I have know Ghulam Sabir since 1970 when he was my "guru-bhai", also learning from my first teacher Ustad Sabri Khan. He was the son of the great old-style sarangiya Ustad Sidiqqi Ahmed Khan of Moradabad who had sent him to Sabri Khan, probably as a way of getting a foothold into the Delhi music scene while also polishing his sarangi technique. When I was doing my sarangi research in the 1990s, Sidiqqi Ahmed had come to live with Ghulam Sabir in his house in Basti Kwasa, Mir Dard in the Minto Road area of Delhi and both were teaching Ghulam Sabir's three sons, particularly the one who plays sarangi, Murad Ali. Murad Ali has gone on to become one of the most respected sarangi players of the younger generation. Ghulam Sabir has been a staff artist at All India Radio's light music vibhag and also at Doordarshan (national TV).
The first videos here are from a visit to his intensely musical house on June 1, 1997. These are jugalbandi pieces played together with Ghulam Sabir's son Murad Ali. Shiraz and Feroz Ahmed Khan, his talented nephews, listen throughout. Aman Ali Khan, Muradbhai's brother accompanied on tabla.
Ghulam Sabir started with rag Gaud Sarang:
Then came Miyanki Malhar
The session ended with a light piece in Mishra Kaushik Dhani:
