Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan (3 March 1931 – 17 January 2021) was an Indian classical musician in the Hindustani classical music tradition, belonging to the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, followed by Padma Bhushan in 2006 and Padma Vibhushan in 2018. In 2003 he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama.

Early life Ghulam Mustafa Khan was born in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh on 3 March 1931. His father's name was Ustad Waris Hussain Khan who was from a family of musicians. His mother, Sabri Begum, was the daughter of the great Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan and music was the legacy of his family. Inayat Hussain Khan was the court musician during the reign of King Wajid Ali Shah and also the son-in-law of the pioneer of Gwalior Gharana Ustad Haddu Khan.

Since both Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan's parents wanted him to be a singer, his training in music started at a very young age, when he could remember the tune but could not understand the words. After his father, he was trained by Ustaad Fida Hussain Khan who was the court musician at the Baroda's royal Darbar, and then from his cousin, Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan. The traditional styles of Rampur, Gwalior and Sahaswan gharanas were therefore part of his performance.

At the time, every city had a Victoria Garden and it was the custom that on Janmashtami, the first public performance of those interested in music be performed as a debut. Ali Maqsood, the Chairman of the Municipality of Budaun (Ustad Ghulam Mustafa's birthplace), organised the Janmashtami function every year and asked Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan to perform when he was 8 years old.

Ghulam Mustafa Khan started singing professionally and became an artist at All India Radio at a very young age.

Career Ustad Ghulam Mustafa was awarded the Padmashri in 1991, the Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 2003, the Padmabhushan in 2006, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2018.

Though Ustad Ji was skeptical to sing in films as he wanted to keep the cultural heritage of the Rampur Sahaswan gharana and Hindustani classical music, he did very limited film songs, the first film he sang for was in Marathi, ‘Chand Pretticha’. From 1957, he started singing playback for Marathi and Gujarati films. He started with Mrinal Sen’s ‘Bhuvan Shome’ and sang ‘Sajanaa kahe nahin aaye...’ for ‘Badnaam Basti’ under the same music director, Vijay Raghav Rao. He played the role of Baiju Bawra in a German Documentary "Rain Maker" shot in Jaipur, besides being playback singer in the same film. He has given his voice to more than 70 documentary films made by Films Division, many of them receiving international & National Awards. He has performed across India and all across the globe.

From the late 1950s, he has been a guru to Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey, Kamal Barot, Waheeda Rehman, Ranu Mukherjee, Amit Kumar, Laxmi Nayampalli, Geeta Dutt, A. R. Rahman, Hariharan, Shaan and Sonu Nigam, Sagarika, Alisha Chinoy, Shilpa Rao, and Kalpana Patowary were all his students.

Aftab Ahmad Khan is his youngest brother & disciple. His four sons Ghulam Murtuza, Ghulam Qadir, Rabbani Mustafa Khan and Ghulam Hasan Khan were also trained by him. Currently they are professional singers. Murtaza and Qadir have sung in films like Fiza, Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities, Saathiya, Guru, Mangal Pandey. Rabbani Mustafa Khan, his third son has sung songs with Times music like "Naina", "aaoni saiyon" and songs for films like "peer meri piya jaane na" from mera fauzi calling and "allah hu" from Sarabjit. His grandsons Faiz, Aamir, and Zain also received their taalim (education) from him.

In Coke Studio, composer A. R. Rahman shared the stage with his 82-year-old guru, also featuring his four sons- Murtuza, Qadir, Rabbani and Hasan and his 12-year-old grandson, Faiz. All five vocalists and Rahman collaborated on two numbers as a part of Ghulam Mustafa Khan's 3 generation performance.

Personal life Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan was married to Amina Begum who is granddaughter of the first recipient of Padma Bhushan Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan. They have four daughters and four sons who are Murtuza Mustafa, Qadir Mustafa, Rabbani Mustafa and Hasan Mustafa.

Family Ustad Ji has four daughters and four sons Murtuza Mustafa, Qadir Mustafa, Rabbani Mustafa Khan and Hasan Mustafa and were trained by him in music.

Moreover his son Ghulam Murtuza Mustafa trained the singers and celebrities like Lucky Ali, Khatija Rahman, Raheema Rahman, A. R. Ameen (Children Of Music Composer A.R.Rahman), Tabu, Huma Qureshi, Manmeet Singh, Khushboo Grewal, Neeti Mohan, Mohammed Irfan, Anushka Manchanda, Priyani Vani, Aishwarya Shankar, Aditi Shankar, Anjana Sukhani, Shazahn Padamsee, Shashwat Singh, Ashima Mahajan, Shefali Alvare, Garima Jain, whereas Qadir Mustafa trained celebrities Elli Avram, VJ Andy, Terence Lewis, Armaan Mallik, Shraddha Kapoor, Rasha Thadani, Manav Gohil, Narayani Shastri, Simple Kaul, Tanzeel Khan, Band of boys, Sudhanshu Pandey, Turab Jaffery. His other son Hasan Mustafa Khan, who has sung in Coke Studio3 songs "Aao Balma" and "Soz-o-Salam", and has also trained Shaan, Maahi (Subh Mujherjee, actor Aashim Gulati, Arjun Kanungo, and actor, singer, dancer Arjun Tanwar.

Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan's daughter-in-law Namrata Gupta Khan who owns NR Talent and Event Management presents a landmark concert titled 'Haazri' that pays homage to the late legend every 17 January.

Death Ustad Ji died on 17 January 2021 at his residence in Mumbai, aged 89. His family did not expect the sudden death as yet, the family had arranged a 24-hour nurse at his home. He had suffered a stroke in 2019 which left the left side of his body paralysed.

One of his disciples A. R. Rahman, a noted musician himself, remembered him as the "sweetest teacher".

Lata Mangeshkar, another disciple, was deeply saddened by the news of his death.

Noted Indian musician Amjad Ali Khan said he was "heartbroken" at the news of his death.

Awards and achievements

National awards Padma Shri (1991) – conferred by Shri R.Venkatraman (Honorable President of India). Fourth highest Indian civilian award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2003) – conferred by Shri APJ Abdul Kalam, Honourable President of India. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists given by Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama. Padma Bhushan (2006) – conferred by Shri APJ Abdul Kalam (Honourable President of India). The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India. Padma Vibhushan (2018) – 2nd highest civilian award in India

Other awards Conferred prestigious 'National Tansen Samman’ by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in the year 2008. It is a musical award conferred to the exponents of Hindustani music in the year 2008. Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar Award in 2011 by Smt. Lata Mangeshkar. Conferred "Uttam Vag- Geykar Jialal Vasant Award" In 2014 by Hon’ble Shri Dilip Walse – Patil.(Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly). The award is constituted by Acharya Jialal Vasant Sangeet Niketan as a token symbolising strong foundation awarded to Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan to recognise the incredible journey of music that has been and is still on and for contributing to the country. Conferred Yash Bharti Award in 2016 by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for earning laurel for the state in the country as well as in the world with his talent. Conferred the Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan award in 2003 by Shri Ram Vilas Paswan. Conferred the Ustad Chand Khan award. Conferred Pandit Basavaraj Rajguru National Memorial Trust award in 2016 by Minister Santosh Lad. The national award was instituted by the Swarasamrat Pandit Basavaraj Rajguru National Memorial Trust at Srujana Auditorium at Dharwad. Mustafa also presented a vocal recital on the occasion accompanied by Gulam Sultan Niyaz on the tabla, Ananth Kemkar on harmonium, and Liyakhat Ali Khan on sarangi. Honorary Citizenship for outstanding contribution to the field of Indian Classical Music in 1986 (by Governor of Maryland) He performed at Baltimore University and was conferred an Honorary Citizenship of Baltimore City. He performed at Golden Jubilee in the presence of the honorable Queen of United Kingdom. He performed at Festival de Lille in the presence of Lady Diana in France. He was honoured with Maharashtra Sanskrutik Puraskar. He was honoured with Tagore Ratna Award instituted by Central Sangeet Natak Academy in 2011.

Discography

Filmography (Playbacks)

This a filmography for Ghulam Mustafa Khan's playbacks in Indian Film Industry.

Release year Song title Album title Label Music director Writer Language 1969 – Bhuvan Shome (By Mrinal Sen) – Pandit Vijay Raghav Rao – Hindi 1968 Marde Khuda Noor Jahan – – - Farsi 1972 Sajna Kahe Nahi Aaye Badnam Basti Saregama Vijay Raghav Rao Virendra Mishra Hindi 1981 Raagmala Umrao Jaan [By Muzzafar Ali] Saregama Khayyam Shahryar Urdu Hindi 1981 Pratham Dhar Dhyan Umrao Jaan [By Muzzafar Ali] Saregama Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Shahryar Urdu Hindi 1981 Jhoola Kinne Daala Re Umrao Jaan [By Muzzafar Ali] Saregama Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Shahryar Urdu and Hindi 1992 Is Se Jyada Dukh Na Koi Shreemaan Aashique Tips Music Nadeem-Shravan Noor Kaskar, Sameer Hindi 2014 You Fill My Life Jal (film) Saga Music Bickram Ghosh, Sonu Nigam Bickram Ghosh, Sonu Nigam Hindi 2016 Maula 31 October Zee Music Vijay Verma – Hindi

Filmography (Music Direction)

This a filmography for Ghulam Mustafa Khan's projects as a music director in the Indian film industry.

Release year Album title Label Music director Song's Title Singer 1988 Aagaman Saregama Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Ab Toot Girengi Zanjeeren (Version 1) Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan 1988 Aagaman Saregama Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Ab Toot Girengi Zanjeeren (Version 2) Hariharan 1988 Aagaman Saregama Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Chhoone Na Doongi Sharir Anuradha Paudwal 1988 Aagaman Saregama Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Junoon Ki Yaad Manao Hariharan 1988 Aagaman Saregama Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Nisar Main Teri Galiyon Pe Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan 1988 Aagaman Saregama Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Yeh Daagh Daagh Ujala (Version 1) Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan 1988 Aagaman Saregama Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Yeh Daagh Daagh Ujala (Version 2) Anuradha Paudwal 1988 Aagaman Saregama Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Yeh Daagh Daagh Ujala (Version 3) Anuradha Paudwal

Non Film (Singer)

This is the Non Film Work of Ghulam Mustafa Khan.