Patiala gharana

Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1902 – 1968), the most prominent exponent of the Patiala gharana

The Patiala gharana is one of the vocal gharanas (tradition, school, or style of music) of Hindustani classical music, named after the city of Patiala in Punjab, India where it was established.[1] The gharana was founded in the mid to late 19th century by Mian Kallu[2][3] (also known as Kalu-miya Khan),[4] a sārangi player of the Jaipur durbar.[4] He received his musical training from the last Mughal king Bahadur Shah Zafar's court musician Qutub Bakhsh 'Tanras' Khan (Delhi gharana) and went on to become the court musician to the Maharaja of Patiala. Eventually, the mantle was passed on to his son, 'General' Ali Baksh Khan and his close friend 'Colonel' Fateh Ali Khan, both of whom became court musicians in the court of Maharaja Rajinder Singh.[5] The titles of 'general' and 'colonel' of music were bestowed upon them by the Victor Alexander Bruce, the 9th Earl of Elgin, after the duo had enthralled him with their performance.[2] Their pairing was popularly referred to as 'Ali-a-Fattu ki Jodi.'[5][6]

Although the Patiala gharana was originally founded by Mian Kallu, it is widely acknowledged that it was Ali Baksh Khan and Fateh Ali Khan who popularised the Patiala singing tradition[5] by bringing its acclaim and attention across the subcontinent.[1][7] The Patiala gharana was inspired and influenced by four musical gharanasDelhi, Gwalior, Riva, and Jaipur,[8][9] and it is particularly noted for its ghazal, thumri, and khayal singing styles.[1] Of the numerous vocal gharanas in Hindustani classical music, the Patiala gharana is estimated to have the broadest and most prominent representation on both sides of the India-Pakistan border.[9][10]

In the latter half of the 20th century, the Patiala style of khayal singing took on two distinct forms.[8] The first form was originated by siblings Ustad Amanat Ali Khan (1922 – 1974) and Ustad Bade Fateh Ali Khan (1935 – 2017). The other, originating from Kasur, Pakistan, was produced by siblings Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1902 – 1968) and Ustad Barkat Ali Khan (1907 – 1963). Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan is generally acknowledged to be the most influential exponent of the Patiala gharana,[5][11][12][13][14] while Ustad Amanat Ali Khan is widely considered its most prominent scion.[15][16] The gharana is now generally referred to as the Kasur-Patiala gharana.[8][10][13][17]

  1. ^ a b c "Inside the lesser known tradition of Punjab's classical music, from Harballabh music festival to the Patiala gharana". Firstpost. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Remembering Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Patriarch of the Patiala Gharana". The Wire. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Paṭiālā Gharānā". Oxford Reference. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Search Results for Paṭiālā gharānā – Oxford Reference". Oxford Reference. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d Khanna, Shailaja (2 March 2018). "An enchanting amalgamation". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Aliā-Fattu". Oxford Reference. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Patiala Gharana: The Saga of the Raga". outlookindia.com/. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  8. ^ a b c "The Maestro of the Patiala Gharana | Pakistan Today". archive.pakistantoday.com.pk. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  9. ^ a b Bhaskar, Aditi (6 March 2021). "The Uniqueness of Patiala Gharana of Hindustani Music". indiaartreview.com. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  10. ^ a b "A life in music". The Indian Express. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Fitting ode to Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  12. ^ Naidu, Jaywant (9 December 2019). "A classical extravaganza". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  13. ^ a b Banerjee, Meena (27 April 2017). "Remembering the doyen". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  14. ^ Monica, Sarup; Phadtare Pandey, Kirti (25 April 2017). "Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's Repertoire Will Leave You Stunned". TheQuint. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  15. ^ Rabe, Nate (6 March 2016). "A rare gem from Pakistan: A lifetime on tiptoes". Scroll.in. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  16. ^ Raj, Ali (7 April 2016). "Ibne Insha, Asad Amanat Ali and myth of the cursed ghazal". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  17. ^ "A tribute to Patiala-Kasur gharana founders". tribuneindia.com. 18 March 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2022.