An Evening with Ustad Asad Amanat Ali Khan: A Tribute

Indeed, loss of a great musician.

I think he was also famous for ``Umraan Langeeyaan Pabaan Paar``.

Artisians of the stature of Asad Amanat Ali are a national treasure. Sadly, it is not uncommon for many of them to die at relatively early age, even thouhg they have wherewithals and resources for best health care. I think the crisis in this community is due to the very busy life style, pressures of peak performance and a casual attitude to their physical well being.

Whenever I hear a performance of Nusrat Fateh Ali, I mourn his early death and think of everlasting tunes he never got the time to create. The music that would have given immense pleasure to countless millions.

These people are, undoubtedly national treasure. It is impossible even to quantify the prosperity, happiness they bring to the masses. Most of them are a class in themselves. Once gone, they are irreplaceable.

The government takes pain in ensuring the preventive healthcare of millions of employees. All service personnel are given annual medical check. Millions are spent on perfectly healthy MNA`s and bureaucrats for expensive and elaborate medical checkups, all in the name of national interst. Wont it be in order if the Government also takes the responsibility for these talented and gifted citizens too ? After all they are the people who are our real embassadors and treasures.

I share everyone`s sorrow here. Having met Asad a couple of times back in Lahore, I can tell you that beside being an excellent singer, Asad had a great sense of humor. Some of his jokes are recounted many times by his friends. Everytime I saw him, he was brimming with life. This is a great loss.

Talking about his father, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, I have listened to his ghazal, ``honton pe kabhi un ke`` hundreds of times and everytime I enjoy it more than before. If there ever was a ghazal sung more effortlessly than this one, I haven`t heard it. Its a piece of heaven carved out. Here is the link to the ghazal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdvXi0XExUs

Re: # 20

I think Hamid Ali Khan is Asad`s uncle and younger brother of Amanat Ali Khan.

Re: # 26

Devkant Ji, I see what you are saying, but Hindustani indeed is a divine musical tradition. What makes it beautiful is how it combines different religious influences, form Vedas to Islamic adventures in India. We should be proud of that heritage. Sitar (originally Seh-Taar or a 3-string instrument) was brought to India by Persians, and the Indians adopted that and turned it into a 39 string instrument (that you see today) modeled after Veena. Hindustani will not be what it is had it not had such multicultural influences. It is sad that in Pakistan instead of claiming it as our own, we have rejected it.

``#21 by Kulharee on April 17, 2007 1:32pm PT
Re: # 19
and secondly the reason of the decline in classical music in Pakistan is because of it’s Indian roots. And anything associated with Hindus is bad bad bad… ``

its very ssad that people mmix art and religion together. art in itself is so vast that no one religion can claim it or be attribbuted to it.

this is similar to urdu language in india....which most hindus aassociate as being the language of muslims!!!!

rgds,

devkant.

Re: # 23

Asif, my Guruji, Khalifa of Farukhabaad Gharana tells me that the title “Khan Sahib” was introduced by Moghals as the leader of the court band, Khan also means head of the household, and for female lead dancers and singers, the term Khanum was used. For Muslim musicians Khan Sahib is an appropriate term of addressing. One has to be careful to use this only for more accomplished musicians, e.g., it is appropriate to address Mehdi Hasan ji as Khan Sahib, but not Ibrar-ul-Haq or whatever his name is the nephew of Nusrat Khan Sahib.

http://classicalmusicheritage.org/default.aspx

Why do people sometimes address classical singers as `Khan Sahib` even if khan is not their surname?The legendary Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan was also from the Patiala gharana!

Who is your favourite hindustani classical singer?

urstruly sahib, in the yesteryear of nawabs and rajas, classical music was mainly practiced by the gharanas and middle-class sharif log would not get into this. its however now completely changed in india, esp in carnatic ganre. now while children of the old gharanas indeed are still around, a lot of the new names come from middle-class (and upper-caste) backgrounds. a large number/percentage of middle-class indians try to send their kids to some kinda classical-music-dance training with a lot of cross-cultural shyte..bharat natyam is popular even in bhangra-afflicted pannaj. so, the kanjari-temple dancer association is long gone....a ``rishta`` is considered much-enhanced if the gal knows any of the classical arts.

Re: # 19

Truly Sahib, Very aptly said (in a round about way), that’s delusional logic to associate immorality to a trade based caste. Kanjars don’t see it that way. Kanjars are classically trained dancers, and what is wrong with that?? Similarly Mirasi, also a trade based caste is about musicians who have learned their trade thru “Virsa” or lineage. Now where is this prostitution stuff associated with either Kanjirs or Mirasis?? Most prostitute in Hira Mandi are neither. Most of them are daughters of the affluent, and notable Pakistanis, politicians, bureaucrats, nawabs, etc. and secondly the reason of the decline in classical music in Pakistan is because of it’s Indian roots. And anything associated with Hindus is bad bad bad…

Re: # 9

Hamid Ali Khan and Asad Amanat Ali Khan are first cousins. Hamid is the son of Ustad ChotayFateh Ali Khan. The term ``ustaad`` is equivalent of english term Maestro. Very few achieve this title.

