Faiyaz Khan

Biography:

Indian classical vocalist Ustad Faiyaz Khan (8 February 1886 – 5 November 1950) was a representative of the Agra gharana of Hindustani classical music. Aftab-E-Mausiqi, which translates to “the Sun” or “sunshine of music,” is another name for it. “By the time he died at Baroda, he had earned the reputation of being one of the greatest and most influential vocalists of the century,” the SwarGanga Music Foundation website states.

He was born on February 8, 1886, in Sikandara, in the North-Western Provinces. His father, Safdar Hussain, passed away four months prior to his birth. Ghulam Abbas (1825–1934), his maternal grandpa, reared him and taught him music until he was 25. His father-in-law, Natyan Khan, his uncle Fida Hussain Khan, and Ustad Mehboob Khan “Daraspiya” were also his teachers. An item on the music website “Great Masters of Hindustani Music” claims that Tansen (1493–1589) is the ancestor of Faiyaz Khan. Alakhdas, Malukdas, and Haji Sujan Khan—the son of Alakhdas who converted to Islam—are the ancestors of his family.