“Today was the day Shenai Maestro Ustad Bismillah was born.Through Stamp for the day let us remember this musical genius who left an everlasting impression in the world of music”
Bismillah Khan was born on March 21, 1916 at Bhirung Raut Ki Gali, in Dumraon, Bihar as the second son of Couple Paigambar Khan and Mitthan.
Bismillah Khan’s ancestors were court musicians and used to play in Naqqar khana in the princely states of Bhojpur, now in Bihar. His father was a shehnai player in the court of Maharaja Keshav Prasad Singh of Dumraon Estate, Bihar.Although Bismillah Khan was a pious Shi'ite Muslim, he was also, like many Indian musicians, regardless of religion, a devotee of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of wisdom and the arts.
Bismillah Khan Often perfromed at Hindu temples, including the famous Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, on the banks of the river Ganga. Khan was perhaps single handedly responsible for making the shehnai a famous classical instrument. Bismillah Khan brought the shehnai to the center stage of Indian music with his concert in the Calcutta All India Music Conference in 1937.
Bismillah Khan’s name was synonymous With Shenai.Bismillah Khan was one of the finest musicians in post-independent Indian Classical music and one of the best examples of hindu-muslim unity in India.Bismillah Khan’s concept of music was very beautiful and his vision, superb. He quoted "Even if the world ends, the music will still survive" and he often said, "Music has no caste".
Bismillah Khan has performed worldwide in Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Europe, Iran, Iraq, Canada, West Africa, U.S., USSR, Japan, Hong Kong and almost every capital city across the world.His shehnai was so close to him that after the demise of his wife he began to refer to it as his begum, or wife. After his death, his shehnai was buried with him. Khan had the rare honor of performing at Delhi's Red Fort on the eve of India's Independence in 1947. He also performed Raga Kafi from the Red Fort on the eve of India’s first Republic Day ceremony, on January 26, 1950. His recital had become a cultural part of India's Independence Day Celebrations, telecast on Doordarshan every year on August 15th. After the Prime Minister's speech from Lal Qila (the Red Fort,) in Old Delhi, Doordarshan would broadcast a live performance by the shehnai maestro. This tradition dated from the days of Pandit Nehru.
First Day Cover For The Stamp On Ustad Bismillah Khan
Traffic Lights For The Indian Stamp On Bismillah Khan
Dumraon In Bihar Where Bismillah Khan Was Born
1 comments:
Great post. I recently stumbled upon a new Internet project for the arts that looks very promising, called Art of Me. The web address is http://artfme.com/ . It is not trying to sell anything, but rather it seeks to provide an online space where talented actors, musicians, writers, dancers, and other artists, can display and discuss their works, collaborate with each other, and interact with fans.
Post a Comment