Tradition · tabla gharana · India
Farrukhabad tabla gharana
The Farrukhabad tabla gharana, founded by Ustad Haji Vilayat Ali Khan (1818-1878) at Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh in the mid-19 century. The gharana emphasises the open-fingered bol (percussive syllables) technique, extensive compositional structure (gats, parans, chakkradars, tihais), and the integration of pakhawaj-style compositions into tabla performance. The gharana derives from the earlier Lucknow gharana (through Haji Vilayat Ali Khan's teacher Modu Khan of Lucknow) but developed its own distinctive compositional style. The gharana's major 20-century exponents include Ustad Amir Hussain Khan (1899-1969), Ustad Keramatullah Khan (1915-1988), and Pandit Shanta Prasad (1920-1986). The Farrukhabad gharana is particularly known for solo tabla performance (as distinct from accompaniment); its compositions are the standard content of modern tabla solo recitals. Pandit Yogesh Samsi (b.1968, trained by Ustad Allarakha) continues the modern tradition.
- Function
- Arts & performance
- Tradition
- Tabla gharana tradition; gharana histories
- Confidence
- Not assessed
- Location
- 27.390, 79.580
A gharana is a lineage/tradition rather than a simple place-bound institution; the mapped point is an origin, court, or major associated centre and should not be read as an exclusive birthplace.
Connections (1)
- Teaching lineageLucknow tabla gharana
Farrukhabad grew out of the Lucknow line in the nineteenth century when Haji Vilayat Ali Khan married into it, and then went in a different direction: Lucknow's repertoire was built for accompanying Kathak dancers, with open sounds and bols that can be spoken aloud, while Farrukhabad developed elaborate composed gats for solo performance. Between them they turned the tabla from an accompanying drum into a concert instrument.
On these journeys
Sources
Wikipedia, “Farrukhabad gharana”. Bonnie Wade and the standard gharana literature; IGNCA and Sangeet Natak Akademi oral-history collections.
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