Mangaluru: Renowned Sitar Artiste Ustad Rafique Khan bags Sandesha Award

- Media Release

Mangaluru, 17 Dec 2015: The Sandesha Foundation for Culture and Education announced the winners of its annual awards in various categories for the year 2016. The awardees are Dr H S Venkatesh (literature), Gladys Rego (Konkani literature), Devdas Kapikad (Tulu literature), Sugantha  Sathiara (best teacher), Ustad Rafique Khan (art), Joel Pereira (Konkani music) and Thomas D’Souza (media) and also G S Jayadeva will be conferred the Sandesha Special Award. 

 

A renowned Sitar maestro, Ustad Rafique Khan (born 30 June 1968) began practicing Sitar at the young age of 9 and later graduated in music in Gandharva University, Mumbai and graduated in Philosophy from the University of Goa. Rafique Khan was born in Dharwad into an illustrious family of accomplished musicians belonging to the Gwalior Gharana. His father, the late Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, was a distinguished Sitarist of his time. His grandfather, the late Sitar Ratna Ustad Rahimat Khan was accredited for adding the base octave in the sitar.

 

 

With such a lineage, spanning seven generations of his family, it is no surprise that the young Rafique Khan took to the sitar at the tender age of nine. He blossomed under the skillful and caring tutelage of his father and also, his elder bother Ustad Bale Khan too tutored him who was the employee of All India Radio, Dharwad.  

 

Ustad Rafique Khan is the Top grade staff artist of Akashvani Mangalore and has broadcast three of his recitals on their National programmes. He is the first Sitarist awarded Top Grade form South India. He is the president of the music organization - Sangeetha Bharati Foundation, Mangaluru.  

 

One of the unique characteristics of his playing is the that he preserves the purity of the raag and maintains the b raag and maintains the balance of the 2  mixed styles in ‘Gayaki Ang’ and ‘Tantakari Ang.’ His self discipline and devotions to music is evident in the fact that he has mastered the ’Gamak taans’, which is considered to be the most difficult technique on the sitar. His command over the finger board is exemplary. The music that he produces is pure melody.  

 

Ustad Rafique Khan performed prestigious concerts  

• Sawai Gandharva Music festival, Pune.

• Shahu Maharaj Sangeet Mahotsav, Kolhapur

• Performed jugalbandi along with Grammy award winner Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhat at Bengaluru and Mangaluru.

• Performed Jugalbandhi with Vidwan Mysore Manjunath and Vidwan Mysore Nagaraj.

• Participated in an Indo-Arab Cultural festival at Abu Dhabi.

• Festival Delle Colline, Italy.

• Elilla Romanga Festival Caviro

• Toulouse Music festival, France.  

• Soorya Festival at Switzerland, Singapore, Dubai, Muscat, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.  

• Apart from his solo recitals, he also performs with his twin brother Shafique Khan and the Khan duos have received much praise for their ’jugalbandhis’.  

• It is to the credit of Rafique Khan that he has won the prestigious ’Sur Mani Award from Sur Singer Samsad, Mumbai at the young age of 23 years.