Ahmed Jan Thirakwa | |
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| Born | Ahmed Jan 1892 (1892) Moradabad,North-Western Provinces, British India |
| Died | 13 January 1976(1976-01-13) (aged 84–85) |
| Occupation | tabla player |
| Years active | 1908 – 1976 |
| Known for | Hindustani classical music |
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Ustad Ahmed Jan Khan "Thirakwa" (1892 – 13 January 1976) was anIndiantabla player, commonly considered the pre-eminent soloist among tabla players of the 20th century, and among the most influential percussionists in the history ofIndian Classical Music. He was known for his mastery of the finger techniques and aesthetic values of various tabla styles. He received theSangeet Natak Akademi Award fortabla in 1954 and thePadma Bhushan Award for Arts in 1970.
Ahmed Jan later known as 'Ahmed Jan Thirakwa' was born to a family of musicians in 1892 inMoradabad in theNorth-Western Provinces of British India.[1] Although his early musical training was in Hindustani vocals and thesarangi, his interest in tabla was aroused when he first heard tabla player Munir Khan. He became Munir Khan's disciple at the age of 12. According toThe Hindu newspaper article, "When he was around 12, Ahmed Jan was brought toBombay by his father Hussain Bakhsh and elder brother Mia Jan, both of whom were noted sarangi players, and placed in the hands of the tabla stalwart Ustad Munir Khan. The tutelage was to last for 25 years but at a very early stage, his guru's father, Kale Khan, nicknamed him "Thirakwa" because of his playful and naughty nature."[2][1]
For a long time, he played tabla in the court of theNawab of Rampur and during this time, came in close contact with the maestroes ofAgra,Jaipur,Gwalior andPatialagharanas — both vocalists and instrumentalists. On very few occasions, he renderedBandishes in his own voice but this was only in the company of extremely close compatriots and admirers. As an accompanist, he was equally loved respected and admired by his peers and elders. Two noteworthy artists in this category of admirers were the great Rabindrasangeet exponentSuchitra Mitra (1924–2011) and the famous tabla playerPandit Nikhil Ghosh.[3]
The name "Thirakwa" is not actually his original name, but was a nickname he earned from his guru's father. One day, while watching him practise, his guru's father remarked that he played so well his fingers seemed to be "shimmering" on the tabla. This earned him the nicknameThirakwa (shimmering).[2][1]
It is also rumored that his tone was similar to the thunderous cracking sound of lightning. A great lightning is sometimes described as "Thirakwa". In popular jargon, Ahmad Jan Thirakwa is termed as the "Mount Everest of Tabla". He performed at regular intervals in almost all the music conferences in various parts of the country and gained popularity as well as admiration. A connoisseur of biryani and kababs, Ahmad Jan was famous for his interpretation of the wide-ranging patterns of the beat-cycles which he liberally taught to his disciples. He made history by playing the tabla as a solo instrument at a time when it was only used and accepted as an accompanist. A few number of his live recordings are now available in audio-visual form that include excerpts from his different programmes over the years and which also provide glimpses of his mastery over percussion. He was the tabla player on the famous 'jugulbandi' (duet) ofBismillah Khan andVilayat Khan. According toThe Hindu newspaper article on Ahmed Jan Thirakwa, "Ustad Thirakwa, for instance, was revered both as a soloist and as an accompanist. He belongs to the glittering galaxy ofHindustani classical music along with other supernovae such as Aftab-e-Mausiqui ('Sun of Music')Faiyaz Khan,Abdul Karim Khan, Allabande Khan,Alladiya Khan,Allauddin Khan andBade Ghulam Ali Khan."[2]
Ustad Ahmed Jan Thirakwa, during his long career as a musician, trained many disciples all across India including Pandit Prem Vallabh ji, Pandit Lalji Gokhale,Pandit Nikhil Ghosh (tabla player)[3] and famous vocalist ofAgra gharana PanditJagannathbuwa Purohit, Pandit Narayanrao Joshi, Pandit Bhai Gaitonde, Pandit Bapu Patwardhan, Shri Anand Shidhaye, Dr. Dhananjay Patkie andRashid Mustafa Thirakwa are some of his well-known shagirds (disciples). Ustad Ahmed Jan's unique style continues to attract many tabla players of present generation includingUstad Zakir Hussain,Pandit Chandra Nath Shastri,Pandit Anindo Chatterjee andPandit Nikhil Ghosh.[3][4]
Ahmed Jan Thirakwa died on 13 January 1976 atLucknow, India at age 84.[6][4]
As of 2015, an 'Ustad Ahmed Jan Thirakwa Music Festival' is held every year to pay tribute to him by music enthusiasts in many major cities of India –Delhi,Pune,Mumbai,Kolhapur.[4]
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