A ghazal in Raga Mishr Des composed by Cassius Khan and performed LIVE on his album, "Mushtari-a live concert" which was nominated for the 2011 Western Canadian Music Awards. Khan is the only musician in the world who plays tabla and sings ghazal simultaneously. Here he is accompanied by Kathak Dancer Amika Kushwaha on the Harmonium, and Lavika Kushwaha and Chklt Mlk on the Taanmandal and Taanpura.

Mushtari - a live concert (Ghazal in Raga Mishr Des- Classical)

A Tabla solo recording in 16 beats by Cassius Khan.  In this composition the repertoire of the Peshkara in Delhi Gharana is explored in its intimacy. Cassius Khan plays the repertoire taught to him by his Guru, Rukhsar Ali.

Saraswati Bhavan Recording Series; Shringhar- Moods of Rhythm

Medley of R&B tunes Ellen McIlwaine/Cassius Khan/LAL

Part of the Saraswati Bhavan Concert series, "Sparks Of Energy is a LIVE Tabla solo recital in Drut Teentala with Amika Kushwaha on Harmonium. This is a very highly charged and energetic recording in front of a live studio audience.

Saraswati Bhavan Mehfil Series; Sparks of Energy PART 2 LIVE

A composition of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya from the album, "Mushtari-a live concert sung by Cassius Khan and performed LIVE on his album, "Mushtari-a live concert" which was nominated for the 2011 Western Canadian Music Awards. Khan is the only musician in the world who plays tabla and sings ghazal simultaneously. Here he is accompanied by Kathak Dancer Amika Kushwaha on the Harmonium, and Lavika Kushwaha and Chklt Mlk on the Taanmandal and Taanpura.A ghazal in Raga Mishr Des composed by Cassius Khan and performed LIVE on his album, "Mushtari-a live concert" which was nominated for the 2011 Western Canadian Music Awards. Khan is the only musician in the world who plays tabla and sings ghazal simultaneously. Here he is accompanied by Kathak Dancer Amika Kushwaha on the Harmonium, and Lavika Kushwaha and Chklt Mlk on the Taanmandal and Taanpura.



Mushtari- a live concert (Thumri in Raga Sur Malhar- Classical)

 A ghazal in Raga Darbari sung by Cassius Khan and performed LIVE on his album, "Mushtari-a live concert" which was nominated for the 2011 Western Canadian Music Awards. Khan is the only musician in the world who plays tabla and sings ghazal simultaneously. Here he is accompanied by Kathak Dancer Amika Kushwaha on the Harmonium, and Lavika Kushwaha and Chklt Mlk on the Taanmandal and Taanpura.A ghazal in Raga Mishr Des composed by Cassius Khan and performed LIVE on his album, "Mushtari-a live concert" which was nominated for the 2011 Western Canadian Music Awards. Khan is the only musician in the world who plays tabla and sings ghazal simultaneously. Here he is accompanied by Kathak Dancer Amika Kushwaha on the Harmonium, and Lavika Kushwaha and Chklt Mlk on the Taanmandal and Taanpura.

Mushtari- A Live concert (Ghazal in Raga Darbari- Classical)

Pt Salil Bhatt and I played a wonderful concert at our Saraswati Bhavan Mehfil Series and played Raga Puriya Dhanashree in Teentaal. Our mehfil was sold out and the energy of the audience was one of musical connisuers. A most memorable evening!

Saraswati Bhavan Mehfil Series; Salil Bhatt and Cassius Khan- Puriya Dhanashree LIVE

Amika and I had composed this Ghazal in Raga Mishr Bhimpalasi. During our tour with Slide to Freedom, Pt Salil Bhatt graciously recorded his Satvik Veena and Doug Cox his Dobro, alongside Amika's Harmonium for the album, 20,000 Miles.  We recorded this composition at our studio in Saraswati Bhavan where the warm woods of the music room added to the ambience of this ghazal..

Anjuman - Cassius Khan - Salil Bhatt- Amika Kushwaha-Doug Cox

Dan Mani was a rather interesting Heavy Metal guitar player who I was introduced to by my cousin and mentor, Kelly Dean. We decided, in 1990, to record this rather unusual style of music together with his electric Guitar, an electric Bass and my Tabla. A drumkit was later added to the recording. We recorded this album in a rather shady studio where I had to endure the growling of a giant Malamute, amplifiers cranked up in my ears with electric guitar, and the entire band and recording engineer smoking loads of a particular green leaf. I was very weary, and threw up twice but I had an amazing time and was very humbled to have met these amazing musicians, and this recording a truly groundbreaking collaboration of Metal guitar and Tabla!


Mani Licks- Dan Mani/Cassius Khan

Cassius Khan plays a Tabla solo recital to his Guru of Tabla, Ustad Rukhsar Ali saheb's Lehra on Harmonium. Cassius Khan has been a disciple of Rukhsar Ali for 25 years in the Delhi Gharana tradition. This album is recorded at Saraswati Bhavan.

Saraswati Bhavan Recording series : Guru Shishya Parampara - Cassius Khan and Ustad Rukhsar Ali

I have never played such wild tabla in my life, and something that evening possessed me- I felt as if a wild demon was unleashed in my heart. I completely deviated from my Delhi style of tabla repertoire and played purely on Uppaj, or spontainety...A rare live recording, this track was recorded in front of a LIVE studio audience of 120 people, all music lovers and conniseurs of classical music. I absolutely loved how my Guruji, Rukhsar Ali was in the audience encouraging me and cheering me on. Amika played wonderful Harmonium, and this lehra is very special to our hearts as my Brother In Law and Amika's older brother, Neal Kushwaha composed this lehra specially for our album.

