Imdad Khan
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Imdad Khan (1848–1920) was a famous Indian sitar and surbahar player, the grandfather of 20th Century sitar and surbahar greats Vilayat Khan and Imrat Khan.
Imdad Khan was born in Agra, as the second generation of what was to become the Imdadkhani or Etawah gharana (school), named after him or the village outside Agra where the family soon moved. He was taught by his father, Sahabdad Khan, a trained vocalist and self-taught sitar player, but Imdad came to greatly develop and define the family style and techniques. In the 19th Century, the instrumental classical music of North India was dominated by the Senia style, passed down through the musical dynasty of Miyan Tansen's descendants, who played in the dhrupad ang. Imdad instead evolved a style based on the newer, more popular khyal singing. It is said that in his youth at Etawah, Imdad practiced on the sitar in a state of chilla (isolation) for some twelve years.
Imdad attained great fame in his lifetime: he played for Queen Victoria in Delhi; he served as a court musician in Mysore (even though he was a northerner and South India has its own classical music, different from that of the north); and he was the first sitar player ever to be recorded. Some of these recordings have been released on CD, on the Great Gharanas: Imdadkhani compilation in RPG/EMI's Chairman's Choice series.
He taught the sitar and surbahar to his two sons, Enayat and Waheed Khan. His descendants (including his grand son Ustad Vilayat Khan) still play his compositions today, and he is often credited as the inventor of the surbahar (bass sitar).
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