Nathoo Khan

{{Short description|Pakistani sarangi player (1920–1971)}} {{Use Pakistani English|date=December 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = [[Ustad]] | name = Nathu Khan | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_upright = | image_size = | landscape =  | alt = | caption = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | birth_name =  | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth year|1920}} | birth_place = [[Amritsar]], [[Punjab, British India]]

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1971|1920}} | death_place = Munich, Germany | occupation = Instrumentalist, composer (sarangi player) | years_active =  | known_for = {{Flatlist| *[[All India Radio]] *[[Radio Pakistan]] *[[Pakistan Television Corporation]] }} | awards = [[Pride of Performance]] Award by the [[Government of Pakistan]] in 2016 }}

'''Nathu Khan''' (1920–1971; sometimes spelled as '''Nathoo'''), was a Pakistani [[sarangi]] player known for introducing solo sarangi playing tradition with difficult phrases. He was associated with [[Radio Pakistan]] and [[Pakistan Television Corporation]]. Previously, he had also worked at [[All India Radio]] before [[Muhajir (Pakistani)|emigrating from India]].<ref name="Daily Times 2017"/>

He has the distinction of having playback singer [[Ahmed Rushdi]] as his informal disciple in classical music from 1944 to 1948.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ot8KyeVEyI |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240313142231/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ot8KyeVEyI |archive-date=13 March 2024 |url-status=bot: unknown |title=Ahmed Rushdi live with Naeem Tahir |website=[[YouTube]] | date=31 August 2012 |access-date=21 March 2024 }}</ref>

== Biography == Nathoo Khan was born in [[Amritsar]], [[British Raj|British India]]. His father Baba Balle was a [[tabla]] player. Nathoo Khan considered Ustad Ahmadi Khan, Ustad Allah Diya and Bhai Lal Muhammad as his mentors while he was training in music.<ref name="Daily Times 2017"/> Following the [[partition of India]], he migrated to Pakistan where he became a staff artist at Radio Pakistan, [[Karachi]], Pakistan.<ref name="Ali 2015">{{cite web | last=Ali | first=Sarwat | title=Defying awards - Art & Culture | website=The News International newspaper | date=2015-08-23 | url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/559245-ustad-nathu-khan-defying-awards |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923011323/https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/559245-ustad-nathu-khan-defying-awards|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 September 2023|access-date=2024-03-26}}</ref><ref name="Pradhan 2017">{{cite web | last=Pradhan | first=Aneesh | title=Listen: These performances show Pakistani sarangi maestro Nathu Khan's mastery over the technique| website=Scroll.in website| date=2017-04-29| url=https://scroll.in/article/835762/listen-these-performances-show-pakistani-sarangi-maestro-nathu-khans-mastery-over-the-technique|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607024844/https://scroll.in/article/835762/listen-these-performances-show-pakistani-sarangi-maestro-nathu-khans-mastery-over-the-technique |url-status=dead|archive-date=7 June 2023 |access-date=2024-03-26}}</ref>

His uncle Feroze Din was one of his sarangi teachers. He first appearance in a sarangi playing performance was at [[Piran Kaliyar Sharif|Kaliyar Sharif]] where he played Raag Shudh Sarang, a [[Hindustani classical music]] [[Raga|raag]].<ref name="Daily Times 2017"/>

He was introduced to [[Radio Pakistan]], [[Karachi]] by its then Managing Director [[Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nation.com.pk/05-Apr-2013/death-anniversary-of-ustad-nathoo-khan-today|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 March 2024|access-date=21 March 2024|newspaper=The Nation newspaper|title=Death anniversary of Ustad Nathoo Khan today|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240321225329/https://www.nation.com.pk/05-Apr-2013/death-anniversary-of-ustad-nathoo-khan-today}}</ref> He later worked at the 'Pakistan International Airlines Arts Academy'.<ref name="Daily Times 2017">{{cite news | title=Remembering a great sarangi player |newspaper=Daily Times newspaper|author=Amjad Parvez| date=2017-04-14 | url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/17469/remembering-a-great-sarangi-player/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116172527/https://dailytimes.com.pk/17469/remembering-a-great-sarangi-player/|archive-date=16 November 2021|url-status=dead| access-date=2024-03-26}}</ref>

During his career at Radio Pakistan, he composed music for a few films and radio plays.<ref name="Ali 2015"/><ref name="Daily Times 2017"/>

According to a major newspaper of Pakistan:

"He was also a great accompanist and accompanied almost all the great vocalists of his time like Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan, [[Bade Ghulam Ali Khan]], [[Sham Chaurasia gharana|Salamat Ali Nazakat Ali]], [[Roshan Ara Begum]]. According to Ustad [[Salamat Ali Khan]], he was the best accompanist he ever sang with; Ram Narayan being the second best".<ref name="Ali 2015"/><ref name="Daily Times 2017"/> == Awards == Nathoo Khan was posthumously awarded the [[Pride of Performance]] award in 2016 by the [[government of Pakistan]] in recognition of his contribution to [[classical music]] and [[Sindhi music]].<ref name="The Express Tribune 2015">{{cite news| title=Award for excellence: Over 150 people to be conferred civil awards |newspaper=The Express Tribune |agency=Associated Press of Pakistan|date=2015-08-14 |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/937842/award-for-excellence-over-150-people-to-be-conferred-civil-awards|archive-date=31 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231223906/https://tribune.com.pk/story/937842/award-for-excellence-over-150-people-to-be-conferred-civil-awards|url-status=dead|access-date=2024-03-26}}</ref><ref name="Ali 2015"/>

==Death== Nathoo Khan died in 1971 after a short illness while on a tour of Europe.<ref name="Ali 2015"/>

== Further reading == *{{cite web|url=http://qaul.blogspot.com/2008/06/ustad-nathoo-khan-sarangi-maestro.html|title=Ustad Nathoo Khan - Sarangi Maestro|date=28 June 2008|website=qaul.blogpost.com website}}

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080516232031/http://sarangi.info/nathu List of Nathu Khan's classical music ragas on sarangi.info website - Archived]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Nathu}} [[Category:1920 births]] [[Category:1971 deaths]] [[Category:Pakistani male composers]] [[Category:Muhajir people]] [[Category:Sarangi players]] [[Category:Recipients of the Pride of Performance]] [[Category:Pakistani radio personalities]] [[Category:Pakistani television people]] [[Category:All India Radio people]] [[Category:Musicians from Amritsar]]