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Father: Ustad Rana Khan
Profession: Singer
Nationality: Indian
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Profession | • Singer • Composer • Song Writer |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| [1]Citation Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 177 cm in meters– 1.77 m in feet & inches– 5’ 8” |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Career | |
| Debut | Singing: Baawre in Luck By Chance (2009) |
| Awards, Honours, Achievements | • GIMA Award for the Best Traditional Folk Singer • Music Diamond of Rajasthan |
| Personal Life | |
| Birthplace | Jaisalmer, Rajasthan |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Satto, Jaisalmer |
| Ethnicity | Muslim |
| Hobbies | Cooking |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Affairs/Girlfriends | Not known |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | N/A |
| Parents |
Father– Late Ustad Rana Khan
Mother– |
| Favourites | |
| Actor(s) | • Amitabh Bachchan • Shah Rukh Khan |
| Actress | Sri Devi |
| Singer | Rahat Fateh Ali Khan |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Mame Khan
- Mame Khan is a Rajasthani folk singer who is known for his Sufi and folk music performances. His first Bollywood break was Bawre after which his fame just increased. He is also known for his famous Rajasthani song Kesariya Balam.
- He started singing at a young age and joined his tribe performing at childbirth, weddings, and other related ceremonies. Since childhood, he used to sing in annual festivals at his school and received prizes for singing National Anthem and a patriotic song Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon. [2]The Hindu
Mame Khan’s childhood photo
- Khan was originally a dholak player who belongs to the Manganiyar community which has been following the singing tradition for over 14 generations. They follow a unique style of singing called Jhagra that features instruments like Khartal and Kamaicha. [3]BBC News
- His father and uncle, both were great musicians and he learned singing by listening to them and practicing it under their guidance. His father also taught him cooking which Mame still loves to do.
- He was about 10 or 11 years old when he gave a music performance with his tribe for former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on Independence day.
- In 1999, he went on a world tour to Belgium and forgot his Dholak there. After returning back he was not able to perform for a week without it; after this, his Dholak was returned. After this incident, Mame’s father advised him to take up singing as a profession. [4]The Hindu
- In 2006, Mame worked as a singer in a band called Manganiyar Seduction which was produced by Roysten Abel. In this band, he performed more than 100 shows across the world.
- He used to give singing performances at events and once he went to sing at the wedding of Ila Arun’s daughter. Someone noticed him and recommended his name to Shankar Mahadevan who is a famous music composer. [5]Indian Express He signed him up for singing a song in the film Luck By Chance in 2009. This song was Bawre and Hrithik Roshan performed this song in the movie. [6]DNA India
- He soon became a well-known singer and gave his first performance outside the country in Central Park, New York. In his career, he has sung songs with his tribe in over 60 countries.
Mame Khan performing at a concert
- In October 2015, Khan released his crowd-funded debut album Mame Khan’s Desert Sessions. In the same year, he also sang the national anthem for Star Sports and Hotstar’s Pro Kabaddi League Season 2015. [7]Business Standard
- He has also sung a song like Aitbaar and Chakora for films like Nobody Killed Jessica (2011) and Mirzya (2016).
- In 2016, his album Summer Nights on the Dunes was released under the label Living Media. In December 2016, he released a single song Sanu Ik Pal Chain Na Ave, in which he combined Rajasthani and Punjabi folk music styles. In 2017, he released another album No. 1 Yaari Jam under the label of Salim-Sulaiman.
- He gained massive popularity for his appearance in Coke Studio with famous singer Amit Trivedi. His song “Chaudhary” has been featured in Indian TV serial “Balika Vadhu”.
Mame Khan performing at Coke studio
In an interview with BBC he talked about how working with Coke Studio got him fame and said,
I believe that just being an artist is not enough for an artist. For that it is very important for you to be on social media. Any of my songs used to be heard by 3000 people in my village 14 years ago but today the same Millions of people listen to the song and I want everyone to hear and understand my music and that’s what Coke Studio did.’ [8]BBC News
- As per the Manganiyar traditions, singers are not expected to be singing alone but Mame rose to fame with his solo performances in the industry. [9]BBC News He said that folk singers do not get their deserved credit in the film industry and it is really difficult for Manganiyar singers to earn recognition and fame. He also talked about what music means to his community and said,
For us, music is like mathematics. It’s the calculations we keep in our mind when performing.’ [10]The Hindu
- Apart from his traditional Manganiyar style, he is also known for his own Sufi style of singing. He is a fan of Sufi poets like Mira Bai, Lal Shahbâz Qalandar, Baba Ghulam Farid, Kabir, and Bulleh Shah and loves to present songs in his own touch.
- He became the first folk singer of India to walk the Cannes 2022 red carpet. He also sang a song during the inaugural ceremony of the Indian Pavilion on 18 May at the 75th Cannes Film Festival. During this event, he sang a Rajasthani folk song on which Tamannaah, Urvashi Rautela, Deepika Padukone, and Pooja Hegde performed a dance together. [11]The Times of India
Mame Khan at Cannes Film Festival
- He has been a part of My Country, My Music which was a folk music project by Shankar Mahadevan. He has also performed in popular Indian festivals such as the Repertwahr Festival, NH7 Weekender, Mood Indigo, Sahitya Aaj Tak, and Rajasthan Partnership Summit.
References/Sources:[+]
| ↑1 | Citation |
|---|---|
| ↑2, ↑4, ↑10 | The Hindu |
| ↑3, ↑8, ↑9 | BBC News |
| ↑5 | Indian Express |
| ↑6 | DNA India |
| ↑7 | Business Standard |
| ↑11 | The Times of India |