Mushtari Begum was the first Indian Ghazal exponent whose father hailed from Lucknow, India and was born in the Islands of Fiji. She was key in bringing the art of classical Ghazal to Vancouver’s communities.

In her young age, she was first a disciple of her father, the late Ustad Amjad Ali, a Thumri exponent. In her later life, she travelled to India and learned from legends such as the late Ustad Faiyaz Khan of the Sahaswan Gharana of vocal singing, and Shrimati Shyamala Bhave of Bangalore, India. Her extraordinary vocal capabilities ranged close to four octaves and, in her prime musical form, she quickly ruled the charts of Fiji’s musical industry.

She won 36 trophies and numerous recognitions and wards between 1947 and 1973. Her crowning moment was when she was awarded the title Malika-e-Ghazal or “Queen of Ghazal” in 1973, by the Indian High Consulate in the Island of Fiji. She settled in Vancouver, BC in 1973 with her husband Sheikh Mohyudean, and continued to pursue her passion as an Indian classical vocalist byway of South-Asian and Indo-Fijian community programs. She became the vocal teacher and guru of Cassius Khan in 1990, after seeing his dedication to learning the artform of vocal and tabla.

Mushtari Begum died suddenly from a massive heart attack in her home on the evening of March 14th 2004. Cassius Khan initiated this festival in her memory as a tribute to her contributions in classical Ghazal in Vancouver, and for honouring her as his guru.

Indian classical exponent and Juno Nominee Pandit Salil Bhatt is the creator of the Satvik Veena and is the son of Padma-Bhushan and Grammy Awardee Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, inventor of the Mohan Veena. The Satvik Veena is a 20-stringed slide guitar that was derived from his father’s Mohan Veena instrument. The 20-stringed Satvik Veena is carved from a single piece of wood and comprises of three melodic strings, four drone strings, 12 sympathetic strings, and 1 high-octave strings. The melody strings are on what we would consider the treble side of the neck, and the drone strings are on the bass side. The sympathetic strings run underneath the melody and drone strings to yet another level in the bridge. The instrument extensively braced to withstand the estimated total string tension to be in excess of 500 pounds-force. It is due to this high tension that creates the incredible tone with the sympathetic strings ringing out to strengthen each note played.

Pandit Salil Bhatt has toured the World repeatedly which has enthralled audiences of all ages and backgrounds. His elevated musicality enables Pandit Salil Bhatt to interweave the notes that mesmerize the listener. For this amazing and unique talent, Pandit Salil Bhatt was awarded the title of ‘Tantree Samrat’, loosely translating to ‘Mystical Emperor of a Stringed Instrument’. Residing in Jaipur, India, Salil Bhatt as made his mark all over the world with his amazing talent and dynamic personally on and off-stage. This year, Pandit Salil Bhatt will grace the Mushtari Begum Festival for the third time, with the first two being at the inaugural year, 2012, and 5th year presentation in 2016.

The globally renowned Cassius Khan stuns his audiences by performing his trademark style, which is to sing the classical styles of Ghazal and Thumri and play Tabla at the same time. Traditionally, Ghazal singers are known to play the Harmonium and be accompanied by another individual on Tabla. But Cassius has flipped the equation and popularized it, which is a first for Indian classical music. Khan has toured extensively and has performed with and worked on numerous albums with some of the world’s most finest musicians. Besides his performances in the Indian classical genre, Khan has paired his musical talents with a variety of styles such as Heavy Metal, Jazz, Electronica, and Blues. He has been featured on a TV ad, and recently, performed for the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations twice in 2017 and 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland. The list of Khan’s accolades includes a 2011 Western Canadian Music Award nomination, the 2005 Salute to Excellence Award from the Alberta Government, and a nomination for the City of New Westminster’s Chamber of Commerce awards as Artist of the Year in 2016 and 2017.

Amika Kushwaha is one of the few Kathak artists in Canada who pairs her performances with live musical accompaniment. Apart from showcasing this Indian Classical dance form in its traditional glamour, Amika has choreographed Kathak to many different musical genres and can intuitively collaborate with dancers of any dance style.

Amika is the recipient of the 2016 Shakti Award for Artistic Excellence and has taken part in notable festivals such as Namaste Geneva, Next Step Dance Festival, the Indian Electronica Festival, and the Vancouver Island, Mission, Harrison and Vancouver Folk Music Festivals.

