Munawar Ali Khan

Munawar Ali Khan (15 August 1930 – 13 October 1989) was an Indian classical and light classical vocalist of Kasur Patiala Gharana. He was the younger son of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.[1]

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15th August 1930 - 13th October 1989 Ustad Munawar Ali Khan was an Indian classical and light classical vocalist of Kasur Patiala Gharana. He was one of the top strong pillar of Indian classical music and was the worthy representative of Kasur Patiala Gharana. He was the younger son of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali had two sons from his first marriage to Allaha Jawai, elder son was Karamat Ali Khan who had seven sons no daughter and younger son was Munawar Ali Khan who had three kids two boys and one daughter. .Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan first wife died when his both sons Karamat and Munawar were really kids. After some time Bade Ghulam Ali Khan sahib got married second time with Allaha Rakhi but he had no kids from his second wife.

Ustad Munawar Ali was born in 1930 in Lahore, British India. He was taught by his father Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and his uncle Barkat Ali Khan. He accompanied his father Bade Ghulam Ali Khan to all his concerts from his young age and became an integral part of his father's recital after his father had a paralytic attack in early 1961.Ustad Munawar Ali Khan had a full-throated voice with open Aakar and his style differed from his father's quicksilver style. After his father's death in 1968, he started giving solo concerts.

Ustad Munawar Ali Khan was a top-grade artist at All India Radio. He was the top pillar of Indian Classical vocal music. He was the best Indian Classical Khyal Gayak as well the thumri Dadra and Kafi music. Ustad Munawar was the best classical vocalist he always believed in true music teaching through his expertise as a Kasur Patiala Gharana top representative he joined Bharatiya Kala Kendra in Delhi as an Indian Classical music Guru. He always gave so much promotion to this great art through his performances interviews and teaching in different cities in India as well as in different parts of the World. He gave many major music performances in music festivals in India and abroad. He toured extensively in Germany, Switzerland, United Kingdom, France, Australia and represented India in Afghanistan in 1986 and in Pakistan in 1984. He has several discs to his credit both in India and abroad, released by Audio rec, HMV, EMI Music and Sony Nad. With Sandhya Mukherjee he also sang for a Bengali film "Jaijawanti" (1971).

Ustad Munawar Ali Khan was very blessed and was very outstanding khayal vocalist . He created many khyal and thumri Bandishes as well as Geet and ghazal Bandishes. He sang ragas which were not very popular in his gharana, such as Shudh Kalyan, Bairagi Bhairav, Abhogi Kanada, Suha Kanada, Devgiri Bilawal, and Ahir Bhairav, and he created a new raga named Malini Basant.

Ustad Munawar Ali Khan was married to his cousin Mrs. Azmat Munawar Ali Khan daughter of his Mamoon Janab Khadim Hussain. Ustad Munawar Ali Khan had three children two boys and one daughter his elder son is Raza Ali Khan younger son is Shakar Ali Khan and daughter name Irum Munawar Ali Khan. Ustad Munawar Ali Khan taught this unique Kasur Patiala Gharana Gayaki to many students including his son Raza Ali Khan; his nephews Mazhar Ali Khan, Jawaad Ali Khan, and Naqi Ali Khan; Ajoy Chakraborty, Indira Misra, Primila Puri, Sanjukta Ghosh, Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay, Sajjad Ali, Adnan Salem and Kumar Mukherjee. This Kasur Patiala legacy is now carried by his son Raza Ali Khan and his nephews Jawaad Ali Khan, Naqi Ali Khan, Abdul Aziz Khan. His grandson Fazle Ali Khan son of Raza Ali Khan also singing as a light classical singer and carrying the Gharana legacy of Kasur Patiala Gharana. Ustad Munawar Ali Khan always loved Kolkata and he died at the age of 59 in Kolkata on 13 October 1989.