A 26-years-old artist from Govardhan in Mathura District of Uttar Pradesh, Iqbal Khan, has been learning music through his ancestral musical lineage. He belongs to a family of Shehnai players, and at a young age, he began to learn, taking inspiration from his father. He has been working hard towards achieving mastery in his craft and got his music degree from Allahabad. He considers his father, Mubarak Khan, to be his Guru, and speaks very highly of their teachings and calibre in the field of music. Most of his songs are, hence written, to be in a similar style to their teachings and expertise. He also believes that he has received the musical heritage from his ancestors, who had a natural desire for mastering the art of playing Shehnai and other percussion instruments. When he was a child, he would try to imitate his father and thus picked up the Shehnai first, followed by Nakkara, and never stopped learning. He also knows how to play Pad and Shehnai, apart from Nakkara. Iqbal has performed in various locations within the state and the entire country. He has received love and appreciation at several festivals and pulled off brilliant performances at state and national level festivals to mesmerize the crowds and regards his performance at Chennai as the most memorable experience. He lives in a family of 8 people with his mother, brother, newly wedded wife, and five sisters, out of which four are married. He was 10-years-old when his father died, and he had to leave his education to work and pursue a career in music full-time to make ends meet. He currently plays Nakkara in Pukharbin Mansi Ganga temple three times a day as his job. Despite all the highways of life, he strives to keep developing his craft and dreams to keep pursuing music with more enthusiasm and dedication.
- Braj
- Uttar Pradesh