Sakar Khan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 9 August 1938 (1938-08-09) (age 87) |
| Died | 10 August 2013 Hamira, Rajasthan, India |
| Resting place | Hamira 27°00′N71°04′E / 27.000°N 71.067°E /27.000; 71.067 |
| Occupation(s) | Folk, Classical musician |
| Spouse | Bubba Devi |
| Children | Ghewar Khan Firoze Khan Darra Khan, Satar khan |
| Parent | Ustad Chuhad Khan |
| Awards | Padma Shri Tulsi Samman Sangeet Natak Akademi Award |
Sakar Khan (akaSakar Khan Manganiar) (1938–2013) was an Indian musician, considered by many as the greatest exponent of the Kamayacha (or Kamaicha), aRajasthani version of the Persian musical instrument of thesame name, popular among theManganiar community of the Indian desert state.[1][2][3][4] TheGovernment of India honoured Khan in 2012, with the fourth highest civilian award ofPadma Shri.[5]
He was a folk artiste who reached world stage purely by way of his merit. He did not even know what publicity meant. But give him his kamyancha and the man was a rockstar, though an unknown one, saysPt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt,Grammy award winner
Sakar Khan was born on 9 August 1938 atHamira, a small village in theJaisalmer district of the Indian state ofRajasthan,[4] in theManganiar community, known for their traditional music.[1] His father, Ustad Chuhad Khan, was a renowned kamayacha (kamaicha) musician[2] and the young Sakar started learning kamayacha (kamaicha) from an early age under the tutelage of his father[6] to earn a name for himself later.[1]
Khan has performed in many parts of the world, notably in Brussels, at a concert at the Cirque Royal Auditorium, organized by the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation, titled,From the Sitar to the Guitar where he played alongside such musicians asYehudi Menuhin andPandit Ravi Shankar.[6][7] His concerts have taken place in countries such as US, France, Japan and USSR[2][6] and has performed withGeorge Harrison,the Beatle, andSultan Khan in London.[4]
Sakar Khan, who is credited with getting the Rajasthani kamancha noticed at the world stage,[4][7] is reported to have made innovations to the instrument, originally arabab look alike[6] stringed instrument composed of a goat skin covered body and three or four main and fourteen sympathetic strings[2][6] by adding to the number of sympathetic strings to enhance the emotional appeal of the instrument.[3] His renditions ofBhairavi raga andKalyani raga have been stored in theethnomusicology archives ofSmithsonian Folkways, the record label of theSmithsonian Institution.[6] His performance atThe Manganiyar Seduction,[8] was as a guest of honour at thePurana Qila in Delhi[6] in November 2010, following which the organisers, Amarrass Records, made analogue field recordings of the maestro at his home in Hamira, Rajasthan, released asAt Home: Sakar Khan (Amarrass Records) in September 2012.[2][6] This remains the only album released by Sakar Khan.[7][9] His last public performance was at the Amarrass Desert Music Festival 2012 in December in New Delhi, India.
Sakar Khan died on 10 August 2013[1][10] due to respiratory illnesses[6] and is survived by his wife, Bubba Devi, their four sons and two daughters.[7] Four of his sons, Ghewar Khan, Feroze Khan and Darra Khan, Satar[11] are known kamayacha (kamaicha) musicians and accompany their father on concerts.[1][2][4][6]
The Government of Madhya Pradesh awarded Sakar Khan theTulsi Samman in 1990.[1][2][4][6] The next year, in 1991, he received theSangeet Natak Akademi Award[1][2][4][6] from theGovernment of India which, twenty one years later, followed it up with the fourth highest civilian award ofPadma Shri, in 2012.[2][4][6][7]
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