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Mr.Muhammad Ahsan Papu Khan =[edit]

(KING OF FLUTE) Ahsan Papu is a flute (Bansuri) player following the Pakistani and Hindustani style of music. He plays traditional Hindustani style of flute as well as contemporary. His father "Ustad manzoor hussain" was a renowned clarinet maestro, and A-grade radio artist, mainly serving Lolly-wood Pakistan. He started his musical career after the death of his father and wanted to be a tabla player but when he was getting accuracy in it after 3.50 years his great teacher "USATAD Lala Ghulam Hussain Jhalandiri" died. Papu sahib.wanted to continue tabla as his profession that's why he went to Taffu Khan's (Pakistan's one of the leading Tabla player) house to continue his journey to music but Taffu Khan refused him to teach as he has not much time for him. That was the last day of his journey to learn tabla. His uncle "Fida hussain" was a good flute Player, His uncle took Him under his wing and told his mother he would train him in his art to support the family. And that was under these strenuous conditions the young Ahsan Papu (15 years old) found tremendous motivation. It was the desperation to support his family. Three of his brothers were studying in college and they were 10 mouths to feed at home. Perhaps if he was from a comfortable household he would not have been so focused. There was a time when he used to practice up to 21 hours a day trying to perfect his skill,” admits the flute-master and he recorded his first recording of flute on the 9th day of starting the flute. Papu Sahib renowned of playing the most difficult pieces of songs where the other flutists sometimes would spend a week to learn that fast and difficult pieces Papu Sahib played those pieces in a minute or so. After recording with some of the most esteemed music directors in the Pakistan film industry, Papu Sahib made his first international trip to UK in 1986 with Attuallah Khan Essa Khailvee. Few years later he made his way to Faisalabad. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was looking for a flute player and Papu Sahib’s reputation earned him the opportunity to work on Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s debut album. From there on out Papu Sahib was a permanent feature in all Nusrat Sahib’s local recordings, working on some of his initial projects in India as well. He has experimented with fusion of both Indian and Western music. He has given many solo concerts in Pakistan and abroad. Papu Sahib continued recording with a multitude of artists. He had been recording at Mekaal’s studio with different acts when Mekaal was looking for classical instrumentalists to launch a new style of sound. He wanted to compose a style that would blend traditional instruments and classical poetry for rock and jazz listeners. In 2000 it seemed like an interesting and innovative idea. But the impacts of Mekaal’s style have taken the South Asian scene by storm. And so came Papu Sahib’s entrance into the rock scene, as a Senior member of the Mekaal Hassan Band He is playing a very significant role in popularizing the Indian Classical Music among the masses. He is the first Pakistani bansuri artiste to be graded "A+" also known as The King (Badshah) of flute. He has composed music for innumerable popular TV serials such as ".Kash aisa ho". He has performed with various musicians like Ustad Nusrat Fateh ali khan, Noor-jahan, Ghulam ALi, Mehdi Hassan, Atta Ullah, Nayara Noor, Abida parveen, Arif Lohar and many more folk artists. Pakistan’s music scene, like all arts in Pakistan, are driven by passion and love-a desire to survive through the art and to survive for the art. This is probably why musicians like Papu Sahib are found mentoring up-and-coming musicians in their free time. His students cover singers and flute players from all over Pakistan some of the professional flutists like Abid ali khan, Akmal qadri, Haider rehaman and many more. But in the crumbling infrastructure that has now become our nation, many popular artists, while continuing to struggle for the art, are finding it unrealistic to survive through the art. Papu Sahib is that star which will always shine on the world of music and will always be inspiration for the Up-coming stars.