Re: # 8

I think it is sad that kanjarpuna or miraspuna is associated with music and art but in fact it is not the music and art that causes the devient behavior in some people as such. It happens when deviants take advantage of their position and try to misguide innocent human beings towards their devient behaviors. On this very forum there are people who take prostitutes of hira mandi as their moral guide and inspiration. Need I say more? Artists and musicians are very sensetive people. I wish they could somehow separate themselves from this underbelly of society; where they do not deserve to be categorized. Hazrat Ali Hajweri (RA) in his Kashaf-ul-Mahjoob writes that just as one orator is superior to other and some excell most and all in their oratory skills, music is also a form of communication that is a notch above the best of orattory skill in its effectiveness.

I have no doubt in my mind about this self-evident truth.

Re: # 16

Kaal, Both Hindustani and Carnatic musical institutions in India are very alive and kicking, and I hope will be forever, just as the western classical music has been kept alive in the West. Our musical traditions are much older and way too technical and intellectual compared to western classical traditions (in terms of improvisation, phraseology, etc.) the reason for this richness about Hindustani is because it was developed by interactions of different people and different cultures.

a treat: ustad mehdi hassan singing the ghazal main khyaal hoon kissi aur ka...absolutely mesmerising and matchless. classical music at its height.
pt 1:




pt. 2

Naqsh, if such an Academy does not exist, it is urgently needed!

Even as a complete philistine, I am aware of a few schools that are doing great work in this area, the Bhatkhande College of Music, located in Lucknow, being one of them. Hopefully we will save them, so they can save us.

kaal, a National Academy of Classical Music or something would be a good start to train the next generation...

Kul, state support might have recently decreased in percentage terms, but just about a month ago, talking to some supposedly `cool dudes` of the new generation, it became clear that the sense of veneration among the masses toward real music has not diminished one bit. How it is all going work out financially in the future for the uphoalders of these magnificent traditions and heritage is a bit of an unknown...(that`s always been the case, though).

Re: # 12

except for the bandish `pyaar nahin hain sur se jisko,`

not that i can recall...
the audience was mostly mirpuris and punjabi villagers so i think keeping that in mind he sang more populist pieces...

Re: # 8

Asif, that’s very true what you say. Artists are not appreciated in our country, and it is very unfortunate. Hindustani classically trained musicians are either dead or have left Pakistan, due to lack of patronage. Our music, with such rich and glorious history, is sadly taking it’s last breaths. In India however, a lot of state and private support is keeping the North Indian classical tradition alive.

i listened to his malkauns bandish ``pyar nahin jain sur se inko, wo moorakh insaan nahi..`` in the youtube..very cool indeed. naqsh, did he sing any khayal or tarana-type classical pieces also in the mehfil?

isn`t he also related to ustad hamid ali khan?

we only appreciate people when they are dead! it is a human thing...

when he was alive most people in pakistan would have called him a `kanjar` and a `miraasi`.
that is the state of our narrowmindedness. now he is dead the president and everyone else jumps on the bandwagon...

even sadder is the case of the great ustaad mehdi hassan sahib who, though not dead, is apparently gravely ill and yet the govt wont even do anything to help him with his medical costs etc. if he was european he`d have been a multi millionaire by now and a national icon.

What?! That is a shocker.

I too had learnt a little more about Ustad Ali Bux Khan`s family after (embarrassed to say)mitwa. What little I had known had made me a fan and a real well wisher of these great musicians.

May Khan Sahib rest in peace.

Thanks for the links urstruly. they`re great.

yes the punjabi ghazal i mentioned in my article whose name i`d forgotten was `zara zara`.


thanks for the info kulharee.

sadly classical musicians of his kind are dying out in pakistan...

``#3 by Urstruly on April 17, 2007 9:01am PT

The Best of Asad Amanat Ali Khan on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=asad+amanat``

thanx for link...

With all due respect, Aasif, Asad Amanat Ali Khan, doubtlessly a great vocalist, did not achieve the title “Ustad”. It is a very sacred Title reserved only for the great maestros and conferred upon them by other great Ustads and Pundits. Indeed, Asad Khan was on his way of getting it one day, but sadly he left us prematurely.

The Best of Asad Amanat Ali Khan on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=asad+amanat

though i have never heard ustad amanat asad ali khan sahab, i have heard his younger brother shafqat amanat ali khan`s album he made with fuzon. i have also heard shafqat sing a sonng called `mitwa` in Karan johar`s film and i must confess his rendering of that song was very heartfelt.

if shafqat was that good, i can only imagine how brilliant would have asad sahab been. i will look out for his compositions and add them to my collection.

may his soul rest in peace.

rgds,

devkant.

May Allah bless his soul. He was truly talented artist and well appreciated at that but for some reason he did not sing as much as his cousin did.