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Source:
Afghanland.com Ustad
Gholam Hussain was born in 1887 in the city of Peshawar. His
father, Atta Hussain was in the Grocery business and his mother
was a homemaker.
Gholam Hussain
was primarily educated by his older brother Abdul Hakim (Abdulla
Jon, after which he enrolled in British India’s public schools
where he began to learn music. In the British education
system, music was part of the curriculum.
Gholam Hussain
pursued music as a major and later graduated from the school of
music in Peshawar. He was hired as the Vice President the musical
division of the circus.
Gholam Hussain
was among the group that traveled to Kabul when Amir Sher Ali
Khan, the king of Afghanistan invited the circus to perform at the
wedding of prince Shah Mahmood Khan in Kabul. Their plans to
return to Peshawar were postponed for the wedding of Sardar
Mohammad Hashim Khan and other high profiled royals.
Singing to
the queen behind a curtain that divided the women from the men,
Gholam Hussain was dubbed the court singer of Queen Sarwar Sultan,
the wife of King Habibullah and Mother of King Amanullah.
With his new position Gholam Hussain wanted his family to be
closer to him. He requested this and was granted his
request. Upon the arrival of his family in Kabul, Hussain’s
father successfully opened a grocery store. His brother Abdulla
Jon became the Assistant doctor to the court medical team.
According to
Afghanland.com's sources, Gholam Hussain married
in 1923 and was blessed with 3 daughters and 2 sons including
Ustad Mohammad Hussain Sarahang (1924) and Khadam Hussain who
lived until his death in Peshawar.
Hussain received
his title of Ustad (Master) from Ustad Imamuddin Gawalia and later
opened the second school of music relative to the School of Ustad
Qasim Afghan and began seeking students.
In 1926 Ustad
Hussain began teaching at Istiqlal College. During the fall of
King Amanullah to the Bandit Leader Kalakani, Ustad Hussain fled
to Peshawar and began teaching his style of music at his newly
established school. Ustad Ahmad Bakhsh, Khan Mohammad and Shafi
Mohammad were amongst his students.
Hussain’s wife
passed away in Peshawar. His family stayed there for a short time,
and upon the request of the New King of Afghanistan, Nadir Shah,
Ustad Gholam Hussain retuned to Kabul. Days after his return he
sent his son Mohammad Hussain to India to seek the knowledge of
classical music from Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan in the city of Punjab
British India.
Ustad Gholam
Hussain re-married and was blessed with 2 sons, Nessar Hussain and
Mokhtar Hussain who chose to live in Peshawar.
In 1949
with the establishment of Radio Kabul, Ustad Gholam Hussain became
the producer of Eastern music department of the newly established
Radio Kabul. In 1955 Ustad Gholam Hussain was appointed as a
professor of Physical Education at Istiqlal College.
Ustad Gholam
Hussain passed away at the age of 80 in July 18 1967. Prime
Minister Maiwandwal called the death of Ustad Gholam Hussain a
great loss for our nation that leaves a great void in many lives.
Ustad Hussain was honored at Radio Kabul by displaying his statue
alongside Ustad Qasim Afghan as the pioneers of Afghan Music
.
Listen to: Ze Bad e
Ma Na Ghaz ne Qasida Memanad
Sources of
Information: Qanon e Tarab by Ustad Sarahang and afghanland.com |