Sultan Khan

Sultan Khan (1940–2011) is an sitar artist. Known for contributions to Hindustani classical music, performance, teaching, and repertoire building.

He gave his first performance at the All India Conference at the age of eleven, and has performed on an international scale - with Ravi Shankar on George Harrison's 1974 Dark Horse World Tour. He contributed vocals and sarangi to Gavin Harrison's 1998 solo album Sanity & Gravity. He sang "Albela Sajan Aayo Re..."along with Kavita Krishnamurthy and Shankar Mahadevan in the Hindi film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in 1999. He has also given his voice in films like Maqbool, Kachche Dhaage, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, Parzania, Jab We Met, Agni Varsha, Superstar, Rahul, Paanch, Mausam, etc.

After 1984 he recorded for Hollywood films such as “Heat and Dust”. In 1993 he performed along with Ustad Allah Rakha Khan and Ustad Zakir Hussain in one of the rooms at the House of Commons where eminent persons were in attendance to witness a rare musical performance at the seat of Government. It was this time when he became a regular artist for BBC Radio London. He was also interviewed for the BBC world service and also composed the musical track for the BBC 2 documentary “London Calling”(1997).

He has several albums to his credits such as Piya Basanti (2000), Ustad & the Divas, Ustad Sultan Khan & his friends, Shoonya, Bhoomi and Pukaar (with Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan), etc.