Monthly Archives: November 2010

This is a poem about Moizuddin Khan (also known as Majuddin Khan) who was one of the greatest vocalists of the late 19th and early 20th Century. He mainly sang thumris, but his tankari and compositions were the envy of … Continue reading →

Ustad Akbar Ali Khan Sahib (not to be confused with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan the Sarodist) was descended from a distinguished house of music going back to Tan Sen and even further back to Amir Khusro. Like his predecessors Ustad … Continue reading →

This is a poem about Sitar, an instrument I love to play. The Sitar has evolved as an instrument in the last 800 years on the sub-continent. It was first put in its proto-form by Amir Khusro who used the … Continue reading →

All Saints is a poem about the school I attended back in the late 40s in Hyderabad. It was a Catholic Mission school with a great tradition of learning and sports. I had first joined the adjoining Rosary Convent as … Continue reading →

This is a poem about over-population. When I was a child, the total population of the sub-continent was around 400 million. A few years ago India’s population alone had reached the 1000 million mark, and this was excluding the populations … Continue reading →

Ustad Vilayat Khan (1928 – 2004) is one of the greatest Sitarists who ever lived. He blazed a new trail in the field of gayaki baaj which is now being emulated by one and all. He belongs to the Imdad … Continue reading →

This poem is in praise of Amir Khusro (1253-1325 A.D.) who is one of the greatest geniuses who ever lived. He wrote poetry in Farsi as well as in many different languages of North India, including Brij Bhasha, Hindi, Proto-Urdu, … Continue reading →