KARACHI: Farhan Khan, 24-year-old son of the celebrated sitar player Ustad Rais Khan gave a skilful recital of raags Bageshri and Behag to an impressive gathering of serious music enthusiasts at the open air venue of Alliance Francaise in Karachi on Saturday.

The programme was organized by Muzik Mondial, a newly formed group of young lovers of classical music in Karachi.

Farhan played the raag Bageshri in bilampat and durut laye of teental, followed by a recital of raag Behag. His tayyari was especially very impressive.

Born in 1981 in Bombay, Farhan migrated to Pakistan with his parents in 1986. He started to receive training in sitar and surbahar from his father at the young age of seven.

He had his debut performance at Nazrul Manch, Kolkata in 1989 on which occasion he was accompanied on the tabla by no less than the world famous Ustad Zakir Hussain.

A stylish player with impressive stage presence, Farhan has performed at the Kennedy Centre in New York in 2001 and the World Music festival. He also had the distinction of performing with the eminent Shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan at India Gate, New Delhi in 2002.

His latest public performances were at the All Pakistan Music Conference in Karachi and the Mumbai Festival, and another big fund-raising event in India for tsunami victims in 2005, where he performed alongside his father, Ustad Rais Khan.

Belonging to the Mewat Gharana, Farhan’s family descends from the court musicians of the 15th century Mughal emperors.— S.M. Shahid