Zila Khan : needs no introduction, the daughter of legendary Sitar maestro Vilayat Khan named after Amir khusrao’s raag Zila kaffi has given new dimensions to Sufi music. Zila is the 7th generation of an unbroken lines in what is the oldest school (or gharana) in India. It is quit a feat for her Lineage to have 4 generations of recorded music that they live for and live with.
Zila is the one and the only singer in the Imdad khani Gharana and she is the first women from the family,to have been empowered sing in the public. Her repertoire includes classical Indian, the semi classical genre, folk, gazhal and the sufi styles of music 9and many more).Her three albums titled “Zila”; “Ishq ki Nayee Bahar” and “Secrets of the Divine” are great hits. Zila khan is back with a new album, titled Sarmasti, “a tribute to the great sufi poet Hazrat Amir Khusrau”,.And there is a video to go with it, featuring none other than fashion designer Rohit Bal. Zila Khan besides being a regular performer in India has also been hugely popular in UK Europe the gulf and US.
She is blessed with one of the most powerful voices in the subcontinent. She is the recipient of a number of awards like the “Taan Samrat Awards” conferred on her at the Ghalib Academy, the Sangeet kala Sangam Samriti Award in sep.2001, Ghazal Vidushi Award by all India conference of intellectuals & Delhi Rattan in sep.2001.
Prime minister manmohan Singh Ji bestowed Zila Khanwith “ the Roll of Honour” when she sang for him and the justice Department of India in Vigyan Bhawan on the 3rd march 2005.
