Amir khan : Hindustani vocal

The video is a presentation from the archives of the Sangeet Natak Akademi. The recording is a rendition of Raga Shuddha Kalyan by Amir Khan in 1956. Ustad Amir Khan (1912-1974) was the founder of the Indore gharana. He was born into a family of musicians in Indore. His father was a sarangi and veena player at the court of the Holkars. His grandfather was a singer at the court of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. He was initially trained by his father in sarangi. However his interest in singing led to him being trained in the merukhand technique (the use of permutations of any given group of swars). He soon developed his own style of gayaki (vocal style). The Indore gharana that he founded is known for its blend of the dhrupad with the khayal. Amir Khan is known for his three-octave range voice.