Background
At an early age Shamim Ahmed was introduced to Hindustani classical music by his father, Ustad Ghulam Rasool Khan, a renowned music composer and vocalist of the musical Agra Gharana.
At an early age Shamim Ahmed was introduced to Hindustani classical music by his father, Ustad Ghulam Rasool Khan, a renowned music composer and vocalist of the musical Agra Gharana.
Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.
His solo recording debut was at the age of 29. Shamim had performed in Carnegie Hall, at the Lincoln Center, at the Griffith Center, among other concert halls. Although an exponent of Indian classical music, he was also associated with western musicians such as Buddy Rich, and Paul Horn among others
However, after a bout of typhoid, Shamim Ahmed steered away from singing to turn towards his true passion for the sitar.
In 1951, while studying at the Baroda Music College (now referred to as the Faculty of Performing Arts at Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Khan met Pandit Ravi Shankar at a music conference in Ahmedabad. His father introduced him to Pandit Ravi Shankar, informing the maestro about his son"s interest in music
A few years later, the young Shamim Ahmed once again met Pandit Ravi Shankar at a music competition organized by All India Radio, where he played the sitar for him. In later years, Shamim Ahmed characterized his teacher briefly, in three words, "discipline", "devotion", "compassion".
Those who knew Ustad Shamim Ahmed Khan, would consider him too as "humble" and "modest".
During this visit, Shamim Ahmed was formally enunciated as a student of the maestro, making him one of the early students of Ravi Shankar, at the time. A traditional formal thread ceremony had marked the occasion, binding the two men in a guru-shishya parampara id est (that is) "teacher-student" relationship.
In 1958, he was a recipient of the Government of India music scholarship.
In 1967-1968, for the recording of Rich á la Rakha, Shamim Ahmed played the sitar alongside tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha, and with renowned jazz drummer Buddy Rich. Shamim Ahmed Khan"s United States solo recording debut was along with then young Zakir Hussain as tabla accompanist.