Ali Akbar Khan dies at 87; sarod player helped bring Indian music to U.S.
source: http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-ali-akbar-khan20-2009jun20,0,4785353.story
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Maestro Ali Akbar Khan, the master Indian musician and composer who was a pivotal figure in introducing the music of his homeland to the West, has died. He was 87.
The legendary sarod player and teacher died of kidney failure Thursday night at his home in the Bay Area city of San Anselmo, according to an announcement on the website of the Ali Akbar College of Music, Khan's teaching facility in northern California. The announcement said Khan had been a dialysis patient since 2004 but was still teaching at the college until just two weeks ago.
Considered a "National Living Treasure" in India, Khan was the first Indian musician to be honored by the MacArthur Foundation with its so-called genius grant, which he received in 1991.
He was also awarded the National Endowment for the Arts' prestigious National Heritage Fellowship, the highest U.S. honor in traditional arts, in 1997.
He recorded more than 95 albums, was nominated for five Grammy Awards and composed scores for both Indian and Western movies, including the 1963 Merchant-Ivory film "The Householder" and the 1993 Bernardo Bertolucci film "Little Buddha."
But to many, his influence was in expanding the appeal of Indian music.
"He was instrumental in transforming Indian music into an international tradition in a way that was unprecedented," said David Trasoff of Los Angeles, a senior student of Khan's who has studied north Indian classical music and sarod performance for the last 36 years.
"What he attempted to do and, I believe, succeeded in doing was to transplant this very deep musical tradition by committing himself to a level of teaching that resulted in a number of proteges who have gone on to present this music throughout the world," Trasoff said.
The legendary sarod player and teacher died of kidney failure Thursday night at his home in the Bay Area city of San Anselmo, according to an announcement on the website of the Ali Akbar College of Music, Khan's teaching facility in northern California. The announcement said Khan had been a dialysis patient since 2004 but was still teaching at the college until just two weeks ago.
Considered a "National Living Treasure" in India, Khan was the first Indian musician to be honored by the MacArthur Foundation with its so-called genius grant, which he received in 1991.
He was also awarded the National Endowment for the Arts' prestigious National Heritage Fellowship, the highest U.S. honor in traditional arts, in 1997.
He recorded more than 95 albums, was nominated for five Grammy Awards and composed scores for both Indian and Western movies, including the 1963 Merchant-Ivory film "The Householder" and the 1993 Bernardo Bertolucci film "Little Buddha."
But to many, his influence was in expanding the appeal of Indian music.
"He was instrumental in transforming Indian music into an international tradition in a way that was unprecedented," said David Trasoff of Los Angeles, a senior student of Khan's who has studied north Indian classical music and sarod performance for the last 36 years.
"What he attempted to do and, I believe, succeeded in doing was to transplant this very deep musical tradition by committing himself to a level of teaching that resulted in a number of proteges who have gone on to present this music throughout the world," Trasoff said.
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reactionforce [removed]
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That is sad. I hope my obvious and inarticulate statement does not seem belittling. His work is great.
- 3 years ago
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reactionforce [removed]