GARY SILL RECORDING

"SPARKS OF ENERGY" Cassius Khan, Amika Kushwaha, Tabla Solo recital

I wanted to reproduce a track with a little microphone crackle as back in the old days about 100 years ago which came out of His Masters Voice with the huge grammophone! I recorded this track in slow teental and had lots of fun with the mathematical measurements of Peshakaara.

Saraswati Bhavan Recording Series Vilambit Teental Raga Chandrakauns Cassius Khan

Pt Salil Bhatt and Cassius Khan LIVE at the 2012 1st Annual Mushtari Begum Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance at the Massey theatre in New Westminster, BC, Canada.

Raga Jogeshwari Salil Bhatt/Cassius Khan

A short Tabla solo in drut leyh or fast tempo teentaal of 16 beats. The lehra is courtesy of Nagma Live in Raga Chandrakauns. I have played some traditional compositions and just let my hands go with also creating Uppaj or spontaneity in my playing. I hope you guys enjoy. I used an old style recording which makes this solo sound like the 1940's:)

Saraswati Bhavan Recording Series Drut Teentaal Raga Chandrakauns

Pt Salil Bhatt and myself had this fantastic concert for the very first Saraswati Bhavan Mehfil Series in which Salil played my favourite raga, Vishwakauns, which he developed as a tribute for his illustrious father, the Grammy Award recipient Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt. Salil invented his instrument, a 20 stringed slide guitar he named "Satvik Veena" which is carved from one piece of teak wood! The sheer energy we both put into this presentation is still talked about here in New Westminster! I hope you all enjoy this:)

Live Concert

Bhatt/Khan Raga Vishwakauns Vilambit/Drut Teentaala

"Cassius Khan is a shining star of our time in Canadian World Music."
The globally loved and multiple award winning Cassius Khan is a master performer of combining the Classical styles of Ghazal/Thumri singing and the Tabla, the North Indian pair of drums and presents both, simultaneously. He is a disciple of the late Malika e Tarranum Mushtari Begum (Dec 25th 1934-March 14th 2004) and Tabla maestro Ustad Rukhsar Ali. 
A kind hearted soul, Khan is the only professional performing artist in the world who plays the Tabla and sings traditional Classical Ghazals (Urdu poetry) and Thumris (light classical compositions in Hindi) simultaneously. His talent has stunned audiences since most Ghazaliyans play Harmonium, and Tabaliyans play their Tabla.
Combining Indian Classical singing with Tabla, for a single artist, is a first in Indian classical music and many noted Indian Classical Music gurus have proclaimed that singing and playing Tabla in unison is a rather difficult and rare feat to master. He was conferred the tile of "Ustad" or Maestro in 2016 by Pt Salil Bhatt and Grammy Awardee Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.
Khan's trademark is performing the extremely rare and difficult Tarranum Ang Gayaki style in which the lyrics share a different meter from the rhythm, but meets at the Sum point in a certain phrase. Tarranum Ang Gayaki is as difficult to sing for vocalists as it is to accompany by Tabla players because of the bending of timing, but Khan has been crowned as the inventor of singing Ghazal and playing Tabla simultaneously in this rare style and has etched his contribution into the field of Indian Classical Music.
Khan's talents also include acting for a TV Ad for Nanak Foods and was a talk show host dreamzzpunjabiradio for the Cassius Khan Show as well. He has performed in over 20 countries with some of the world's most critically acclaimed musicians such as Grammy Award winning  Mohan Veena master Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Satvik Veena player Pt Salil Bhatt, Slide guitar Legend Ellen McIlwaine, Jazz Pianist Stu Goldberg, and Mediterranean Guitar wizard Pavlo. Khan's first solo album, "Cassius Khan, Young Tabla Wizard" was released by KM Prom/HMV India in 1990. Khan also collaborated with Ellen McIlwaine on their release “Mystic Bridge” (2006), with Stu Goldberg on “Dark Clouds” (2006), Dave Martone's “A Demon’s Dream” (2004) and “The Alchemists” (2004), Pavlo's "I Feel Love Again" (2002), D'Arcy Greaves' "Angel of Sevilla ( 1989), Dan Mani's "Mani Licks" ( 1990), ROAM’s, “Baby Steps” (2008) and 20,000 Miles with Slide to Freedom ( 2011). Out of his 30 + album recordings, Khan's Ghazal/Tabla album, "Mushtari-a live concert" was nominated for the 2011 Western Canadian Music Awards for World Album of the Year!
Hailed as Canada's "Multifaceted Indian Classical Musician," Khan has lent his hands and voice to literally every genre of music and has had the honour of performing for the UN, the PMO (Permanent India Mission and) WIPO in Geneva, Switzerland thanks to the invitation by the Indian Ambassador to the United Nations, His Excellency Rajiv Chander in 2017 and 2018.
Khan is married to acclaimed Kathak Dancer/ Harmonium player Amika Kushwaha, and they reside and teach Music and Dance in New Westminster, BC, Canada when they are off tour.
To ensure the survival and patronage of the Indian Classical Arts in Canada, Cassius Khan founded the Mushtari Begum Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance, which aims to showcase Classical musicians and dancers to the Canadian audiences which will take place every year in the summer/fall months in New Westminster, BC Canada. The MBF debuted on August 25th 2012, and is a small but celebrated Indian Classical Music festival in Western Canada. Both Khan and his wife, Amika, run the MBF together. The MBF was Voted the Best Arts Festival in New Westminster in 2014 by the New Westminster Record! For more information on the MBF, please go to www.mbfestival.ca
- See more at: http://www.cassiuskhan.com

Cassius Khan

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