About Mewati Gharana


The Two Brothers and the Instrumental tradition

          The Mewati Gharana story, in brief, needs to be told by going up one generation above the founder brothers, Ustad Wahid Khan and Ustad Ghagge Nazir Khan.

          There were two brothers – Ustad Imam Khan and Ustad Wazir Khan. They were Dhrupad Gayaks. Imam Khan had three sons – Wahid Khan (Beenkar), Ghagge Nazir Khan (Vocalist) and Munavvar Khan (Vocalist).

          Both Wahid Khan and Ghagge Nazir Khan moved from Mewat region to Indore in Malwa region. Ghagge Nazir Khan soon moved to Jodhpur to serve as court singer at Jodhpur Estate for few years. He is therefore also known as ‘Jodhpur wale’ Nazir Khansahab. He later went back to his brother in Indore for a while and then to Gwalior to serve as a court singer at the Scindia’s court. He spent most of his later years at Gwalior before going to Bhopal where he died.

          Ghagge Nazir Khan received his vocal ‘taalim’ (training) from Ustad Waris Ali Khansahab of the famous ‘Qawwal Bacchhe’ Gharana. Waris Ali Khan was the son of the legendary Ustad Bade Mohammed Khan of Rewa. Ghagge Nazir Khan was appointed as the Court singer at Gwalior Scindia. He later married the grand daughter of the famous Hassu Haddu Khansahab of Gwalior Gharana.

          Elder brother Wahid Khan was the first ever ‘gandabandh’ shagird (disciple) of the legendary RudraVeena player Ustad Bande Ali Khan. Bande Ali Khan was also married to Hassu Haddu Khansahab’s brother’s daughter. Hence both Bande Ali khan and Ghagge Nazir Khan became co-brothers (sons-in-law of the same family)

          Wahid Khan was married into a family from Burhanpur (Uttar Pradesh). Two other daughters from the same family were wedded to Ustad Imdad Khan – Surbahar Player and Ustad Haider Khan – Dhrupad Vocalist (of Dhar, MP) Hence Wahid Khan, Haider Khan and Imdad Khan were also co-brothers (sons-in-law of the same family)

          It is said that there were only two ‘gandhabandh’ disciples of Ustad Bande Ali Khan in Malwa region – Wahid Khan of Indore and Murad Khan of Jawra.

          Bande Ali Khan used to say that Murad Khan played ‘Alap’ ki Been and Wahid Khan played ‘taiyyari’ ki Been (taans). Thus Mewati Gharana got the Merukhand and other variety of taans. Of the two brothers, Ustad Nazir Khan didn’t have any children so he adopted his younger brother Munnavvar Khan and gave him vocal training.

          Bande Ali Khan used to say that Murad Khan played ‘Alap’ ki Been and Wahid Khan played ‘taiyyari’ ki Been (taans). Thus Mewati Gharana got the Merukhand and other variety of taans. Of the two brothers, Ustad Nazir Khan didn’t have any children so he adopted his younger brother Munnavvar Khan and gave him vocal training. Munnavvar Khan was appointed as a court singer at Jam-estate (Jamnagar – Gujrat) & later at Sanand Durbar, Gujarat.

          Ustad Wahid Khan was appointed as ‘Veena Vinod’ at the Royal Court of Maharaja Shivaji Rao Holkar of Indore. He had five sons & one daughter, U.Majid Khan, U.Latif Khan, Saddan Khan, daughter Begum Hasiban, U. Ghulam Qadir Khan and U. Hamid Khan.

          Among his sons, the eldest Ustad Majid Khan was a Rudra Veena and Sitar player. He took his uncle (Chacha) Munnavvar Khan’s place as a court musician in Jamnagar Estate and later moved to Bombay, where he ran a Music School. He had two daughters and one son, Mohammad Shafi, who made a big name for himself as a composer, conductor in the Hindi film industry.

