Cassius Khan
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Cassius Khan (born 7 June 1974) is a Canadian Indian classical musician known for playing the
Tabla A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...
while singing ghazal as well as his ground breaking collaborations in music.


Early years

Khan was born in
Lautoka Lautoka (, ) is the second largest List of cities and towns in Fiji#List, metropolitan area in Fiji. It is on the west coast of the island of Viti Levu, in the Ba Province of the Western Division, Fiji, Western Division. Lying in the heart of ...
, Fiji in 1974. As a young teenager in
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
, Canada, Khan met Mushtari Begum, a Ghazal singer, Sheikh Mohyudean, a
harmonium The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ (which employs a va ...
and Qawaali singer, and Ustad Rukhsar Ali, a
Tabla A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...
player. He learned to sing Ghazal and play the Tabla simultaneously. Khan's repertoire also includes the ''Tarannum Ang Gayaki'' while playing the Tabla, and this became his trademark style. As a key figure in this rare style of performance, he was named "Ustad" or Maestro in 2016 by Pt Salil Bhatt during the 5th Annual Mushtari Begum Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance in
New Westminster New Westminster (colloquially known as New West) is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It was founded by Major-General Richard Moody as the cap ...
,
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
. Khan's early career met with limited success after the recording and international tour of his first album, ''Cassius Khan-The Young Tabla/Ghazal Wizard''. After completing his education at college and university, he embarked on his music career, starting by touring in North America, Europe and South America, performing as a sideman, solo and in collaboration with other artists as both a Tabla player and vocalist.


Career

After performing as a sideman in various bands, in 2001, Khan composed the "Asia Music" for the
IAAF World Championships in Athletics The World Athletics Championships, known as the IAAF World Championships in Athletics until 2019, are a biennial athletics competition organized by World Athletics, formerly International Association of Athletics Federations. Alongside Olympic ...
under the guidance of composer Jan Randall. The same year, he was included in
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...
's list of the "Top 25 World Artists to look out for". In 2005, Khan performed
Ghazal ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...
and a
Tabla A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...
solo recital at the
National Arts Centre The National Arts Centre (NAC) () is a Arts centre, performing arts organization in Ottawa, Ontario, along the Rideau Canal. It is based in the eponymous National Arts Centre (building), National Arts Centre building. History The NAC was one ...
in Ottawa as part of Alberta Scene Festival, and presented his first classical Ghazal and Tabla recital at a Canadian folk festival at the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival in 2006. He was selected out of 8,000 applicants to showcase Ghazal/Tabla at
South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
in
Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
in 2008. That same year Ellen McIlwaine and Khan were invited to perform for Juno Fest at the
Juno Awards The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's music industry. The Grammy Awards are the United S ...
in Calgary. The following year Khan was a featured artist for the Canadian Music Week. Khan's recordings were also selected for the Japan Trade Mission in 2009. Khan was also the first Canadian to perform at the Sa Ma Pa Music Festival in
New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
, on 23 November 2013. Khan was signed by the Yarlowe Artist Group in 2008 and ended his contract in 2009. Khan's Ghazal album ''Mushtari, a live concert'', released in 2011, was nominated for "World Album of the Year" by the Western Canadian Music Awards (WCMA) and was a tribute to Khan's guru and teacher, Mushtari Begum, with a selection of classical Ghazals and a tabla solo recital. This was the first album ever recorded with Ghazal and tabla simultaneously by one artist. He also released a tabla solo single, "Sparks of Energy", in 2011. Both of these albums feature Khan's wife Amika Kushwaha as the Harmonium soloist. Khan's other collaborations include: ''Dark Clouds'' (2006) with Jazz pianist Stu Goldberg of
Mahavishnu Orchestra The Mahavishnu Orchestra was a jazz fusion band formed in New York City in 1971, led by English guitarist John McLaughlin (musician), John McLaughlin. The group underwent several line-up changes throughout its history across its two periods of a ...
; a collaboration with
slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos that ...
ist Ellen McIlwaine entitled ''Mystic Bridge'', a Blues/Indian music album which was shortlisted for the Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year in 2008; ''I Feel Love Again'' (2002) with Mediterranean guitarist Pavlo; ''Mani Licks'' (2002) with Heavy Metal/shred guitarist Dan Mani; ''A Demon's Dream'' (2002) and ''The Alchemists'' (2002) with acoustic/electric guitarist Dave Martone; and ''Angel of Sevilla'' (1990) with the Spanish guitarist D'Arcy Greaves. Khan has also collaborated with the inventor of the Mohan Veena, artist Pandit
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, known professionally as V. M. Bhatt, is an Indian Hindustani classical music instrumentalist who invented and plays a modified slide guitar that is widely called the Mohan veena. Personal life Bhatt lives in Jaipur, Rajastha ...
, Satvik Veena performer Pandit Salil Bhatt, Kathak artist/Harmonium soloist Amika Kushwaha and many other figures of Indian classical music and Ghazal singers.


