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Patiala gharana

Classical music vocal traditional singing style

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  • 3 chapters

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Although the Patiala gharana was originally founded by Mian Kallu, it is widely acknowledged that it was Ustad Nabi Baksh khan, Ali Baksh Khan and Fateh Ali Khan who popularised the Patiala singing tradition by bringing its acclaim and attention across the subcontinent. The Patiala gharana was inspired and influenced by four musical gharanas – Delhi, Gwalior, Riva, and Jaipur, and it is particularly noted for its ghazal, thumri, and khayal singing styles. Of the numerous vocal gharanas in Hindustani classical music, the Patiala gharana is estimated to have the broadest and most prominent representation on both sides of the India-Pakistan border.

In the latter half of the 20th century, the Patiala style of khayal singing took on two distinct forms. The first form was originated by siblings Ustad Amanat Ali Khan (1922 – 1974) and Ustad Bade Fateh Ali Khan (1935 – 2017) Ustad Baqur Hussain khan (1923 - 2003 Punjab, India). The other, originating from Kasur, Pakistan, was produced by siblings Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1902 – 1968) and Ustad Barkat Ali Khan (1907 – 1963). Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan is generally acknowledged to be the most influential exponent of the Patiala gharana, while Ustad Amanat Ali Khan is widely considered its most prominent scion. The gharana is now generally referred to as the Kasur-Patiala gharana.

History

Due to the decline of the Mughal empire, former musicians in its orbit migrated elsewhere to find new patronage (leading to musical innovation and experimentation), one such location was Patiala. The Patiala gharana developed in the 19th and 20th centuries owing to the courtly patronage afforded to musicians by the ruling dynasty of Patiala, such as during the reigns of rulers Karam Singh, Rajinder Singh, Bhupinder Singh, and Yadvinder Singh, being linked to Ustad Ali Baksh and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan. Various regional musical traditions influenced its development, including from Delhi, Gwalior, Lahore, Jaipur, Tonk, Kasur, Kashmir, and Kapurthala. Karam Singh hired Miyan Ditte Khan as his court musician, who was succeeded by his son Miyan Kallu Khan. Miyan Kallu Khan is attributed as being the founder of the Patiala gharana and was trained by Tanras Khan of the Delhi gharana. He was succeeded by his son Ali Bakhsh and relative Fateh Ali, whom were trained by Goki Bai of the Jaipur gharana. The musicians trained by Ali Bakhsh and Fateh Ali are known as Aliya-Fattu. The Patiala gharana shares a foundational link to the Gwalior gharana (such as in regards to the ashtang tradition and khayal gayaki), as many of its early proponents were trained in that gharana. The Patiala gharana was innovative in regards to layakari, taans, and tappa.

The most prominent practitioner in the 20th century was Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, who was taught by Ustad Kale Khan. Under Bhupinder Singh and Yadvinder Singh, secular, religious, courtly, and popular music such as by the muscians Ustad Ali Bakhsh, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Ustad Kale Khan, the rababi Bhai Mehboob Ali ("Booba Rababi"), and the kirtani Mahant Gajja Singh were patronized. In the early 20th century, patronage shifted to major cities, such as Calcutta and Bombay as courtly patronage declined. Thus, musicians sought new avenues of expression, such as via radio, music conferences, and urban listening circles. Despite Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan never performing in Patiala, being based in Calcutta, he was responsible for popularizing the Patiala gharana via thumri records and his popular renditions of the Bhopali, Hameer, and Adana ragas. Some of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's son was Munawar Ali Khan and students of either the father and son include Parveen Sultana, Ajoy Chakraborty, and Kaushiki Chakraborty. After the partition of India in 1947, some musician lineages associated with the Patiala gharana migrated to Pakistan, such as family of Ali Baksh Jarnail, namely Amanat Ali Khan and Fateh Ali Khan, meanwhile Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and his ilk briefly stayed in Pakistan but returned to India. The India-based tradition is characterized by esoteric khayal gayaki in regards to raga, aalaap, taal, and thumris. Meanwhile, the Pakistan-based tradition focused on qawwali.

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