Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan Bangash celebrates his 74th birthday today. The musical genius, known for his mesmerising sound and mastery over the Sarod instrument, has enthralled fans all over the world for decades. He first performed on a public stage at an young age and started performing all over the world beginning with his tour in the United States of America in the 1960s. Born to illustrious musician Haafiz Ali Khan, Amjad Ali Khan was taught by his father. And he soon developed into a musical prodigy, picking the lessons faster than anybody else.

Amjad Ali Khan was born on October 9, 1945. He was initially named Masoom Ali Khan. He was the youngest of seven children and was born to the Gwalior court musician Hafiz Ali Khan and Rahat Jahan. The family of Amjad Ali Khan is part of the Bangash lineage and Khan is in the sixth generation of musicians from his family. Khan's family is said to have invented the sarod. Khan's name was changed from Masoom to Amjad by a sadhu, goes the folklore. Khan was homeschooled and he studied music under his father's supervision, something that he ensured he repeats with his children.

Amjad Ali Khan is best known for the clarity of his Sarod playing and the fast ekhara taans. Khan is internationally recognised for his contributions in the field of music. He was awarded India's second highest civilian honour Padma Vibhushan in 2001. Amjad Ali Khan has two sons, Amaan Ali Khan Bangash and Ayaan Ali Khan Bangash, who are also Sarod players. Amjad Ali Khan has also developed into a philosopher over the years and his idea of music is simple. "There is no essential difference between classical and popular music. Music is music. I want to communicate with the listener who finds Indian classical music remote," he once said, communicating his motivation for playing the classical instrument. We wish the maestro a very happy birthday.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 09, 2019 08:17 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).