re Ga Ma when he was starting to lisp his first words. His mother was the daughter of the great Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan and music was the legacy of his family. Their seniya traditions go back to the times of Tansen and his great great grandfather Ustad Qutubuddin Khan was the court musician of the Nawab of Oudh, Wajid Ali Shah. His grandfather, Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan was also the court musician during the reign of king Ustad Wajid Ali Shah and also the Son-in-law of the pioneer of Gwalior Gharana Ustad Haddu Khan Sahib.
He was earlier awarded the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. In 2003 he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists given by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’s National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama.
He is married to Amina Begum who is grand daughter of Mushtaq Hussain Khan. They have four sons Murtaza Khan, Qadir Mustafa, Rabbani Khan, Hasan Khan. Murtaza Khan and Qadir Khan are well known classical vocalists and singers of Hindi Film Industry who have worked with the legendary music director A. R. Rahman Amit Trivedi and others. He is also the uncle of sufi singer Ateeq Hussain Khan and guru uncle of classical vocalist Rashid Khan. He currently lives in Mumbai, Maharashtra along with his family.
Some of his Disciples are singers in the field of Indian playback singing: Asha Bhosle, Geeta Dutt, Hariharan, Shaan, Sonu Nigam, Sagarika,son’s Murtuza, Qadir, Rabbani, Hasan and grandson’s Aamir and Faiz etc.Murtuza’s son Faiz was the youngest singer of coke studio he was part of Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan’s 3 generation performance with A.R.Rahman at coke studio season 3 for MTV India.
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