"Tansen of the 20th Century"
Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Sahib is the most important singer of the Punjab Ang. Khan Sahib is hailed to be the greatest of them all.
He was regarded a phenomenon even by his contemporaries. Born in 1902 in Kasur (West Punjab), Bade Ghulams fame as singer was initially limited to areas in and around Lahore. It was after 1939 that he became a favourite among music aficionados in Calcutta, Bombay and other cities in the subcontinent. According to G.N.Joshi, himself a vocalist associated with the HMV for several years, Bade Ghulam Ali introduced himself to lovers of classical music in Bombay in 1944. He presented Raga Marwa and a thumri, as they had never been sung before. This was in the Vikramaditya Sangit Parishad held in the Bombay University Convocation Hall.
The most striking aspect of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khans singing is the amazing and effortless phirat of his voice, which ranged through three octaves. He won the appreciation of his illustrious predecessors. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan has influenced hundreds of singers trying to emulate him and thousands of music lovers who cherish his music. No other North Indian vocalist ever attracted such large audiences in the South as did Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Whether it was a sedate khayal, a romantic thumri or a devotional bhajan, the Ustad would put his heart and soul into the song. This made contemporary musicians and music lovers realise not only the importance of voice culture and modulation, but also the value of emotion in music. While many musicians sing perfectly and correctly, impressing the listener's intellect, very few of them can touch the heart as Bade Ghulam Ali Khan could. The remarkable pliability of his voice, the amazing swara combinations, the incredible speed of his taans and the ease with which he could sway his audiences by his emotional renderings that brought every rasa to life, were the envy of contemporary musicians. His varied and richly expressive style, the rare perfection of rendering the composition resulted in great popularity for the Punjab ang.
According to Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, emotion is the very soul of our music that can express the subtlest nuances of feeling. His style is an excellent blend of impressive technical mastery and appealing emotional expression. He was never interested in political and religious differences and knew only of two categories of people: music lovers and the uninterested ones. He would say "I know only one thing: Music! I am just a humble devotee of God and Music."
- Dr. K RohiniPrasad
In Raag Desi, Khan Sahib takes us to places far beyond are wildest dreams.
