The Shehnai Maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan
170(From the Archives of AIR)
Shehnai Maestro, Ustad Bismillah Khan brought a rare vibrancy and resplendence to Indian classical music. An instrumentalist with gifted artistic genius, he enthralled his audiences across the globe and elevated the Shehnai to a position of pride and glory in Indian classical music.
The world renowned Ustad Bismillah Khan Sahib gave shehnai its due status, among other Indian classical music instruments. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Shri, the Tansen Award, the Bharat Ratna and many more. His debut was at the age of 14, after which there was no looking back.
Born in a house fully immersed in the tunes and rhythm of music, young Bismillah started even playing marbles to the tunes of shehnai. Though born in a family of traditional shehnai players, his relatives were astonished to witness the innate musical talent in young Bismillah.
Bismillah, with his penchant for perfection, often practiced in his room for 4-6 hours, at a stretch. Oblivious to the changes taking place outside the four walls he experimented and discovered new heights and depths of musical scales and melodies. Bismillah was so overtaken by the thirst to perfect his own music that he often missed the other pleasures in a young boy's life.
Ustad Bismillah Khan toured the world extensively and brought soulful tunes of the shehnai to the hearts of millions. Edinburgh Festival, in UK in (1966), Montreal World Exposition in 1967, Cannes Art Festival, France (1969), Osaka World Exposition in 1970, are but some of the international performances which Khan Sahib adorned. Wherever he went, he received thundering applause from his inspired and touched audiences.
First musician to play for Independent India at Red Fort on 15th August, 1947, he played the opening tunes at the Red Fort, New Delhi on the 50th year of Indian Independence in 1997. The President Shri K.R Narayanan conferred the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna Award upon Ustad Bismillah Khan on May 4, 2001.