Amika’s dance training began with her mother and continued under Kathak maestro Pt. Ram Mohan Mishra (Maharaj) at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra in New Delhi, India. Over the years, she has refined her technique through intense workshops with leading masters of the present global Kathak dance community, namely the legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj, Pandita Saswati Sen, Maulik Shah, Pandita Uma Dogra, and most recently with Raghav Raj Bhatt.

Amika is also a well-synchronized Harmonium player, and has accompanied a number of great musicians including the Khalifa of the Delhi Gharana of vocal, Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan.

In addition to dancing and performing music, Kushwaha works as a professional engineer in Vancouver. Amika and her husband, Ghazal and Tabla artist, Cassius Khan, are proud founders and directors of the Mushtari Begum Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance, held annually since 2012.

Dr. Kamaljeet Gill Banwait is one of Canada’s leading Indian classical vocalists in the styles of Khayaal, Thumri, Ghazal, and Punjabi folk singing. Dr. Kamaljeet was born into a family of musicians and was initiated into the art of Classical vocal from her father, the late Sardar Narinder Singh Banwait, who was a disciple of the Punjab Gharana. She pursued further training under the Late Pandit Madan Lal Bali, Pandit Yashpaul, Mrs Ratnika Tiwari, and Late Pandit Baldev Narang.

Dr. Kamaljeet holds a Bachelor’s degree in Classical Instrumental Music and has also completed a Masters and PhD in Classical Vocal Music from the Punjab University in Chandigarh. She has also received the Sangeet Prabhakar and Sangeet Praveen accreditation from the “Prayag Sangeet Samiti” from the Allahabad University n UP.

Dr. Kamaljeet began performing from a very young age, and was also an All India Radio Jalandhar artist. Since moving to Edmonton in 2006, she has been a featured artist in Western Canadian musical circuits which include the Mushtari Begum Festival, Raga Mala, Aga Khan Foundation, Sarb Akal Music Society, and the World Music Festival. In 2011, Dr. Kamaljeet was awarded the title ReFM Idol of the Year.

Professionally Dr. Kamaljeet has served as a lecturer at the D.A.V. College in Hoshiarpur, and as a professor of music at the University of Alberta. Currently, she teaches music at two Khalsa Schools in Edmonton and runs her own academy of music with students spanning from age 5 to 70. In recent years, Dr. Kamaljeet has initiated the Samarpan Music Festival in Edmonton to honour the memory of her late father and gurus all while engaging budding and professional artists of the field.

Baljit Singh is an instrumentalist that plays an array of bowed instruments, namely Sarangi, Dilruba, Esraj, Tar Shehnai and Taous. He is also well versed in Indian classical vocal, Harmonium, and Tabla. He started learning Dilruba from Professor Avtar Singh and later from Ustad Piara Singh Padam.

Baljit is a sought-after soloist and accompanist in and around Vancouver. He has performed alongside many renowned artists and has received much appreciation from a variety of audiences. Baljit is currently working as a music teacher, professional musician, and is part of Naad Arts Center in Surrey BC.

Mateen Qiyam is an up-and-coming instrumentalist that plays an array of keyed instruments, namely piano, Harmonium, and electronic keyboard. He is well versed in creating and mixing music that tastefully combines modern Western music with Eastern music, namely from Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan. Mateen is the son of Rubab maestro Ustad Majid Qiyam, who is originally from Afghanistan and now resides in Richmond, BC, spreading traditional Afghan music in the Vancouver lower mainland. It is Mateen’s upbringing in a creative and musical family that allows him to comfortably transpose between multiple musical styles. Besides learning from his father, Mateen seeks out Indian classical insight through is connection with Cassius Khan’s teaching and vocal style. This is the first time that Mateen will be accompanying as a Harmonium artist at the 12th Mushtari Begum Festival.

Mubeen Qiyam has shown prowess as one of Vancouver’s sought after Rabob artist. His musical journey started at a young age, under the tutelage of his father and celebrated Afghan Rabob and Ghazal artist Ustad Majid Qiyam. Residing in Richmond, BC, andd originally from Afghanistan, Mateen strives to bring the traditional Afghan Rubab instrument to a broader audience by staying true to traditional Afghan music as well as exploring cross-over with South-Asian music, namely from India and Pakistan. To refine his musical style, Mubeen seeks out Indian classical insight through his connection with Cassius Khan’s teaching and vocal style. This is the first time that Mubeen brings musical accompaniment with Robab to the Mushtari Begum Festival.