Imdad Khan Biography 
Imdad Khan was a sitar and surbahar player – a doyen of Etawah (Imdadkhani) gharana of Hindustani music. 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, all well-established names of Indian classical music. He was born as the son of Ustad Sahebdad Khan, a doyen of Etawah Gharana. Vilayat Khan and Imrad Khan, two great names of Indian classical music are his grandsons. Enayat Khan and Wahid Khan, two leading musicians of the 20th century were his sons. Shahid Parvez, Shujaat Khan, Nishat Khan, Irshad Khan, Wajahat Khan, Shafaatullah Khan, Azmat Ali Khan and Hidayat Khan are the latest descendants of his family.
Khan was born in Agra, in the fourth generation Imdadkhani or Etawah gharana, named after a village near Agra, UP. His father was Sahabdad Khan, a trained vocalist and self-taught sitar player and he taught Imdad at a younger age. Later Imdad developed his own techniques and gave new definitions to the Etwah style of singing. He also received training from the legendary beenkar Bande Ali Khan. During 19th century, north Indian music was dominated by the Senia style of singing. Instead Imdad concentrated on the then popular Khyal style of singing. Imdad practiced on the sitar in isolation in Etawah for about 12 years. Later he moved with his family to Kolkata where they got settled.
The Imdad Khan family is of Rajput Hindu lineage before they got converted to Islam. Imdad attained great fame in his lifetime and has served as a court musician of Mysore and Indore. He was the first sitar player ever to be recorded.
Published: N/A
Updated: February 12, 2014
