Amir Khan (singer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amir Khan
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Sur Rang |
| Born | August 1912 Kalanaur, British India |
| Died | 13 February 1974 (aged 61) Calcutta, West Bengal, India |
| Genres | Indian classical music (Khyal, Tarana) |
| Occupation(s) | Hindustani classical vocalist |
| Years active | 1934–1974 |
| Labels | EMI, HMV, Music Today, Inreco, Ninaad, Navras, Columbia, The Twin |
| Awards: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Presidential Award Padma Bhushan |
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Ustad Amir Khan (born August 15, 1912 – died February 13, 1974) was a very important and influential Indian singer. He was known for his amazing voice in Hindustani classical music. He also started his own special singing style called the Indore gharana.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Amir Khan was born into a family of musicians in Kalanaur, India. His father, Shahmir Khan, played instruments like the sarangi and veena. He worked for the Holkars, a royal family in Indore. Amir Khan's grandfather, Change Khan, was also a singer for a king.
Amir Khan's mother passed away when he was nine. He had a younger brother, Bashir, who became a sarangi player. Amir Khan first learned to play the sarangi from his father. But his father soon saw that Amir was more interested in singing. So, he started teaching him vocal music.
Amir Khan grew up hearing many different music styles. Many musicians visited his family's home in Indore. They often had music gatherings called mehfils. He also learned the basics of playing the tabla (a drum) from one of his uncles.
In 1934, Amir Khan moved to Bombay (now Mumbai). He performed some concerts and made a few records. But these first shows were not very popular. In 1936, he worked for Maharaj Chakradhar Singh in Madhya Pradesh. He performed at a music conference there. However, the audience did not like his performance. He refused to sing a thumri (a lighter style of classical music).
Amir Khan's father died in 1937. After that, Amir Khan lived in Delhi and Calcutta for a while. After India became independent, he moved back to Bombay.
Singing Career
Amir Khan mostly taught himself music. He created his own unique gayaki (singing style). This style was influenced by other great singers. It became known as the Indore Gharana. This special style mixed the deep, spiritual feeling of dhrupad with the beautiful details of khyal. His music was a blend of smart ideas and strong feelings. He always stuck to his pure, classical style. He never changed it to become more popular.
Amir Khan had a rich, deep voice that could reach three octaves. He was very good at singing slowly and carefully. He used special patterns called merukhandi. Then he would gradually speed up his singing. He used floating sargams (singing notes as names). He also used taans (fast melodic runs) with surprising movements. He always kept the main structure of the raga (melody) clear. He also helped make Tarana (a fast, rhythmic vocal form) popular.
Khansahib often used taals (rhythmic cycles) like Jhoomra and Ektaal. He preferred simple tabla accompaniment. Even though he played the sarangi, he usually sang with only a tanpura (a stringed drone instrument) and tabla. He rarely used a harmonium or sarangi in his performances.
Amir Khan's performances were elegant and respectful. They showed deep emotion without being flashy. His music moved and impressed listeners. He believed that the words in khyal songs were important. He even wrote some songs himself using the pen name "Sur Rang," which means "colored in notes."
He thought classical music should be beautiful. He wanted it to stay true to the raga while still being appealing. He used to say, "Music is that which comes from the heart and touches the soul."
Here are some features of his singing style:
- He developed ragas slowly and calmly.
- He mostly improvised in the lower and middle parts of his voice.
- He focused on serious and grand ragas.
- He emphasized the melody of the music.
- His notes were always clear.
- He used pauses carefully between his improvisations.
- He used bol alap (singing words of the composition) and sargam with merukhand patterns.
- He used sargam within his taans.
- He used soft gamaks (ornaments).
- He rarely used tihai (a rhythmic phrase repeated three times).
- He spoke the words of his songs very clearly.
- He used a special type of tarana called ruba'idar tarana.
Besides concerts, Amir Khan also sang classical songs for films. These included Baiju Bawra, Shabaab, and Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje. This helped introduce classical music to more people. He also sang a ghazal (a type of poem set to music) for a documentary about the poet Ghalib.
Many musicians learned from Amir Khan or were influenced by his style. Some famous singers like Bhimsen Joshi and Rashid Khan were influenced by him. He called his style the Indore Gharana. But he believed in learning from different singing styles.
Amir Khan received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1967. He also received the Padma Bhushan award in 1971.
Research in the Field of Tarana
Ustad Amir Khan spent a lot of time studying taranas. He found that the sounds used in Tarana often came from Persian and Arabic words. He explained that these sounds had meanings. For example, "Tanan Dar Aa" means "Enter my body." "Yala" means "Ya Allah." This showed his deep understanding of music and language.
Personal Life
Amir Khan was married three times. His first wife was Zeenat, who was the sister of sitar player Vilayat Khan. They had a daughter named Farida. This marriage ended.
His second wife was Munni Bai. They had a son named Akram Ahmed. Around 1965, he married Raisa Begum. She was the daughter of the singer Mushtari Begum. With Raisa, he had a son named Haider Amir, who later became known as Shahbaz Khan.
Khansahib died in a car accident in Calcutta on February 13, 1974. He was 61 years old. He was buried in Calcutta's Gobra cemetery.
Discography
Amir Khan sang for several movies, bringing classical music to a wider audience.
Movies
- Baiju Bawra (music by Naushad)
- 'Tori Jai Jai Kartar' (in raga Puriya Dhanashree)
- 'Langar Kankariya Ji Na Maro' (in raga Todi, with D. V. Paluskar)
- Kshudhita Pashan (music by Ali Akbar Khan)
- 'Kaise Kate Rajni' (in raga Bageshree, with Protima Banerjee)
- Shabaab (music by Naushad)
- 'Daya Kar He Giridhar Gopal' (in raga Multani)
- Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje (music by Vasant Desai)
- Title song 'Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje' (in raga Adana)
- Goonj Uthi Shehnai (a mix of ragas with Bismillah Khan)
- Ragini
- 'Jogiya Mere Ghar Aaye' (in raga Lalit)
Awards and Recognitions
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1967
- Presidential Award in 1971
- Padma Bhushan in 1971
- Swar Vilas from Sur Singar Sansad in 1971
See also
In Spanish: Amir Khan (cantante) para niños
