>Ser Amantio di Nicolao at 06:22, 7 July 2021

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{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Aashish Khan Debsharma
| image = Ustad Aashish Khan 12.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1939|12|5}}
| death_date =
| origin = [[Maihar]], India
| instrument = [[Sarode]]
| genre = [[Indian classical music|Indian classical]]
| occupation = [[Sarod]]iya, composer, educator
| years_active = 1970–present
| label =
| associated_acts = [[Allauddin Khan]]<br />[[Ali Akbar Khan]]<br />[[Ravi Shankar]]<br />[[George Harrison]]<br />[[Eric Clapton]]
| website =
}}
'''Aashish Khan Debsharma''' (born 5 December 1939) is an [[Indian classical music]]ian, a player of the [[sarod]]. He was nominated for a [[Grammy Award]] in 2006 in the 'Best World Music' category for his album "Golden Strings of the Sarode"{{citation needed|date=April 2015}}. He is also a recipient of the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]. Besides being a performer, composer, and conductor, he is also an adjunct professor of [[Indian classical music]] at the [[California Institute of the Arts]], and the [[University of California at Santa Cruz]], in the United States.

==Family and life==
===Ustad Alauddin Khan tradition===
Aashish Khan was born in 1939 at [[Maihar]], a small princely state of [[British India]], where his well-known grandfather [[Alauddin Khan]], founder of the "Senia [[Maihar Gharana]]" or "Senia Maihar School" of Indian classical music, was a royal court musician at that time. His mother the late Zubeida Begum was [[Ali Akbar Khan]]'s first wife. He was initiated into [[Hindustani classical music]] at the age of five by his grandfather. His training (or ''taalim'') later continued under the guidance of his father [[Ali Akbar Khan]], and his aunt, [[Annapurna Devi]]. The "Senia Maihar Gharana" follows the traditional "Beenkar" and "Rababiya" pattern of the "Dhrupad" style. He has two children Faraz and Nusrat Khan from a previous marriage.

==Career==
Aashish Khan grew up in [[Maihar]] and [[Calcutta]] performing [[Indian classical music]] among distinguished circles of connoisseurs. He gave his debut public performance at the age of 13, with his grandfather, on the [[All India Radio]] "National Program", New Delhi, and in the same year, performed with his father and his grandfather at the "Tansen Music Conference", [[Calcutta]]. Since then he has performed at major venues of classical music and [[world music]] both in the [[Indian subcontinent]] and abroad.

Aashish Khan is also a founder of the Indo-American musical group [[Shanti (band)|Shanti]] with [[tabla]] player [[Ustad]] [[Zakir Hussain (musician)|Zakir Hussain]] in 1969, and later, of the fusion group, "The Third Eye". In "Shanti", Aashish Khan is featured playing the acoustic Sarode sometimes through a fender guitar amplifier with vibrato effect.

Under [[Ravi Shankar]], he has worked as a background artist on musical products for both film and stage, including [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] Winner [[Satyajit Ray]]'s ''[[Apur Sansar]]'', ''[[Parash Pathar]]'', ''[[Jalsaghar]]'', and [[Richard Attenborough]]'s film ''[[Gandhi (film)|Gandhi]]''. He has also worked as a background artist with [[Maurice Jarre]] on [[John Huston]]'s film ''[[The Man Who Would Be King (film)|The Man Who Would be King]]'', [[David Lean]]'s ''[[A Passage to India (film)|A Passage to India]]'', and composed the music for [[Tapan Sinha]]'s films, ''Joturgriha'' (for which he received Best Film Score Award) and ''Aadmi Aurat''.

During 1989–1990, Aashish Khan served as the Composer and Conductor for the National Orchestra of [[All India Radio]], New Delhi, India, succeeding musical stalwarts like sitarist Ravi Shankar, and flautist [[Pannalal Ghosh]].

