Al Gromer Khan
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Al Gromer Khan is a German-born sitar player and composer whose music spans the multiple genres of ambient, new age, world and electronica.
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[edit] Early Influences
Né Alois Gromer, Al Gromer Khan was born on April 8, 1946 at farm Hohentann (municipality Altusried/Allgäu) in alpine foothills of Bavaria between Lake Constance and Munich. He spent his early years in England, Morocco and India, where his father worked in the Foreign Office. Gromer Khan claims that he was drawn to the "mysteries of sound" from the first, be it the sound of the bells worn by the Bavarian cows grazing in the alpine meadows near his birthplace, Indian stringed instruments, the drums of North Africa or the "singing" telephone wires on the wind in the freezing Bavarian winters. Gromer Khan claims to have rejected the academic or diplomatic careers his parents expected him to take up.
The 1960s found a twenty-something Al Gromer in London where he took part in a number of creative experiments which were to have a lasting influence on him. According to Gromer Khan, the Prince Tiane na Champassak of Laos introduced him to tantric art and pop star Marc Bolan invited him to join in the all-night jam sessions he hosted. He explored psycho-acoustic phenomena with film director Mike Figgis, and saxophonist Ronnie Scott of Ronnie Scott's Jazzclub, who introduced Al to Ben Webster, Max Roach and Miles Davis, while Cat Stevens, now Yusuf Islam, gave him a taste for English poetry.
[edit] Development as a Sitarist
There is no doubt that Gromer Khan's creative encounters during the 1960s deeply informed his musical taste and style; however, Gromer’s ultimate musical awakening came during a trip to India in 1968, at a recital by sitarist Ustad Vilayat Khan. Gromer Khan professes to have been so moved by the performance that he instantly decided to devote his life to the study of the sitar. He remained in India, where he was to find a powerful teacher in Vilayat Khan's brother, Ustad Imrat Khan. Gromer Khan remained in India for the next three years, speed-learning his instrument at the feet of his guru. He returned to Bavaria in 1971, already an accomplished sitarist.
Gromer Khan spent the next 10 years studying with Imrat Khan in Europe and India. In 1975, his teacher performed the Ghanda Ceremony, thus initiating Al Gromer into the Khan-I-Gharana lineage of sitarists. He was the first outsider to be accepted into this particular Gharana, which like most Hindustani musical traditions, passes knowledge down the generations from father to son. After his initiation, Al Gromer added "Khan" to his name.
[edit] Creative works
Concurrently, Khan engaged in a number of experimental projects, pioneering the proto-electronic music genre called Space music, together with Popol Vuh, Deuter and Amon Düül.
Since 1974, Khan has released nearly 40 albums. He currently resides in Munich, Germany.
