About - Biography of Ustad Ghulam Siraj Niazi

Biography of Ustad Ghulam Siraj Niazi

Born on the 2nd of July, 1969 in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh (U.P.), Ustad Ghulam Siraj Niazi belongs to the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana, and is the grandson of Late Padma Bhushan Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan, who was the first recipient of the Padma Bhushan & Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, and the son of Late Ustad Ghulam Husain Khan, who himself was a legendary Hindustani Classical Vocalist.

Initiated into music from the age of nine years, Ustad Ghulam Siraj Niazi was groomed under the worthy guidance of his father, who passed all the major qualities of the Gharana to him in the typical traditional style of Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana.

Ustad Ghulam Siraj Niazi is skilled in ‘Khayal Gayaki’, which highlights the systematic Badhat of the Raaga and graceful Taans. Apart from Khayal Gayaki, he has an equal and full command over semi-classical and light vocals as well.

Ustad Ghulam Siraj Niazi has been performing in this field for the last three decades, all over India and abroad - particularly in South-East Asian countries, and has been awarded numerous accolades. In the year 2007, he was invited to perform at the President House (Rashtrapati Bhavan) for ex-Indian President, late Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

He’s been based in Hong Kong for well over two decades. Ustad Ghulam Siraj Niazi is also the Chairman of Padma Bhushan Ustad Mushtaq Husain Khan Association (PUMHKA), which he established both in Hong Kong and India ten years ago, in the memory of his grandfather and for the purpose of promoting Hindustani classical music and providing an international platform to eminent as well as obscure artists, such as Grammy Nominee Padma Vibhushan Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, late Padma Vibhushan Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Padma Bhushan Pandit Rajan & Sajan Misra, Padma Shri Hariharan, Padma Shri Ustad Rashid Khan, Pandit Kushal Das, Grammy Nominee Shashank Subramanyam, late Pandit Subhankar Banerjee, Pandit B.C. Manjunath, Satyajit Talkwalkar and many more, through conducting music events and concerts. PUMHKA also runs an academy in Hong Kong named after Ustad Ghulam Siraj Niazi’s father, Late Ustad Ghulam Husain Khan and in his memory; “Ustad Ghulam Husain Khan Academy”.

In addition to that, Ustad Ghulam Siraj Niazi also teaches Hindustani classical music, and has many students all over the world.