Amjad Ali Khan pens book on 12 music icons

Amjad Ali Khan pens book on 12 music iconsNEW DELHI: Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan has authored a book on the lives and times of some of the greatest icons of Indian classical music.

Having known these stalwarts personally, Khan recalls anecdotes and details about their individual musical styles, bringing them alive in “Master on Masters”, publishers Penguin Random House said.

The book will hit stores in the middle of this month.

The 12 eminent musicians of the 20th century who appear in the book are Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Amir Khan, Begum Akhtar, Alla Rakha, Kesarbai Kerkar, Kumar Gandharva, M.S. Subbulakshmi, Bhimsen Joshi, Bismillah Khan, Ravi Shankar, Vilayat Khan and Kishan Maharaj.

In writing about them, Khan transcends the gharana and north-south divide, and presents portraits of these artists.

Khan gave his first performance at the age of six, and is credited with reinventing the technique of playing the sarod.

Over the course of a distinguished career spanning more than six decades, he has won numerous accolades, including a Grammy nomination, the Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and all three Padma Awards.–PTI