Recognition

Cassius Khan was awarded the "Salute to Excellence Award" in 2005 by the City of Edmonton for his contribution to Indian classical music, and the "Bernie Legge Artist of the Year" by the City of New Westminster Chamber of Commerce in 2019. He was nominated (with Ellen McIlwaine) for a Juno Award for their album ''Mystic Bridge'' in 2008, and a WCMA Award nomination for his album ''Mushtari-a live concert''. He has also performed in
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, Switzerland, for the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
,
World Intellectual Property Organization The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO; (OMPI)) is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN). Pursuant to the 1967 Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization, WIPO was created to pr ...
and the Permanent Mission of India for Namaste Geneva, an initiative created by the Indian Ambassador to the UN, His Excellency Rajiv Chander, in 2017/2018. Cassius Khan was featured at the 2025 Saptak Festival in Ahmedabad India known to be the most prestigious Indian classical festival in the world. Khan is the first ever Canadian to have received such an honour. With his wife, Amika Kushwaha, Khan founded the Mushtari Begum Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance which is Canada’s Premiere Indian Classical music and dance festival which took place for the first time on April 3rd 2004 and then 25 August 2012 at the Official Venue Partner of the MBF the Massey Theatre in New Westminster, British Columbia. He is an honorary Cultural Ambassador to the City of New Westminster. Khan is also the official spokesperson for the tabla makers Ustad Qasim Khan Niyazi and Sons in Laxminagar, New Delhi, India, and is endorsed by Aman Kalyan's Lehra Studio apps based in
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, Australia. He is also the Curator of the Global Tea Series with Cassius Khan at the Massey Theatre in New Westminster, and was a 2021 Artist Resident at the Anvil Centre in the same city and 2024 Artist Resident at the Massey Theatre. Khan is also a visiting music instructor at the international private Mulgrave School, where he teaches young students Indian Classical music..


Personal life

Khan lives in
New Westminster New Westminster (colloquially known as New West) is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It was founded by Major-General Richard Moody as the cap ...
, British Columbia. He married
Kathak ''Kathak'' is one of the eight major forms of Classical Indian dance, Indian classical dance. Its origin is attributed to the traveling bards in ancient northern India known as ''Kathakar'' ("storyteller"), who communicated stories from the ...
dancer Amika Kushwaha in 2006, and they are each other's chief accompanists in her solo Kathak dance concerts and his Ghazal and tabla concerts. Khan refused to perform in Israel in 2009 in protest at the treatment of Palestinians. He has been critical of the term
World Music "World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...
, and the lack of representation of non-Western disciplines in the Canadian music scene.


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Cassius 1974 births Living people Fijian Muslims Male ghazal singers People from Lautoka Fijian emigrants to Canada Tabla players Canadian people of Fijian descent Fijian musicians 21st-century Canadian drummers 21st-century Canadian male singers 21st-century Canadian singers