Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan (1906 – 16 July 1993) was an Indian classical vocalist from the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana. He was a disciple and son of Fida Hussain Khan and after a long and illustrious career was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1971.^[1]

He was the court musician of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III at Baroda and was featured extensively on All India Radio. He was a specialist in Tarana. His most famous disciples are his cousin Ghulam Mustafa Khan and Rashid Khan.^[2]

Career

Nisar Hussain Khan gave his first performance at age 11 which was considered phenomenal at that time.^[2] Then he went on to receive a scholarship from the Maharaja of Baroda who also appointed his father as a court musician to further help train his young son Nisar Hussain Khan. By the age of 18, he had gained much more confidence as a singer in Maharaja's court and then Nisar, too, was appointed as a court musician. He remained in that position for nearly three decades.^[2]

By the 1940s, Nisar Hussain had become a well-known performer on the concert circuit of India and he also was broadcasting for All India Radio.^[2]

Vocal style

Khansahib inherited a vast repertoire of well-known and obscure melodies from his forebears. His rich, resonant voice was cultivated through decades of training. He embellishes the modal form of the ragas with flashes of gamaks, bol-taans and sargams. As an exponent of the khyal style, he renders taranas with distinction.^[2][3]

Lineage

Khan's most famous disciple was his grandnephew Rashid Khan. He trained Rashid in the traditional master-apprentice manner, first at his own residence at Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, and subsequently at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in Calcutta, where he spent the last years of his life.^[2]

Khansahib's gharana, the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, owes its existence to the Senia traditions and has a revered lineage of classical vocalists such as Bahadur Hussain Khan, Inayat Hussain Khan, Fida Hussain Khan and Mushtaq Hussain Khan.^[2]

Awards

• Padma Bhushan Award by the Government of India in 1971.^[1][2]
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1970.^[2][4]
• Tansen Award from the Government of Madhya Pradesh.^[2]

Partial discography

78rpm recordings (HMV: c. 1938 onwards)

• N 15721: Todi, Allah jane; Jaunpuri, tarana
• N 15747: Kedar, kanha re nanda nandana; Bhairavi, tarana
• N 15776: Puriya dhanashri, payaliya jhankar; Desh, tarana
• N 15809: Multani, kangana mundariya; Miya malhar, tarana
• N 15834: Raga Bahar, kaliyan sanga karan; Bahar, koyalia kuk sunawe
• N 88215: Chayanat, jhanana jhanana; Malkauns, tarana
• N 88260: Basant, samana sunawe koyaliya; Pilu thumri, bake aika mori

EP/LP recordings: HMV 1961

• 7EPE 1202: Gaud Sarang, Bin deke tere; Puriya Dhanashri, tarana^[5]
• 7EPE 1236: Vrindabani Sarang, Achchhe Peer More; Pancham, Mohe Ataman Kaise
• 7EPE 1242: Alhaiya Bilawal, Sumiran Kar Man; Jhinjhoti, Tarana: Tana Ta Tana Dere^[5]
• ECLP 2260: Abhogi, Vil. jhaptal: Charan Dhar Ayeri; Tarana: tintal; Gowardhani Todi. Vil. ektal: Tu Ayore Ayo, Drut tintal: Kahe Karat Mose Batiyan

HMV 1972

• ECSD 2489: Lalit. Tintal: Yaarda; Bhatiyar. Tintal: tarana
• ECSD 2509: Basant. Phagwa Brih Dekhan; Jaijaiwanti. Tintal: tarana

Odeon Records 1990

• PMLP 3065: Raga Kalyaan Ka Prakar. With Hafeez Ahmed Khan & Sarfaraz Hussain Khan (vocal support), Shakur Khan (sarangi) and Prem Ballabh (tabla)