• Source: Al Gromer Khan

Al Gromer Khan is a German sitar player and composer whose music spans the multiple genres of ambient, new age, world and electronica. He is author of 4 novels and author of National-Radio documentaries and features about music for more than 25 years and works as a visual artist.
Al Gromer Khan was awarded the Rabindranath Tagore Cultural Prize 2015 for his lifetime achievement as musician/performer on sitar and surbahar of the highest order, composer, writer and visual artist by the Indo-German Society.




Early influences


Al Gromer Khan was born Alois Gromer on April 8, 1946, at Frauenzell in the alpine foothills of Bavaria between Lake Constance and Munich.
During his college time he founded a skiffle group, became a jazz guitarist and left his home to become a jazz musician and beat poet, spending time in London, Tangier and India.
Gromer Khan claims that he was drawn to the "mysteries of sound", from early childhood, be it the sound of the bells worn by the Bavarian cows grazing in the alpine meadows near his birthplace, or the "singing" telephone wires on the wind in the freezing Bavarian winters, and later American blues and country music, Indian stringed instruments, the drums of North Africa. Gromer Khan claims to have rejected the academic or diplomatic careers his parents expected him to take up.
The 1960s found a twenty-something Al Gromer in London where he took part in a number of creative experiments which were to have a lasting influence on him. According to Gromer Khan, the Prince Tiane na Champassak of Laos introduced him to tantric art and pop star Marc Bolan invited him to join in the all-night jam sessions he hosted. He explored psycho-acoustic phenomena with film director Mike Figgis, and saxophonist Ronnie Scott of Ronnie Scott's Jazzclub, who introduced Al to Ben Webster, Max Roach and Miles Davis, while Cat Stevens (now known as Yusuf Islam), gave him a taste for English poetry. At times he attended a London art school.




Development as a sitarist


Gromer Khan's creative encounters during the 1960s deeply formed his musical taste and style; however, Gromer’s ultimate musical awakening came at a recital by sitarist Ustad Vilayat Khan in Westminster Abbey 1968. Gromer Khan professes to have been so moved by the performance that he instantly decided to devote his life to the study of the sitar. He went to India, where he was to find a powerful teacher in Vilayat Khan's brother, Ustad Imrat Khan. Gromer Khan remained in India for the next three years, speed-learning his instrument at the feet of his guru. He returned to Bavaria in 1973, already an accomplished sitarist.
Gromer Khan spent the next 7 years studying with Imrat Khan in Europe and India. In 1975, his teacher performed the Ghanda Ceremony, thus initiating Al Gromer into the Khan-I-Gharana lineage of sitarists. He was the first outsider to be accepted into this particular Gharana, which like most Hindustani musical traditions, passes knowledge down the generations from father to son. After his initiation, Al Gromer added "Khan" to his name.




Creative works


Concurrently, Khan is engaged in a number of experimental projects, pioneering the proto-electronic music amongst others together with Popol Vuh. He was involved in contemplative and world music for radio, television, film and sound recordings projects. With his extensive compositional work he was the initiator and key figure of musical genres that are now known as Ambient and World Music, New Age.
Travel and concerts of classical Indian music in India and Europe followed. In addition, texts and documentaries on music for various ARD radio stations.
Since 1974, Khan has released more than 50 albums.
He currently resides in Munich, Germany.
In 2006 the novel Der Lehrer sein Schüler und der weiße Mogul audiobook was released. 2007 the short novel Jazzweihnacht audiobook followed. 2011 the English version e-book Jazzchristmas. 2009 the novels Jimi of Silence and Der weiße Mogul were released. 2013 the English version The White Mogul and e-book 2015. Kurt und Bongo und die Hippies novel released in German 2017 as well as the English version Kurt and Bongo and the Hippies book and e-book.




