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Tabla
maestro passes away.
One
of Pakistan’s leading tabla players Khalifa Akhtar Hussain Khan passed away
unexpectedly on 22nd November 2001 in Peshawar. Born in 1947, Ustad
Akhtar Hussain Khan was the nephew and adopted son of the legendary Ustad Mian
Qadir Bukhsh and was widely recognised to be the leading authority of the Punjab
gharana. His training began at the age of eight under his uncle Ustad Mian Qadir
Bukhsh. Following the death of Ustad Mian Qadir Bukhsh in 1962, Ustad Akhtar
Hussain Khan inherited the title of khalifa or the head of the Punjab
gharana. His training continued under Ustad Mashooq Ali Khan, a senior disciple
of Ustad Mian Qadir Bukhsh, and his maternal uncle Ustad Aslam Khan.
Khalifa
Akhtar Hussain joined Radio Peshawar in 1965 as a staff artiste and continued to
serve this position until his transfer to Radio Lahore in 1996. Being the
leading authority of Punjab gharana, Khalifa Akhtar Hussain had vast knowledge
on traditional and rare compositions of his gharana and would perform these in
solo performances. His playing displayed superb tonal quality and highlighted
all the attributes found in the Punjab gharana style of playing.
Khalifa
Akhtar Hussain had trained a number of disciples including Ustad Jan-ul-Hassan
(brother of the late Ustad Shaukat Hussain Khan), Raza Shaukat (son of the late
Ustad Shaukat Hussain Khan), Iqbal Hussain ‘Palay’ Khan, and nephew Dildar
Ali. During the past few years Khalifa Akhtar Hussain had been suffering from
diabetes and complications related to this disease resulted in his untimely
death. The maestro leaves behind a widow and three daughters. May the almighty
have mercy on his soul.
Photograph:
Lowell Lybarger
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