My late grandfather (our families hailed from the Dumraon princely estate, now in Bihar) used to tell me how Khan gave his first public performances, as a singer, at the age of five. His father Paighambar and grandfather Rasool Bux were both employees of the Dumraon raj. Each time Khan sang the Bhojpuri chaita, Ehi matiya me bhulail hamar motiya he rama (It’s at this spot that I lost my pearl), at the behest of Maharaja Keshav Prasad Singh, audiences were mesmerised.
Since his family had been employees of the Dumraon royalty, Khan was sometimes accused of hedging the fact that he was born there, preferring to present himself as a lifelong Varanasi resident.
When I asked him about it, he denied any such intention. "Koi apne paidaish ki jagah ko kaise bhool sakta hai? Meri khwaish hai ki us jagah ko ek nazar dekh lun," (How can anyone forget his birthplace? I wish I could visit it once more) he said. However, he never did.
http://newageislam.com/remembering-bismillah-khan/islamic-culture/d/635
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12:24 AM
Moderate Islamist here
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