Discography


Tariqa, 2023 Rasa Music
TRANCE, 2022 Rasa Music
Ambient Religion, 2022 Rasa Music
A Gentle Aspect, 2021 Rasa Music
SINGING BACK TO ZIRYAB, 2021 Rasa Music
Silent Gold Keeps My Forehead Hidden, Single 2021 Rasa Music
ONCE AGAIN THE NIGHT, 2020 Rasa Music
SILENCE in a BLUE ROOM, 2019 Rasa Music
IN HIGH PLACES, 2019 Rasa Music
DURGA AVENUE, 2018 Rasa Music
SKY WORSHIP, 2018 Rasa Music
THE GOD PERFUME, 2017 Rasa Music
After the Crash, Single 2017 Rasa Music
CHAKRA NOIR, 2016 Rasa Music
Day of the Beloved, 2016 Rasa Music
LALITA-The Eternal Feminine, 2015 Rasa Music
Tibet Shakti, 2015 Rasa Music
Inner Witness, 2014 Rasa Music
FAR GO, 2013 Rasa Music
KULA JAZZ ‘Tantric Miniatures’, 2012 Zustand
Foret Diplomatique, 2011 Zustand
Future Song, 2010 Zustand, Rasa Music AGK with Thomas Kagermann
Sitar Secrets 2009 Rasa Music
Lanoiah, 2008 Zustand, Rasa Music
Negus, 2008 RASA Music
Indian Music II, 2008 RASA Music, NER 2009
Another Kind Of Silence, 2007 RASA Music
Radio Yoga 2007 RASA Music
Turya 2006 RASA Music
The Alchemy of Happiness 2005 RASA Music AGK with Klaus Wiese
Chai & Roses 2004 RASA Music Al Gromer Khan
Savoy Tea Time 2004 RASA Music with Sébastien Illiano, Raed Khoshaba, Kai Taschner
Tantra Electronica 2004 Rasa Music with Emin Corrado
Indian Music 2002 RASA Music
Future Lounge 2002 Rasa Music
Lexus 2001 Intuition Wergo
Sufi 2000 – New Age Voice Music Award 2001 - Rasa Music
Almond Blossom Day 1999 Rasa Music
Kamasutra Experience 1999 New Earth Records – Crossroads Music Awards/Gold Star
Tantra Drums 1998 New Earth Records
Marco Polo/ Tan Dun 1997 Sony/ Opera Al Gromer Khan/Soloist
Space Hotel 1997 New Earth Records – New Age Voice Music Award 1999 - Rasa Music
Black Marble and Sweet Fire 1996 Hearts of Space Records with Kai Taschner
Monsoon Point 1995 New Earth Records with Amelia Cuni
Konya 1994 Bluestar Music
Attar – Musik als Parfüm 1994 Wergo
Beautiful Marva 1993 Aquarius
Utopia 1992 Rasa Music
The God Perfume II 1992 Rasa Music
Tabris 1991 Musicolor/ Araba
Mahogany Nights 1990 Hearts of Space Records
Kama Sutra II 1989 Musicolor/ Araba
Music from an Eastern Rosegarden 1989 Rasa Music
The God Perfume 1987 Rasa Music
Chai and Roses 1987 Rasa Music
Kama Sutra 1986 Eversongs with Jörg Evers
The Neuschwanstein Tapes 1986 Rasa Music with Kai Taschner
In High Places 1985 Rasa Music with Klaus Wiese
Hymns of Secret Glory 1984 Rasa Music with Klaus Wiese
Divan I Khas 1984 Isis with Mario Strack
Zuban 1981 Major Music/Isis with Mario Strack
Uranus Venus 1980 Warner Bros. with Mario Strack, Ute Lenz, Jörg Evers
Yoga Popol Vuh 1976 High Tide 1993 with Florian Fricke
Hesse Between Music 1974 Wergo CD with P.M. Hamel, J.E. Berendt
Cat Stevens 1970 Studioalbum Mona Bone Jakon Olympic Studio in Barnes - Fill My Eyes - Chorus: Al Gromer & Paul Simon Napier-Bell




= Audio books

=
Idries Shah - Die Weisheit der Narren, Zustand Verlag, Musik Al Gromer Khan - Surbahar
Jazzweihnacht Rasa Music 2007
Der Lehrer, sein Schüler und der weiße Mogul, Rasa Music 2006
Der Tigerbericht 1990 Sheema Medien Dietrich Wild/Al Gromer Khan Neuauflage 2004




= Books

=
Jimi of Silence, Zustand Verlag 2009 - language German
Der weiße Mogul, Zustand Verlag 2009
Jazz Christmas“, Zustand Verlag, 2011 e-book
The White Mogul“ English, Zustand Verlag 2015, ebook, Goodreads *****Readers‘ Favorite
Kurt and Bongo and the Hippies, English, Zustand Verlag 2017, book and e-book




= Soundtracks on

=
Coer de Vere Herz aus Glas 1977 Werner Herzog Popol Vuh/Al Gromer Khan
Nosferatu 1979 Werner Herzog Popol Vuh/Al Gromer Khan (participation)
Un Divan A New York 1996 Chantal Akerman
Sublime 2006 Tony Krantz
Highway World 2008 Martin Hans Schmitt (Al Gromer Khan Soundtrack)




= Collaboration with Popol Vuh

=
Das Hohelied Salomos 1975
Letzte Tage, letzte Nächte 1976
Brüder des Schattens, Söhne des Lichts 1978
Die Nacht der Seele 1979




= Exhibitions

=
Kunstpavillon München ‚The Malakosha Ambience’ 1993
Gasteig München ‚Friedensprozess’ 2001
khan art Galerie ‚Tantric Miniatures’ 2011 München
khan art ambient ‚Tantric Miniatures’ 2012 Berlin
khanart Munich since 2012 yearly exhibitions with works/music by AGK & Ute Gromer




References






External links


Artist's website: Includes music, paintings and essays by Al Gromer Khan http://www.khanart.de
Current Record Label: With audio samples of his new CDs like Radio Yoga, Another Kind of Silence and Indian Music II [1]
Record Label: Audio Links to Space Hotel, Monsoon Point, Kamasutra Experience, Tantra Drums [2]
Nonverbal documentary film: "Highway World – living, changing, growing" [3]

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