Ustad Niaz Ahmed Khan - Raga Bhairav

Ustad Niaz Ahmed Khan (1924-2003) is one of the most important classical vocalist from the Kirana Gharana. A direct descendent of a branch of the Kirana family tree - his ancestry can be traced back to the earliest founders of the Kirana gharana. He was a nephew of the great Ustad Abdul Khan. Born in 1924 in Jaipur, he was trained in voice and sarangi by his father Bashir Ahmed Khan. Concert-goers in the 1960s and 70s will recall that Niaz Ahmad Khan was an inseparable jugalbandi partner of his elder brother Faiyaz Ahmed Khan. The two brothers made their mark as ideal exponents of jugalbandi in Hindustani music. After the demise of his elder brother, Niaz Ahmed Khan continued his career establishing himself as one of the foremost exponents of the traditional Kirana singing style. Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan is his son in-law. Niaz Ahmed Khan was a winner of Afiz Ali and Tansen awards. He was also famous for his performance at the 1984 festival of India in the Albert Hall in London. The New York Times had quoted his music album, which was released in 1970 in New York, as a bestseller.He died in 2003 in Mumbai after a brief illness.