Ustad Alladiya Khansaheb

SANGEET SAMRAT USTAD ALLADIYA KHAN(1855-1946) was regarded as one of the greatest exponents of khayal in the golden age of Hindustani classical music. He was born in a family of traditional dhrupad singers, and served in the courts of Jaipur and Jodhpur before settling down in kolhapur, Maharashtra, around the end of the nineteenth century as the court singer of Shahu Maharaj. His own style was discribed by his contemporaries as being particularly rich and coplex. He trained many eminent disciples including his brother Ustad Haidar Khansaheb and his sons Ustad Nasiruddin Khansaheb, Ustad Manji Khansaheb and Ustad Bhurji Khansaheb. Outside his own family his students included Pandit Bhaskarbua Bakhle, Sm Kesarbai Kerkar, Sm Mogubai Kurdikar, Shri Tribhuvandas Jariwala, Sm Leelabai Shrigaonkar, Sm Sushilarani Patel, Pandit Nivruttibua Sarnaik and Shri Gulubhai Jasdanwala. The Jaipur-Atrauli style that he established continues to be among the most respected idioms of Hindustani music in the country today, and among its contemporary exponents the names of Pandit Malikarjun Mansur(d. 1992), Sm Dhondutai Kulkarni, Sm Kishori Amonkar, Sm Shruti Sadolikar and Pandit Rajashekhar Mansur are well known. He narrated this account of his life to his grandson Shri Azizuddin Khansaheb in the last years of his life.