Ustad Alla Rakha (April 29, 1919 - February 3, 2000) was a master of the tabla, a classical Hindustani percussion instrument. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. This article is about the Indian drum For the drum with the same name in Arabic, see Goblet drum. Hindustani Classical Music ( Hindi: हिन्दुस्तानी शास्त्रीय संगीत Urdu: ہندوستانی شاستریے سنگیت He is considered one of the greatest tabla players of the 20th century.
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Biography
Early life
Ustad Alla Rakha was born as Allarakha Khan on April 29, 1919 at Phagwal village, near Jammu, India. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common History of Jammu Many historians and locals believe that Jammu was founded by Raja Jamboolochan in 14th century BC. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country He became fascinated with the sound and rhythm of the tabla at the age of 12, while staying with his uncle in Gurdaspur. Gurdaspur is a city in the state of Punjab, situated in the North-West part of the Republic of India. The determined young lad ran away from home, became a disciple of and began studying tabla with Mian Kader Baksh of the Punjab Gharana. By doing this, he was initiated into the world of music. He studied voice and Raag Vidya under Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan of the Patiala Gharana. The Patiala Gharana is one of the most prominent Gharana s of vocal Hindustani classical music. His regimen of practice and dedication were legendary: hours upon hours of hard, disciplined practice, that would later pay off.
Career
He began his musical career as an accompanist in Lahore and then as an All India Radio staffer in Bombay in 1940, playing the station's first ever tabla solo and elevating the instrument's position in the process. All India Radio (abbreviated as AIR) officially known as Akashvani ( Devanagari: आकाशवाणी ākāshavānī ( Urdu: اکاشوانی Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Soon after, he would compose music for a couple of Hindi films from 1943-48. Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. However, he still also played as an accompanist, for soloists like Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Allauddin Khan, Vasant Rai and Ravi Shankar. Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Devanagari: बड़े ग़ुलाम अली ख़ान; Shahmukhi: بذے غلام علی خان; b Allauddin Khan ( Bangla: ওস্তাদ আলাউদ্দীন খান also known as Baba Allauddin Khan) (1862 &ndash 1972 was a Bengali Vasant Rai (1942-1985 was one of world's most acclaimed performers of Indian music and virtuoso of the Indo/Persian/Afgani instrument Sarod. Pandit Ravi Shankar ( রবি শংকর Devanagari: रविशंकर "Pandit" ( Sanskrit, "learned" is honorific born April The venerable master achieved world renown as Pandit Ravi Shankar's chief accompanist during his apex in the 1960s, delighting audiences in the West with his percussive wizardry, not only as an uncanny accompanist with flawless timing and sensitivity but also as a soloist where he was a master of improvisation, a prolific composer and an electric showman. Pandit Ravi Shankar ( রবি শংকর Devanagari: रविशंकर "Pandit" ( Sanskrit, "learned" is honorific born April The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 The partnership was particularly successful, and his legendary and spellbinding performances with Shankar at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and the Woodstock Festival in 1969 served to introduce classical Indian music to general Western audiences. The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16 to June 18 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
He became a Guru (or teacher) to Yogesh Samsi and his sons Taufiq Qureshi and Fazal Qureshi. His eldest son, Zakir Hussain is also an accomplished tabla virtuoso. Ustad Zakir Hussain ( Hindi: ज़ाकिर हुसैन Urdu: زاکِر حسین born March 9, 1951, is a famous Tabla
Global influence
The Ustad popularized the art of tabla, playing across the globe, elevating the status and respect of his instrument. Abbaji (as he was affectionately known) also bridged the gap between Carnatic music and Hindustani music by playing with both renowned Carnatic musicians and other Hindustani stalwarts. Carnatic music (also spelled Karnatak music or Karnatik music, and originally called Karṇāṭaka sangīta or Karṇāṭaka sangītam in India
Leading American percussionists in Rock n' Roll, such as the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, admired him and studied his technique, benefiting greatly even from single meetings. Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mickey Hart (born September 11, 1943) is a percussionist and musicologist. Hart, a published authority on percussion in world music, said "Allarakha is the Einstein, the Picasso; he is the highest form of rhythmic development on this planet. The term world music includes Traditional music (sometimes called Folk music or roots music of any culture that are created and played by indigenous musicians . . "
Death
He died at 3:30 a. m. on February 3, 2000 at his Simla House residence on Napean Sea Road following a sudden heart attack attributed to death of his daughter, Razia, the evening before his death. Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. He was survived by his wife, Bavi Begum, his three sons, Zakir Hussain, Fazal Qureshi and Taufiq Qureshi, his daughter Khurshida Qureshi and nine grandchildren.
Sources
- Inlay notes to A Life Story of a Genius compilation CD set (Saregama India Ltd, 2006)
External links
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