Enayat Khan

Enayat Khan

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Category: Music

Enayat Khan Profile

  • Name:
  • Enayat Khan
  • Father:
  • Imdad Khan
  • Spouse:
  • Basiran Bibi

Enayat Khan Biography

Enayat Khan was one of the influential figures of music in the first half of 20th century, better known as a sitar and surbahar artist. Legendary sitar players Ustad Vilayat Khan and Imrad Khan were his sons. His family has inherited music for the past 7 generations till the 21st century including the youngest artists being Shujaat Khan, Zila Khan and Hidayat Khan (grandchildren), all well-established names of Indian classical music. Including his father Ustad Imdad Khan and grandfather Ustad Sahebdad Khan, all were doyens of Etawah (Imdadkhani) gharana of Hindustani music. Though he lived for a short life span of 43 years, he is always regarded as one of the greatest artists of Etawah gharana.

 

Enayat Khan was born in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh in the well-recognized musical family in the year 1894 as the son of the great sitar maestro Imdad Khan. He learnt first lessons of music from his father who taught him the sitar and surbahar (bass sitar) in Etawah gharana of Hindustani music. Etawah is a village in Uttar Pradesh and this tradition of music was named after the village. He married Basiran Bibi, daughter of khyal singer Bande Hussain. Later he settled with his family in Kolkata. During that time, Kolkata was in the grip of freedom struggle movement and cultural renaissance. Yet through his talents, he made sitar a popular music instrument among the masses.

 

Before his death, he did many significant contributions to the world of sitar. He standardised its physical dimensions and added the upper resonator gourd which is popular even today. He has associated with Tagore with many music projects and shared a good friendship with him. His family had been of Rajput lineage before accepting Islam and Khan also had the Hindu name of Nath Singh.

Published: N/A

Updated: February 14, 2014

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