with artists Ustad Kadar Khan, Ayub Khan and Imran Khan. Gulam Mohammed Khan will keep the melodic time cycle on the harmonium. The Kalavants make their tabla sing, and can…
The Kalavant family will present a drumming trio on the tabla (the Indian drum)
with artists Ustad Kadar Khan, Ayub Khan and Imran Khan. Gulam Mohammed Khan will keep the melodic time cycle on the harmonium. The Kalavants make their tabla sing, and can bowl you over with their drumming power.
They play the tablas with a spirit that shows obvious mastery of the tradition and its mathematical complexities.
The name “tabla” was probably derived from the Arabic word for a drum called
the “tabi,” Over the last two centuries the tabla began to take the forefront of percussion
instruments in north Indian classical music.
The family lineage of the Kalavant family can be traced back from the 18th century onwards.
The Kalavant family, which migrated from Abmedabad, India, is well established in New
York City. Being traditional heritage artists for many generations, the musical family has
performed for countless musical lovers, patrons of music, and at different concerts. They
have also undertaken the task of promoting this art form, in the way of audience education, so that listener as well as performer can participate knowledgeably in the
delight of musical communication. Thus the Kalavant family’s focus is on performing
and teaching Indian classical music at its highest level. Their music has been appreciated
around the world by peoples of all cultures.
Ustad Kadar Khan
Ustad (literally “master”) Kadar Khan is the founder and director of the Kalavant Center
for Music and Dance. In 1982, he founded Naad-Niket Musical Academy in Ahmedabad, India.
Several of the Naad-Niket students have later won awards in national
competitions and accompanied great musicians.
Since 1988, Kadar Khan has lived in the
USA, teaching at and giving lecture demonstrations at New York University, Columbia University, Wesleyan University, Manhattan School of Music, Harvard,
William Patterson College, the University of Chicago, World Music Institute, and the
American Museum of Natural History.
Born in Rajasthan, India, into a family that was
for generations court musicians to royal kingdoms, Kadar Khan began training at 7
under his father and guru, Ustad Reheman Khan. From him, he acquired mastery of the four traditional styles of tabla playing—the Delhi, Ajarada, Lucknow, and Farukhabad gharanas or “schools,” Kadar Khan carries on these traditional styles and also creates new
works and compositions rooted in time-honored techniques and performance conventions. In 1985, he was a featured soloist on All India Radio and Television’s “National Highlights,” a program broadcast to millions of listeners. He is also a masterful
accompanist of Indian classical dance. Some of the many leading artists Ustad Kadar
Khan has accompanied are: Ustad Vilayat Khan (sitar), Pandit Han Prasad Chaurasia
(flute), Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra (guitar), Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (guitar), Pandit Jasraj (vocal), Ustad Sultan Khan (sarangi), Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan (sitar), Ustad
Ghulam Mustafa Khan (vocal), Smt. Lakshmi Shankar (vocal) and Smt. Kumudini
Lakhia (kathak dance).
Ayub Khan
He was trained under his father Ustad Reheman Khan, the tabla maestro. During his tour to the
U.S. in 1997 he performed at The American Museum of Natural History. Presently he is associated
with Naad-Niket, Center for Propagation of Indian Music, in India. He is here in the U.S. performing with Raj Arts Management, and is closely affiliated with the Kalavant Center for
Music and Dance.
Imran Khan
Born in a family of traditional heritage musicians, Imran Khan started his training on tabla at the
tender age of 4 under his grandfather and guru Ustad Reheman Khan. During the last three years,
he has also been under the guidance of his uncle, Ustad Kadar Khan. Since the age of 12 he has
been taking part in music competitions, always taking the first prize. He has also performed for
All India Radio and in various music festivals. This is what the press reviews say about him.
“But a 12-year-old Imran Khan impressed us all with his control, clarity and
consistency. He hails from Kadar Khan’s family and can develop into an artiste.” — Hrishikesh Pathak The Times of India Ahmedabad
“The young Imran Khan impressed the audience with the soft and delicate percussion art.
He has a bright future.” — Subandhu Parikh The Times of India Ahmedabad
Ghulam Mohammed Khan
Ghulam Mohammed Khan, vocalist and harmoniumist, comes from Rajasthan in India. He
was trained under Ustad Raheman Khan of Sikar, Rajasthan. One of the leading musical and dance teachers of Naad-Niket, Center for Propagation of
Music in Ahmedabad, India, he has performed with, and accompanied many luminaries
such as Smt. Kankana Banerjee, Smt. Savita Devi, and Ustad Nizamuddin Khan. He
teaches Kathak dance, Rajasthani folk dance, classical music, and semi-classical music
(Bhajans, Ghazals, Rajasthani Folk, etc.), and has performed nationwide in India. In the
U.S., besides having performed at the University of Oklahoma, he has also performed and
assisted in lecture/demonstrations for the American Museum of Natural History, Lotus Fine Arts, Queens Borough Library, and other places.
