Son of Badayun: Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan

Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan

Badayun is a small city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It’s most famous citizen was a scholar named, Abdul Qadir Baduni, who wrote several histories of Muslim India and of the rule of the grandest of the Mughal rulers of India, Akbar.  Although he translated the Hindu epic, Ramayana into Persian he remained an orthodox Muslim and found many of Akbar’s religious and social reforms unacceptable.  This brought him into a sort of intellectual and professional rivalry with Akbar’s greatest contemporary historian and vizier Abul Fazl who applauded the Emperor’s innovative musings.

Badayun, which prides itself on being ‘the land of Sufis’ is also famous these days for being the birth place of several eminent classical musicians. The contemporary doyen of the Rampur gharana Ustad Rashid Khan, whom the Washerman’s Dog highlighted in its last post, was born in Badayun.  His uncle and teacher Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan also calls Badayun home.   And it is some of his deeply moving singing that we showcase tonight.

Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan was born on March 3, 1931 in Badayun. He belongs to the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana and is the son of Waris Hussain Khan and grandson of Inayat Hussain Khan of Sahaswan gharana. He has been associated with the Hindi film industry and as a teacher has trained several noted playback and classical singers.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, followed by Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award of India in 2006. In 2003 he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists given by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama.

            Track Listing:

            01.Raga Bihag

            02. Raga Mian ki Todi

Listen here.