Master musician of India: Ustad Bismillah Khan

The video is a recording of a shehnai performance by Ustad Bismillah Khan from the Sangeet Natak Akademi archives. The shehnai is played in Raga Purvi set to Vilambit Ek Tal and Drut Teen Tal. Ustad Bismillah Khan (1916-2006) is one of the most celebrated musicians in the Hindustani classical music scene. He was born in Dumraon, Bihar in 1916 to a family of traditional court musicians. He moved to Banaras at the age of six to train under his uncle who was a shehnai player at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. He transformed the shehnai from a folk instrument played primarily at marriages in North India to a classical instrument of much impact and melody. He is recognized for his immaculate pitch perfection and impeccable execution of the meends, pukars, khatkas, murkis, zamzamas, taans and gamaks. He became the third classical musician to have been awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2001.