Zila Khan
| Zila Khan | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Sufi music |
| Occupations | Musician |
| Instruments | Vocalist |
| Website | Official site |
Zila Hussain Khan is an Indian sufi singer.[1] She sings classical and semi-classical musical forms[2] and performs in the tradition of Imdadkhani gharana.
Early life
Zila Khan was born in Calcutta to pre-eminent sitar maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan[3] and Begum Monisha. She was named by her father after Amir Khusrow's raag, Zila Kaafi.
Career
Zila Khan was accepted as her father's disciple at a young age. She has practiced fourteen to sixteen hours a day in different time periods. She has mastered all his compositions. He empowered her to perform in a formal ceremony which he documented in his life documentary. She is the first woman in her gharana to learn and perform music. She also has the distinction of being the only woman so far from this family to have learnt music formally from her father and perform publicly,[4] a lineage of seven generations of sitar maestros behind her and four generations of recorded music from her great grandfather Imdad Khan's recordings. She performs with her vast range of musical forms, like in Sufi music qaul, qalbana, gul, and now is dedicating time for the revival of traditional Ghazal singing. Her performances have the guiding presence of the gayaki tradition.
In 2006, she made an award-winning documentary on the life and music of her father Ustad Vilayat Khan’s life, called Spirit to Soul. She was awarded The Roll of Honour by Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh and the Chief Justice of India. She was awarded the Ghalib Award and many others.
Zila Khan was a Cultural Advisor and Official Member of the Organizing Committee of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. She is part of many important delegations of India speaking about women rights and equality at the Lincoln Centre and various venues and countries. Zila Khan is a dedicated composer and has selected many songs from Sufi and contemporary poets. She like her father has worked towards protecting and copyrighting music works. She was featured in the multi-producers episode of Coke Studio @ MTV Season 2.
Music school
Zila Khan has a music school in 2008 called as Ustadgah,[5] a state-of-the-art gurukul at Panchsheel which also has a digital archive, art gallery, library and a resource centre. It has three other branches in England, America and Pusa Road. The school also trains musically talented students from underprivileged background.[6]
Personal life
Zila Khan was married at the age of 24 to Dr. Khalid and has a son Faizan.
Awards
- Roll of Honour received from the Prime Minister of India
Discography
- Zila
- Ishq Ki Nayee Bahar
- 99.9FM
- Secrets of the Divine- in which Zila Khan has composed all the songs.
- Realms of the Heart
- Sar Masti - A tribute to Amir Khusrow
- Zila The girl child - which has for the first time in the history of music Hazrat Rabia Basri's sufi'ism recorded in musical form.
- Sing with Sufis
- Vasl (title song of drama ost)
- Tere Ishq mein (title song of Man o Salwa ost)
References
- ↑ "The Hindu : Entertainment Chennai / Music : Moment of musical humanism". Hinduonnet.com. 2005-10-21. Retrieved 2013-10-12.
- ↑ "Music in the genes". The Hindu. 2002-12-19. Retrieved 2013-10-12.
- ↑ "Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan's body brought to city - Times Of India". Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com. 2004-03-15. Retrieved 2013-10-12.
- ↑ "No Page Found". Khaleejtimes.com. Retrieved 2013-10-12.
- ↑ "The Song catchers". Indian Express. 2010-05-15. Retrieved 2013-10-12.
- ↑