Team Member: Ustad Vajahat Hussain Khan

Name: Vajahat Hussain Khan

Pen Name: Vajahat Hussain Dayam (Prof. Vajahat Hussain Khan)

Father’s Name: Ustad Azmat Hussain Khan Maikash Atraulvi Seemabi.

He belongs to the most prestigious families of the 500 years old traditional musicians of the Khurja, Atrauli (Jaipur) and Agra Gharanas.

• Profession: Classical, Ghazal, Sufi Singer, Urdu Poet, Teacher and Musicologist.
• Achievements: Given Concerts all over India and abroad like UK, UAE, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Japan, Kenya, Nigeria, Iran, Muscat, Spain and Tanzania. All Major Mushairas all over India and Dubai. Poetry Compilation “NAURAS”, Poetries with Nine Colors or Rasas. Ustad Vajahat Hussain Khan is a top class artist having given major singing programs on all big, well known TV Channels.
• Awards: Vajahat Hussain Khan won more than 40 Awards and Trophies with Merit Certificates during education in Anjuman’s JMC High School and Anjuman’s Akbar Peerbhoy College of Commerce.
• Literary Award with the hands of Sahir Ludhyanvi, 1976.
• In the same year, Trophy in Ghazal Singing with the hands of Ghulam Nabi Azad.
• Anjuman-e-Islam’s Golden Jubilee year celebrations in 1977, Panchgani Trophy and Certificate of Honor with the hands of Mr. Dilip Kumar, veteran actor.
• In 1978, acting award for participating in inter-collegiate first rank drama in Allahabad.
• In 1972, All India Radio choral group function at Vigyan Bhavan Delhi Trophy and Certificate with the hands of Mr. V.C. Shukla and Late Shri Rajeev Gandhi.
• Won Talat Mehmood Ghazal Trophy, 1972.
• Shahid Mehmood Ghazal Trophy, Maratha Mandir Kala Kendra (1972-1973).
• In 1980, Sur Singar Samsad Sur Mani Award and many other.
• Have sung in three film songs. Have recorded music for a Hindi Serial ‘Shama’ and a Chhatisgadhi Telefilm ‘Tona’.
• In the year 2015, Ustad Vajahat Hussain Khan has mentored and taught more than 50 students at Indian Television Academy (ITA), Indore (Madhya Pradesh).
• Ustad Vajahat Hussain Khan (Dilrang Academy) is honored with a National Award for Education Excellence constituted by Super Will Group, Pune.

He has participated in International Music Festival such as Sharq Taronalari (Uzbekistan), International Ruhaniyat Fest (Iran), Falak International Music Festival (Tajikistan), Dilrang Birth Centenary Music Festival (Mumbai), South East Asia International Culture Expo (Japan), Spain Sufi Festival and many others.

Introduction and Background:

Vajahat Hussain’s musical accomplishment has certain major characteristics with extraordinary qualities. His voice has depth, striking resonance and different attitude. It is gifted and wholly cultivated yet very pleasing and soothing. Vajahat Hussain has inherited a legacy which may well be the envy of all aspiring artists.

Vajahat Hussain Khan is the second son of Gayan Samrat Ustad Azmat Hussain Khan Dilrang who was a great doyen of Indian Music and an excellent poet, from the Atrauli (Jaipur) Gharana, Khurja Gharana and also the Agra Gharana. Vajahat Hussain has inherited the talent of different Gharanas with which his father belonged. Vajahat Hussain is the representative of prestigious family of traditional musicians which has given India a number of great musicians, scholars and musicologists. Vajahat Hussain is the direct descendant of Daguri Bani of the Atrauli (said to be Jaipur) Gharana.

Vajahat Hussain Khan was inspired and initiated into Hindustani classical music by his illustrious father Gayan Samrat Ustad Azmat Hussain Khan Dilrang, a most renowned vocalist, musicologist and poet. After the demise of his father, he came under the able guidance of veteran classical vocalist maestro Ustad Aslam Khan, who taught him not only classical but light music also.

In the present era, Vajahat Hussain has become a household name in the world of light classical music (Ghazals) and Sufi Sangeet. He excels in the Ruhani compositions and Persian poetry of Hazrat Amir Khusro (RA). He has large number of Taranas in different Ragas, which he presents in the highly traditional and authentic style. He studied at the Anjuman Islam’s JMC High School and later graduated in commerce from the Anjuman Islam’s Akbar Peerbhoy College of Commerce. Here he won several laurels of his alma-mater and distinguished himself as budding artiste of rich promise. His participation enabled his college to win the Talat Mehmood Trophy in 1973 and the Mehmood and Shahid Inter-collegiate Ghazal Trophy in 1979 in which competition he was also awarded an individual prize. In 1983 he won the first prize in Ghazal Singing organized by the Maratha Mandir Kala Kendra in addition he has been awarded several trophies of honor and medals in ghazals and classical singing.

