Ustad Sabri Khan was an Indian sarangi player, who was descended on both sides of his family from a line of distinguished musicians.
Background
Sabri Khan was born on 21 May 1927 in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. He had been initiated into Sarangi – playing by his grandfather, Ustad Haji Mohammed Khan and later continued his training under his father Ustad Chajju Khan, both accomplished Sarangi exponents of their time.
Career
He belonged to the Sainia Gharana. This Gharana traces the tradition of its music back to Mian Tansen, the great vocalist in the court of Moghul Emperor Akbar. Sabri Khan had a prodigious command over the Sarangi – bowed instrument, which is considered to be one of the most difficult instruments to master in Indian instrumental music
In playing Sarangi he had generated his own style where the purity of raga, variety of tans, layakari, (rhythmic oscillations) alaap-jor are obvious and of course of the traditional form of sarangi-playing in its total originality.
Sabri Khan toured extensively across the world and performed in Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Japan, Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics, Russia, United States of America, Canada, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Spain, the Czechoslovakian Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Mexico. The cr of introducing the Sarangi to American and European audiences goes to Sabri Khan.
He also played a duet with the renowned Yehudi Menuhin and was invited as a visiting professor by the University of Washington, Seattle, United States of America. President of India – Government of India. He has many grandsons playing musical instruments: Suhail Yusuf Khan (Sarangi), Faisal (Tabla), Shariq (Tabla), Junaid (Guitar) and Nabeel (Sarangi).
In the early morning on 1 December 2015, Ustad Sabri Khan died surrounded by his family at his home in New Delhi.