One of the specialities of Indian Classical Music is the fact that the basic fundaments of the music essentially unchanged for long ceturies, despite for the individual playing-style of the musicians. If a style is not only a unique style of a person but could survive at least three generations, then a new gharana is born. The stories, legends and legandary persons from the best known instrumental gharanas. You can listen to sound and watch video-samples from old masters from more than 100 years ago!
Imdad Khani Gharana
Imdad Khan
The oldest sitar gharana which started a new playing style seven generations ago. Now it is called gayaki ang, the singing style, based on the well ornamented khyal style of singing. Made new instruments which are fit to the new style, so they are the inventors of surbahar (Imdad Khan), sitar (Vilayat Khan), or even the shankar-guitar (Dr. Kamala Shankar). The main representatives of the gharana are: Imrat Khan (the grandson of Imdad Khan), Shujaat Khan (Vilayat Khan’s son) and his nepew, Shahid Parvez; and the master of unique sitar technics: Rajeev Janardan, Dr. Kamala Shankar and Budhaditya Mukherjee, who has been learning from Bimalendu Mukherjee, one of the disciles of Enayat Khan.
Indore Gharana
Bande Ali Khan
At least 150 years old gharana. It’s main representatives are Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan, whose well-known of his unique playing-style (jafferkhani baj) and Rais Khan, the son of Mohammad Khan and the nephew of Vilayat Khan.
Jaipur Senia Gharana
Sadiq Ali Khan and Asad Ali Khan
It is believed that the Jaipur Senia Gharana was founded by the descendants of Masid Khan, the creator of the first sitar baj. Through some great names of sitar playing, like Barkatullah Khan, Ashiq Ali Khan and Mustaq Ali Khan until the representatives of the gharana in these days: Debu Chaudhuri – who was the senior Sitar teacher of Delhi University until 2004, the year of his retirement – and his son, Prateek Chaudhuri.
Maihar Gharana
Allauddin Khan
One of the youngest gharana, which gave a lot of famous maestros to the Indian Classical Music scene, like Annapurna Devi, Pannalal Ghosh, Nikhil Banerjee, Ravi Shankar, or Ali Akbar Khan. The founder is the legendary Baba Allauddin Khan.
Senia Bangash Gharana
Hafiz Ali Khan
A gharana wich originated from the afgani rebab-playing and fruited in Indian Classical Music by developing a lot on the sarod-playing and on the instrument itself. The main representatives of the gharana are: Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash.
Vishnupur Gharana
Gokul Nag
A rarely heard gharana, with very imressive sitar technics. The most important representatives are Manilal Nag and his daughter Mita Nag from Kalkutta.