Sadasivan KM

Sadasivan KM > Hindustani Music
REMEMBERING USTAD BISMILLAH
KHAN, THE SOUL OF SHEHNAI, ON
HIS DEATH ANNIVERSARY TODAY.
Born: March 21, 1916
Died: August 21, 2006
Ustad Bismillah Khan was
undoubtedly a gem that India is
proud of. This Shehnai maestro of
India was a Bharat Ratna awardee
and also has been awarded all the
top four civilian awards namely
Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and
Padma Vibhushan along with the
Bharat Ratna. Born on 21st March,
1916 in Dumraon, Bihar, he was the
second son of Paigambar Khan and
Mitthan. His family had a musical
background and his ancestors were
musicians in the court of the
princely states of Bhojpur. Read
about the life history of this
blessed soul in this short biography
of Bismillah Khan.
Bismillah Khan was named
Qamaruddin to sound like his elder
brother's name Shamsuddin.
However, when his grandfather
Rasool Baksh Khan
saw him as a baby he uttered the
word "Bismillah" and hence he
came to be known as Bismillah
Khan. His father used to be a
shehnai player in the court of
Maharaja Keshav Prasad Singh of
Dumraon. Despite the fame that he
achieved, Bismillah Khan always
remained where his roots were. He
never accumulated wealth and
other materialistic possessions and
lived in humble surroundings in the
holy city of Benares.
His concert in All India Music
Conference (1937) in Calcutta
brought shehnai into limelight and
was hugely appreciated by music
lovers. He monopolized shehnai
recital in the post independence
era and kept the legacy of classical
music alive with his recitals. He can
be truly called a pure artist who
always believed that music will
survive even if the world perishes.
He believed in Hindu-Muslim unity
and spread the message of
brotherhood through his music. He
always announced that music has
no caste.