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Images: Remembering Ustad Bismillah Khan
August 21, 2006
A fiercely private man, the Ustad kept his personal life out of the limelight. In 2003, when he fell ill, it was the first time that reports of his large family and dwindling finances began to appear in the public realm. He was then given aid by the Vajpayee-led government. For the most part, however, the Ustad believed that musicians 'must be heard and not seen'.
One of the finest musicians of all time, the Ustad continued to perform as long as his health permitted him. There was a rare depth and nuance to his music, which fascinated millions and elevated what was considered a common instrument to great heights.
As his long-time associate and family friend, sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan said, "The Ustad played the shehnai, not in keeping with the grammar of music, but with its poetry. His concept of music was very beautiful and his vision, superb."
Image: The Ustad at a public peformance in Mumbai
Photograph: Jewella C Miranda
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