Ustad Sabri Khan (21 May 1927 – 1 December 2015) was an Indian

sarangi The sārangī is a bowed, short-necked three-stringed instrument played in traditional music from South Asia – Punjabi folk music, Rajasthani folk music, Sindhi folk music, Haryanvi folk music, Braj folk music, and Boro folk music (the ...

player, who was descended on both sides of his family from a line of distinguished musicians.

Early life

Sabri Khan was born on 21 May 1927 in

Moradabad Moradabad () is an industrial city, commissionerate, and municipal corporation in Moradabad district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is situated on the banks of the Ramganga river, at a distance of from the national capital, New Del ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

.A tribute to the sarangi mastery of Sabri Khan (link to his old interview on Rajya Sabha TV also included)
Scroll.in website, Published 5 December 2015, Retrieved 14 December 2021 He belonged to the Sainia

Gharana In Hindustani music (North Indian classical music), a ''gharānā'' is a system of social organisation in the Indian subcontinent, linking musicians or dancers by lineage or apprenticeship, and more importantly by adherence to a particular musi ...

. This Gharana traces the tradition of its music back to Mian Tansen, the great vocalist in the court of

Mughal Emperor The emperors of the Mughal Empire, who were all members of the Timurid dynasty (House of Babur), ruled the empire from its inception on 21 April 1526 to its dissolution on 21 September 1857. They were supreme monarchs of the Mughal Empire in ...

Akbar Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...

. He had been initiated into sarangi-playing by his grandfather, Ustad Haji ''Mohammed Khan'' and later continued his training under his father Ustad ''Chajju Khan'', both accomplished sarangi exponents of their time. Khan also learned some important and rare techniques of playing from his uncle Ustad ''Laddan Khan'' of Rampur.

Music career

Sabri Khan played sarangi with vocalist musicians on

All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...

and also served as a staff artiste there. He accompanied the noted sitar player

Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitar, sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known expert of Hin ...

and tabla player Alla Rakha on their tour of the United States in the early 1960s. Sabri Khan toured extensively and performed in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Norway, Finland and

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. The credit of introducing the Sarangi to American and European audiences goes to Sabri Khan. He also played a duet with violinist

Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin (22 April 191612 March 1999), was an American-born British violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in Britain. He is widely considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. ...

and was invited as a visiting professor by the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

, United States in 1981. In appreciation of his contribution to the Classical Music of India, Ustad Sabri Khan received the

Sahitya Kala Parishad Sahitya Kala Parishad (साहित्य कला परिषद) (Academy of Performing and Fine Arts) is the Cultural wing of the Govt. of National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) of Delhi for music, dance, drama & fine arts, established ...

Award, UP, Sangeet Natak Academy Award, National Sangeet Natak Academy Award (1986), the Padma Shree Award (1992) and

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...

Award (2006) by the

President of India The president of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the Indian Armed ...

– Government of India.Sarangi maestro Ustad Sabri Khan dead
Hindustan Times (newspaper), Published 2 December 2015, Retrieved 14 December 2021

Family

Ustad Sabri Khan Sahib has four sons (1) Sarwar Sabri (2) Jamal Sabri (3) Kamal Sabri (4) Gulfam Sabri, and five daughters. He has many grandsons playing musical instruments: Suhail Yusuf Khan (Sarangi), Faisal Yusuf Khan (Tabla), Shariq Khan (Tabla), Junaid (Guitar) and Nabeel Khan (Sarangi).

Death and legacy

In the early morning on 1 December 2015, Ustad Sabri Khan died surrounded by his family at his home in New Delhi at age 88.

Awards and honours

*Sahitya Kala Parishad Award *Shobhna Kala Sangam Award – 1985 *Begum Akhtar Award *

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IAST: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recogni ...

– 1986 *Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Academy Award, Lucknow, UP – 1990 * Padma Shree Award by the President of India, Government of India – 1992 *Ustad Chand Khan Award – 2002 *Sangeet Bhushan Award – 2002 *Lifetime Achievement Award – LEGENDS OF INDIA – DMA – Delhi – 2003 *National Artist Award – All India Radio Prasar Bharti Award – 2004 *

Award by the President of India, Government of India – 2006Ustad Sabri Khan Dies at 88
NDTV website, Published 1 December 2015, Retrieved 14 December 2021 *Sangeet Natak Akademi Tagore Ratna Award – 2012

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Sabri 1927 births 2015 deaths Hindustani instrumentalists Indian male classical musicians Indian Muslims Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts People from Moradabad Sarangi players 20th-century Indian male classical singers Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Chishti-Sabiris