Achievements and Performances:

Vajahat Hussain, has given classical and ghazals performances in almost all the major music events in India, like Indian Music Festival, Sur Singar Samsad, Swar Sadhana Mahotsav, Dilrang Music Festival, Sangeet Premi Mandal, Saptak Music Festival, Lucknow Sangeet Natak Academy, All India Urdu Mela Mumbai, Nehru Centre Ghazal Fest, Saint Xavier’s Music Festival and Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan Sangeet Mahotsav.

In Dubai Music Fest (1989), he regaled the audiences. In the year 1994, he presented a unique experimental program at Nehru Centre “Classical Compositions and Ghazal Based on Same Raga” which was highly successful. In 1997-98, he was featured as one of the key performers in the program “Khusro se Majrooh tak” (Traditional Ghazals). A successful Ghazal tour of U.A.E. (Dubai & Sharjah) 1989, Concert Tour of U.K. along with Ustad Aslam Khansaheb 1990, Extensive Tour of Kenya (Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu) 1992, Tour to Nigeria (Africa, Lagos) 1995, Tour Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E. Muscat and Iran with a group organized by Indian Council for Cultural Relations, 2003-04. Extensive Tour of England, UK and Spain organized by the Asian Music Circuit London, 2004, he performed at the famous Womad Mela Festival (England) along with another music group. In 2006 he toured Iran, Tehran and Isfahan. In the year 2005 he gave a scintillating performance in Nagoya (Japan) ICCR & ITPO sponsored the tour. In October 2009, he had a very successful tour of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan along with a Sufi group. He visited Dushanbe, Khujand, Tashkent and Bukhara.

He has a deep knowledge with an equal command over classical singing and is also adept at singing Marathi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Marwari, Bhojpuri and Bengali Songs. He has given playback songs for three films, two of which are ‘Paise Ke Peechhay’ and ‘Ardhnarishwar’. He has also recorded music for a Hindi Serial ‘Shama’ and a telefilm ‘Tona’ (Religion Film).

His first L.P. record “Aashna” and the next “Mahak” were released by Music India during 1985 and 1987, which earned him a great name and fame. His other releases are “Shame-Ghazal“, “Live Concert by Vajahat Hussain, “Live in Dubai”, “Goonj” and “Ashk” (Released in Dubai).

Vajahat Hussain Khan is also an accomplished poet & lyric writer besides being a Composer and Music Director. His Ghazals and religious songs are very famous with many popular singers. In poetry his pen name is “Vajahat Azmat & Dayam Rang”.

He is the Secretary of Dilrang Academy of Music and Fine Arts, founded in 1975, in memory of Gayan Samrat Ustad Azmat Hussain Khan Dilrang. It focuses on promoting young talents and supporting the deserving and needy artists, medically and financially.

Ustad Vajahat Hussain has constantly been invited as a judge in many a musical competitions. He is versatile and knowledgeable, having exclusive teaching abilities.

As a musicologist, Ustad Vajahat Hussain is doing an immense research work to accelerate the precious music research work done by his great father Ustad Azmat Hussain Khan. A lot of valuable work is under process, including his poetry compilation.  A ‘Classical Vocal Album”, “Sufi Music” album and “Ghazals for masses” these three music volumes of Vajahat Hussain are to be released in near future. Some off his Students (Shishya’s) are Tabish (Ravi), Nirmali Buruguy, Mahaduk Sushil, Rishabh Kalantri, Ruchi, Nasim Nawrozi, Hamid Anwar, Nishi Tataria, Jayesh Tataria, Mona, Shakeel, Afsar Raza, Santosh Parmar, Poonam Kakodkar, Chhaya Mishra, Imtiaz Pewekar, Riaz, Usman, Mohan, Shamim, Nitin Kashyap, Mantra Mugdha, Anagha Gaikwad, Vikrant Shinde, Rehmatullah Shaikh, Ravindra Panchal, Rishabh Tiwari,  Faraz Shah Ali, Namita Lal, Daksh Shetty, Amankumar Adhav, Ankit Agarwal, Balaji Mare, Bhavesh Kawade, Kiran Nirankari, Rashmi Mansukhani, Mala Uttamsingh, Vishal Malhotra, Sujit Nandgaonkar, Rudra Gautam, Rukhsana Jabeen, Sada Pujari, Bipin Parmar, Brij Mohan, Jyotsna Parulekar, Racchna Daryanani, Arunima Singh, Samruddha Mandelwal, Sharif Shaikh, Kshitij Kalgutkar, Madhumita, Mahadeo Maurya, Prabal Kalyani, Prashant Shetty, Purusharth Jain. Vajahat Hussain loves his country and has a strong wish to promote and follow the deeds and footsteps of his great ancestors, whose musical ‘Parampara’ has served the nation for nearly five centuries.