VETERAN PROFESSIONAL NAGADA PLAYER

Profile of Artist:

Jamil Khan is a professional Nakkara, popularly known as Nagada player. Usually in rural area of Uttar Pradesh he played Nagada in the performance of Nautanki. The training of Jamil began in Aligarh in his home town from his father and grandfather in his childhood. Jamil says that in the traditional performance of Nautanki the main musical instruments are Nagada, Tabla and Harmonium.

Nautanki was the biggest entertainment medium in the villages and towns of northern India. Nautanki's rich musical compositions and humorous, entertaining storylines held a strong influence over rural people's imagination.

Jamil have performed in all the big cultural events, right from National School of Drama, Sangeet Natak Academy, Urdu Academy and many more. Namely in Hathras and Mathura in western part of UP whereas in central UP Kanpur and Lucknow were the 2 biggest centres of Nautanki performance and teaching. Both schools differ from each other with respect to their per formative form and technique. While the Hathrasi (literally meaning 'of Hathras') School emphasizes singing more and is operatic in form, the Kanpuri School centers itself more on prose-filled dialogues mixed with singing, focused on costume and make up of artists. This style developed during colonial times (19th and early 20th centuries.

Jamil Kan has formed his own group by the name of “Chirag Nautanki Kala Samiti” to keep the traditional form alive.

Jamil says, in sum, if Nautanki or other similar community folk art forms are to survive (if not thrive), they need opportunities to adapt in a changing context. They cannot survive by continuing to portray outdated themes. If they are given this opportunity, it can be a win-win situation.

Contact Detail:

Name:	JAMIL KHAN
Address:	739 Adarsh Colony , Mandi Gaon, Delhi 110047
Phone No:	9891746845
Whats app No:	9891746845