Music transcends all barriers. This was something I had heard early in life, but it never became truer to me than when I discovered Ustad Bismillah Khan.

Khan Sahib held a pedigree of courtly musicians in the princely states of Bihar. Born as Qamaruddin, his name was later changed to Bismillah when his grand father uttered the word upon seeing him. Under the shepherding of his uncle Ali Baksh, Ustad beginning learning the shehnai from an early age. Initially Ustad would follow his uncle on musical trips close behind his heel with an eager ear. During the period, he amassed a wealth of knowledge that was around him, perfecting his grasp of numerous ragas. Very soon, Ustad too started playing at conferences along with his uncle. In 1930 while still a lad, Ustad received his first award as ‘The Best Performer’, at the All India Music Conference at Allahabad.

The opening up of the All India Radio at Lucknow in 1938 would prove a boon for him. Back then in the pre-television and pre-mp3 times, radio was the most popular medium of broadcasting music. Through the radio, people started becoming familiar with Ustad and his works so much so that in 1947 he was invited to perform at the Red Fort on the eve of India’s independence, an honour more prestigious than any prize could ever carry. An almost equally exalted chance came to him when he was asked to play at the Red Fort again on 26th January 1950 the day India country became a republic. Then one year after year his performance at the Red Fort during the Republic Day celebrations became a mainstay almost as symbolic of the event as the parade.

After his historic performances in ’47 and ’50 invites stared pouring for Ustad to perform abroad. Zakir Shah, king of Afghanistan at the time became the first international personality to host the great musician. A lover of arts, the Shah bestowed on him royal goodies not even dreamt of by the ordinary man. Pretty soon invitations flowed in from the world over, carrying the Ustad and his shehnai to every corner of the world. It was his efforts during this period, which took the Shehnai from an instrument which was most definitely overlooked to one which was acknowledged in the same breadth as the Sitar or the Tabla.

A religious muslim Bismillah Khan was also a worshipper of Sarsawati, the Goddess of wisdom and arts. He did not let his religion interfere with his craft; he always held that music should not be victimized at hands of foolish  people who trivialize everything based on discrimination. He would often play around temples at the banks of the holy river Ganga. Most famous of which was the Vishwanath Temple the temple with which his uncle was associated.

During his lifetime Bismillah Khan received awards which most can at best aspire for. The Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan were among the laurels bestowed upon him before he was presented with the Bharat Ratna in 2001, India’s highest civilian award. He also held honorary doctorates from the Banaras Hindu University, Viswa Bharati University and the world famous Santiniketan.

A man who lived in simplicity he was never over awed by the allure of materialism. He remained a practicing Sufi until his death in 2006 when a heart failure took his life. One has to recall something which the Ustad had stated - he had proclaimed in his musical style that even after all is dead and gone, the music will still live and grow. He truly was one of India’s finest sons.

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Akshay Saluja is is an ABCD, an American Born Confused Desi. Though being american and being confused have no link in this case. He is a surfer and a tabla enthusiast. Being a devotee of Zakir Hussain and McLaughlin, he has retained his roots through music.