==Collaborations==
Aashish Khan has collaborated with such diverse western musicians as [[Wonderwall Music|John Barham]], [[George Harrison]], [[Ringo Starr]], [[The Beatles]], [[Eric Clapton]], [[Charles Lloyd (jazz musician)|Charles Lloyd]], [[John Handy]], [[Alice Coltrane]], [[Emil Richards]], [[Dallas Smith (singer)|Dallas Smith]], Don Pope, [[Strunz & Farah|Jorge Strunz]], [[Strunz & Farah|Ardeshir Farah]], and the [[Philadelphia String Quartet]]. Ustad Aashish Khan is currently leading "Shringar" with notable [[New Orleans]] musicians such as Tim Green and [[Jason Marsalis]]. Shringar is the first foray of any classical Indian musician into the [[music culture of New Orleans]], widely considered the Mecca of Jazz. His recordings include ''[[Wonderwall Music]]'', ''Young Master of the Sarode'', ''California Concert'', ''Sarode and Piano Jugalbandi'', ''Shanti'', ''Live at the [[Royal Festival Hall|Royal Festival Hall London]]'', ''Homage, Inner Voyage'', ''Monsoon Ragas'', ''The Sound of [[Mughal era|Mughal]] Court'', and the latest, ''Jugalbandi Sarode & [[Sarangi]] Duet'', with [[Ustad Sultan Khan]].

==Teaching==
Aashish Khan is a music teacher, currently serving as adjunct professor of Indian Classical Music at the [[California Institute of the Arts]], Los Angeles, US, and as an adjunct professor of Music at the [[University of California at Santa Cruz]], United States. He has formerly taught at the faculties of the [[Ali Akbar College of Music]] in [[San Rafael, California]], [[University of Alberta]] in Canada and the [[University of Washington]], [[Seattle]]. While pursuing a busy career as a concert artist and composer, he teaches students throughout the US, Canada, Europe, and Africa, as well as India. Many of his students have established themselves as stage performers in India and abroad.

He presently divides his time principally between [[Calcutta]], and California, where most of his students and disciples are located.

==Recognition==
He has been awarded the Fellowship of the [[Illinois Arts Council]], US, in 2002, and India's highest award for performing arts, i.e., the [[Sangeet Natak Akademi]] award in 2005. In 2006, he was nominated for a [[Grammy Award]] in the 'Best World Music' category. On 24 May 2007 Ustad Aashish Khan became the first ever Indian classical musician to become a Fellow of the [[Royal Asiatic Society|Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland]], the UK's highest society in Asian arts and culture.<ref>[http://www.ppnow.net/Entertainment/-Aashish-Khan-Receives-Rare-Honour/] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808062711/http://www.ppnow.net/Entertainment/-Aashish-Khan-Receives-Rare-Honour/ |date=8 August 2014 }} Royal Asiatic Society News</ref>

==Religious conversion==
Aashish Khan is Hindu.<ref>Staff. “Ustad Aashish Khan Returns to Roots.” https://Www.oneindia.com, 22 Aug. 2006, www.oneindia.com/2006/08/22/ustad-aashish-khan-returns-to-roots-1156232199.html.</ref> In September 2006, he announced at a press conference in [[Calcutta]] that since his forefathers were [[Hindu]] [[Brahmin]]s of the [[East Bengal]], and held the surname "Debsharma", he wished to use his forefathers' surname to help people understand the root of his musical lineage. He also stated that his family were never officially converted into [[Islam]] and the surname "Khan" did not necessarily imply he was a Muslim. He based this assertion on the fact that his grandfather the late Ustad [[Allauddin Khan]] wrote in his biography (''Aamar Katha, ([[Bengali language|Bengali]]), published by Ananda Publishers, [[Calcutta]]'') that his forefathers were indeed Hindus with the surname "Debsharma". He also said that his name (Aashish) and his brothers' names (Dhyanesh, Pranesh, Amaresh) were all given by their grandfather Allauddin; and these are essentially Hindi names. However, his father [[Ali Akbar Khan]] rejected Aashish's claims as fallacies. An anguished Ali Akbar Khan told the [[Times of India]] newspaper in an e-mail: "I do not support his (Aashish's) choice. Unfortunately, many statements made by my son in the newspaper regarding the history of my family are incorrect." He stated that their family has been Muslim for many generations, and we will remain Muslims.<ref>[http://hvk.org/articles/0906/34.html We were always hindu.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080925085846/http://hvk.org/articles/0906/34.html |date=25 September 2008 }} The Times of India – 1 September 2006</ref>

