The Gayaki of Ustad Alladiya Khan

Abstract

Revolutionaries with creative endowment have been known to break away from the confines of tradition and create styles, which further evolved into new gharanas. One such genius was the all-time great Ustad Alladiya Khan who engraved a distinct, indelible mark on the edifice of Hindustani classical music. During the golden age of Hindustani classical music i.e. the latter half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century, Alladiya Khan towered above the musicians of high calibre of this era; for his miraculous achievements as a performing artiste and as a perfect master, Alladiya Khan has been reverently designated ‘Sangeet Samrat’, the most befitting title by which he shall always be remembered by posterity. His style of singing remained a predominant style, which reined the music world in north India much after his death. The style came to be known as the Jaipur-Atrauli style, the mystique of which left both the audience and students bewildered. Alladiya Khan formulated a style, which was an expression for both outstanding men and women. His fame as a guru made considerable impact in Maharashtra; Alladiya Khan achieved the distinction of becoming the creator of a new gharana because his style was significantly different from that of his contemporaries. The intricate play with rhythm was the hallmark of Alladiya Khan’s gayaki, a style that was somewhat more difficult to grasp, and required a person with an evolved musical intellect to comprehend its development and subtleties and much more when imbibing and mastering it.