          His second son Ustad Latif Khan was twin Brother of Saddan Khan. Latif Khan was a very famous RudraVeena player of his time. He took over his father’s place as a Court Musician at the Royal Court of Holkar in Indore during Maharaja Tukoji Rao Holkar III and later Maharaja Yeshwant Rao Holkar ll whom he also taught Rudra Veena. He also taught his brother-in-law, Usmaan Khan, nephew Mohammed Khan (Father of Rais Khan), his younger brothers Ghulam Qadir Khan and Hamid Khan. He had only one daughter Begum Kaniz Fatima. She was married to the grandson of Ustad Haider Khan of Dhar. Her elder son Ustad Siraj Khan is an eminent Sitar player and the current torch bearer of the Gharana.

          Fourth son Ustad Ghulam Qadir Khan was a Vocalist. He was adopted by his uncle Ustad Munnavvar Khan. Later he was appointed at Sanand Court. He was a great performer & teacher. He had two daughters. He received many awards & accolades during his career.

          Fifth son Ustad Hamid Khan was a Rudra Veena and Sitar player. Hamid Khan and Ghulam Qadir khan, the last two sons were from Ustad Wahid Khan’s second wife. The age difference between the father-sons was huge, so both these young brothers were brought up, taken care and were taught music by their elder brothers Ustad Latif Khan and Ustad Majid Khan.

          Hamid khan stayed in Bombay (Mumbai), a Radio Artist of his time. He also taught Sitar at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in Mumbai. He had three sons and five daughters.

          Daughter Begum Hasiban had two Children. Daughter Begum Sayeedan and son Ustad Mohammad Khan resided in Bombay. Ustad Mohammad Khan was a Sitar, Surbahar player and had many illustrious pupils from South Bombay. His son Ustad Rais Khan became a legendary Sitar player and took the Gharana to greater heights from late 1950s.

          An interesting fact – Both elder sons of Ustad Wahid Khan, ie Latif Khan and Majid Khan were married to daughters of another legendary Surbahar player Ustad Imdad Khan (sisters of Ustad Enayat Khan). Interestingly later, two grandsons Mohammad Shafi – Son of Majid Khan and Ustad Mohammad Khan, son of Hasiban Begum were married to Enayat Khansahab’s daughters (Sisters of Sitar legend Ustad Vilayat Khan). Begum Naseeran to Ustad Mohammed Khan & Begum Shareefan (Zeenat) to Mohd Shafi.


Vocal Tradition

          The Vocal tradition started with Ustad Ghagge Nazir Khan, his brother / adopted son Ustad Munnavvar Khan and later Ustad Ghulam Qadir Khan. From the 1950s however, a new star was being hailed. Today, it is Padma Vibhushan Pandit Jasraj who is the torch bearer of the Mewati Vocal tradition. He has been active for almost seven decades. In addition to performing classical music, Jasraj has worked to popularise semi-classical musical styles, such as Haveli Sangeet.

          His nephew and Senior disciple Shri Rattan Mohan Sharma is a popular singer and grandson Swar is a promising vocalist. Panditji’s other disciples Shri Sanjeev Abhyankar, violinist Kala Ramnath, Gautam Kale, Shashank Subramanyam (Flutist) , Ankita Joshi, Dr Mukund Lath (Musicologist) are already established musicians.


Mewati contribution to the film Industry

          This topic needs a special mention. While the ancestors were established musicians in Royal Courts, the subsequent generations have contributed to the Hindi Film Industry too in a big way. Shri Mohammad Shafi was one the most sought after Composer / Conductor / Arranger for big music directors like R D Burman, Madan Mohan, LaxmikantPyarelal. Sitarist Ustad Rais Khan’s contribution to film songs through his Sitar melodies is legendary. Another sensation is Asad Khan who apart from carrying his family tradition of classical music & taking Sitar to newer heights is also a successful Composer/ Producer /Sound Designer for many famous films &projects in India & abroad. He has also played Sitar in many films and Concerts for music directors like A R Rahman.

          Pandit Jasraj ji’s son Sharang Dev is a reputed music director. His daughter Durga Jasraj is a big name in the industry as original content producer and host. His nephews Jatin-Lalit are music directors of repute. Niece Sulakshana Pandit was a star actor and a playback singer.

          The great playback singer SumanKalyanpur was a disciple of Ustad Ghulam Qadir Khan. And so the story continues.