==Discography==
*Aashish Khan: ''Inner Voyage''; Raga [[Bhimpalasi]] (Pilgrimage), Raga [[Jog (raga)|Jog]] (Two Dimensions), Raga Mishra [[Kafi]] (Inner Voyage), Raga Mishra [[Gara]] (Remembering You), Raga Mishra [[Abhogi]] (Love Within), Raga Mishra [[Kafi]] (Under The Stars); Keyboards and Producer: Alan Scott Bachman; and Percussion: George Grant. (DDD)
*Aashish Khan: Raga [[Desh Malhar]], Raga Mishra [[Sivaranjani]], Raga Mishra [[Khamaj]]. Accompanists: Pranesh Khan in Tabla and Amie Maciszewski in Tanpura. Bihaan Music, Calcutta, India. (DDD)
*Aashish Khan: ''Peace & Joy: Music For Relaxation''; Raga [[Darbari Kanada]], Raga Kaushi. Accompanist: Swapan Chaudhuri in Tabla. Ninaad Records, India (NC 0035). (DDD)
*Aashish Khan & Sultan Khan: ''Jugalbandi – Sarode & Sarangi Duet''; Live in Stuttgart 1995; Raga [[Shri]], Raga [[Maru Behag]], Raga [[Maand]]; Tabla: Zakir Hussain, Tanpura: Shefali Nag & Madhuri Chattopadhyay. Chhanda Dhara, Germany (SNCD 70197).(DDD)
*Aashish Khan: ''Rainy Season Ragas''; Raga [[Desh Malhar]] – Alap, Jod, Jhala, Raga [[Mian Ki Malhar]] – Gat in Tintal, Ragamalika – Gat in Tintal; Tabla: Zakir Hussain, Tanpura: Karuna Eff & Daniela Birschel. Chhanda Dhara, Germany (SNCD 70394).(DDD)
*Aashish Khan & Indranil Bhattacharya: ''Homage to Our Guru – Jugalbandi''; Raga [[Darbari Kanara]] – Alap & Jod, Raga [[Kirwani]] – Gats in Teental, Raga [[Khamaj]] in Thumri Style – Taal in Chanchar; Tabla: Anindo Chatterjee. Chhanda Dhara, Germany (SNCD 70994) & Navras Records, UK. (DDD)
*Aashish Khan: ''Golden Strings of the Sarode''; Raga [[Bhimpalashi]], Raga [[Bhairavi (Hindustani)|Bhairavi]], Raga [[Lalitagouri]]; Tabla: Zakir Hussain. Moment Records, USA (MRCD 1022) & Music Today, India. (DDD)

With George Harrison:

*''[[Wonderwall Music]]'' (1968)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030308072600/http://www.sonymusic.co.in/artist/artist.asp?artistid=1357&cookie_test=1 Biography] at [[Sony Music India]]
*[http://www.simlahouse.com/people/khan.php Biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729231828/http://www.simlahouse.com/people/khan.php |date=29 July 2020 }} at Simlahouse
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070614115932/http://history.ucsc.edu/undergraduate/southasian/index.php UCSC Faculty]
*[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Ustad_Aashish_Khan_receives_rare_honour_in_UK/rssarticleshow/2080468.cms The Times of India]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20101115030710/http://www.indiadaily.org/entry/ustad-aashish-khan-becomes-fellow-of-royal-asiatic-society India Daily]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070930210724/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/009200705281755.htm The Hindu]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071007153122/http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID=%7BA032BBBB-544A-4D96-AEC5-A916E8DDD723%7D&CATEGORYNAME=National Chennai Online]
*[http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog/archives/2007/03/aashish_khan_sa_1.html Ustad Aashish Khan Interview]
*[https://wmfpodcast.org/aashish-khan-sarod-master-episode-4/ Interview on The World Music Foundation Podcast]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Aashish}}
[[Category:1939 births]]
[[Category:Indian Hindus]]
[[Category:Converts to Hinduism from Islam]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Asiatic Society]]
[[Category:Hindustani instrumentalists]]
[[Category:Indian film score composers]]
[[Category:Indian former Muslims]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sarod players]]
[[Category:People from Satna]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian composers]]
[[Category:Indian male film score composers]]
[[Category:20th-century male musicians]]
[[Category:Indian Classical Musicians of Bengal]]

Aashish Khan - Revision history

>Ser Amantio di Nicolao at 06:22, 7 July 2021