Alla Rakha
Pakhawaj player | |
---|---|
Known for | Hindustani classical music |
Notable credit(s) | Performed with Ravi Shankar, Zakir Hussain, Aditya Kalyanpur |
Awards | Padma Shri Award by the Government of India in 1977 Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1982 |
Website | www |
Personal life and education
Alla Rakha Khan Qureshi was born on 29 April 1919 in Ghagwal, a village in the Jammu Province of the princely kingdom of
At the age of 12, Ustad Alla Rakha ran away from home to stay with his uncle in the nearby Gurdaspur city to pursue his passion for music.[4][5] Finding little chances for grooming and appreciation, the determined young lad began his training in tabla with Mian Kader Baksh of the Punjab gharana of tabla players. Mian Kadir Bakhsh, who had no sons, formally adopted Alla Rakha and called him the next head of the Punjab gharana of tabla players (a 'gharana' is a community of musicians sharing a distinctive musical style).[1][3][2][6]
Alla Rakha also took vocal training in classical music and
He was married to his cousin Bavi Begum and the couple had three sons, Zakir Hussain, Fazal Qureshi and Taufiq Qureshi;[1] two daughters, Khurshid Aulia née Qureshi and Razia; and nine grandchildren. They all survived him except Razia; it was the news of her death a day earlier that is thought to have caused his fatal heart attack.[7][2]
Allah Rakha had a third daughter named Roohi Bano who was born in Pakistan and achieved a "legendary" status in television and film acting.[5][8][9]
Career
Ustad Alla Rakha began his career as an accompanist in
However, he still played as an accompanist, for soloists like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Allauddin Khan, Vilayat Khan, Vasant Rai, Ali Akbar Khan, and Ravi Shankar.[3] The venerable master achieved world renown as 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.
His musical partnership with Ravi Shankar was particularly successful and lasted nearly three decades, and their legendary and spellbinding performances at the
Alla Rakha also was a devoted music teacher. He founded 'Alla Rakha Institute of Music' in Mumbai in 1985.[1]
Global influence
Alla Rakha popularised the art of tabla, playing across the globe, elevating the status and respect of this instrument. "Abbaji" (as he was affectionately known by his disciples) also bridged the gap between
Leading American percussionists in
Alla Rakha's partnership with
He was also featured in a Google doodle on 29 April 2014, on the occasion of his 95th birthday.[6]
Awards and recognition
- Alla Rakha was awarded the Padma Shri in 1977[11][1]
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1982.[12][1]
Death and legacy
Ustad Alla Rakha Qureshi died on 3 February 2000 at his Simla House residence on Nepean Sea Road following a heart attack, which he suffered on learning of the death of his daughter, Razia, the previous evening during cataract surgery.[3][2]
In his obituary, The New York Times called him "the most important tabla drummer of his generation". The newspaper further stated that Alla Rakha was given the title Ustad or master musician and teacher of the art of tabla playing. Alla Rakha... "used his skill to invigorate every musician who shared the stage with him."[3]
The Then-Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee also issued a formal statement regretting the loss in his death.[3]
See also
- Zakir Hussain
- Kishan Maharaj
- Anokhelal Mishra
- Samta Prasad
- Yogesh Samsi
- Peter Szalai
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Alla Rakha - Indian musician". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Reginald Massey (4 February 2000). "Alla Rakha obituary (with Ravi Shankar, he took Indian music to the world)". The Guardian (newspaper). Retrieved 18 October 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Jon Pareles (6 February 2000). "Ustad Alla Rakha, 80, Master Of Hindustani Classical Music". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
- ^ Alla Rakha's performance on tabla on YouTube Retrirved 18 October 2020
- ^ a b "Lesser known facts about Ustad Allah Rakha". The Times of India. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- ^ a b "Google doodle marks Ustad Alla Rakha's 95th birthday". NDTV Gadgets 360. 29 April 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
- ^ "Qureshi, Ustad Alla Rakha - Dictionary definition of Qureshi, Ustad Alla Rakha - Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary". www.encyclopedia.com.
- ^ "Roohi Bano lives a life of recluse wreck Lahore - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
- ^ "Ustad Alla Rakha's daughter Roohi Bano is broken and alone in Pakistan". India Today. 25 July 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
- ^ Mundler, Liz. "BBC - Music - Review of Buddy Rich & Allah Rakha - Rich a la Rakha".
- ^ "Padma Awards list (1954 - 2013) (scroll down to find 1977 for Alla Rakha's award)" (PDF). Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (India). 2 September 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
- ^ "Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards – Hindustani Music – Instrumental". Sangeet Natak Academy website. 16 August 2007. Archived from the original on 19 May 2009. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
Sources
- Inlay notes to A Life Story of a Genius compilation CD set (Saregama India Ltd, 2006)
External links
- Media related to Alla Rakha at Wikimedia Commons
- Alla Rakha at AllMusic