Music, especially the music of India, was his passion. Irshad was a well respected tabla player and his playing was characterized by technical virtuosity and tonal quality.
Irshad stemmed from a long line of Indian musicians (the Jaipur Gharana). His father Ustad Zamir Ahmad Khan, also a tabla player, introduced him to the tabla at the age of three. Irshad’s approach was strongly based on the old styles and the traditional repertoire, but he combined this with much of his own improvisational creativity.
As a very promising tabla player of the younger generation he has had the opportunity to accompany many great musicians of Indian classical music such as: Pandit V.G. Jog, Ustad Munir Khan, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ustad Sayeeduddin Dagar and G.S.Sachdev.
Irshad was always open for new possibilities and combinations with different musicians, styles and traditions. He performed with many well-known musicians in the fields of jazz and worldwide music traditions such as: Theo Loevendie, Joachim Kühn, David Vriessen, Philip Catherine, Ross Daly, and with percussionists like the Iranian zarb maestro Djamchid Chemirani and the African master drummers Fodé Youla, Adama Dramé, Omar Diabaté and Alfa Camara.
Irshad recorded and produced numerous CD recordings. He recorded a solo tabla album for Pan Records. His last production, released just several weeks before his death, was an album with the sarangi playing of his grandfather Ustad Munir Khan.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
