Appreciation for Indian Music has grown steadily in this country since its introduction in the 1960’s by such artists as Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. American audiences have always admired the combination of improvisation and classical discipline which are the basis of Indian art.
The Academy of Indian Music and Fine Arts (AIMFA) was established by Ustad Hamid Hossain to actively promote the growth and appreciation of classical Indian music and dance in the United States. Ustad Hossain continues the tradition of his father, the late Ustad Kader Buksh. Ustad Buksh was a renowned performer, teacher, and musicologist from West Bengal. He developed many theories of formal Indian composition, authored numerous publications, and introduced classical music to diverse audiences throughout India. Like his father before him, Ustad Hossain feels that everyone should have access to India’s musical richness and the opportunity to study and develop their talents.
In his own right, Ustad Hossain is a respected teacher and performer. He taught music in leading institutions in West Bengal for eight years. He has also given numerous classical and ghazal performances for Radio India and Radio Bangladesh. In 1974, he came to the United States and has since held teaching positions at Franklin and Marshall College, Dickinson College, and the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He has given guest lectures and performances throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. Over the years, Ustad Hossain has received countless awards for his genius and tireless efforts to promote classical music such as the Sangeet Parijat Award by the Bengali organization Sanskritiki. AIMFA is Ustad Hossain’s most acclaimed achievement.
AIMFA provides a wide range of activities and instruction for everyone from the enthusiasts to the devotee. Through a special relationship with Prayag Sangeet Samiti in Allahabad, India, AIMFA offers credit courses in classical music. Formal courses leading to the Sangeet Pravahkar Examination are available. AIMFA also sponsors leading Indian artists for national tours of this country. Through its sister organization, AIMREC, AIMFA produces and distributes high quality compact disks and music on all digital platforms, featuring some of the finest young musicians, such as Budhaditya Mukherjee, Shujaat Khan, and some legendary artists, such as Ustad Vilayet Khan. All AIM products are digitally recorded and expertly engineered here in the U.S.