When the Harmonium Finds a New Voice: A Conversation with Sadakat Aman Khan

At twenty eight, Sadakat Aman Khan, popularly known as Mr. Harmonium, has taken an instrument often used only for accompaniment and placed it at the center of the musical spotlight. A simple box of bellows and reeds becomes something entirely different in his hands. It becomes lyrical, restless, emotional, sometimes even rebellious.

From Hindustani classical music to the new genre he pioneered called Harmonium Metal, Sadakat’s journey brings together tradition, experimentation, and an unshakable belief that the harmonium still contains worlds yet to be explored.

What follows is an edited conversation in which Sadakat reflects on his upbringing, his musical philosophy, and where he feels the harmonium is heading.

Q. You come from a deeply musical family. What is your earliest memory of the harmonium?

Sadakat: I grew up in a home where music was part of daily life. My grandfather, Sangeetacharya Ustad Md. Yunus Khan, had a voice that carried entire stories inside every phrase. My father, Ustad Sahadat Rana Khan, constantly taught and practised.

As a child, I treated the harmonium like a curious little machine. I pulled the bellows just to see how the sound changed. One evening, my grandfather asked me to sit beside him. He played a simple phrase and waited. I tried following it. That was the moment something shifted inside me. It felt like the instrument had quietly chosen me.

Q. Did you always plan to pursue music professionally?

Sadakat: Not really. I completed a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science Engineering at KIIT University. For years, I tried to keep music and engineering running side by side. Eventually, music became the path that felt natural. It has a way of calling you home.

Q. Your first public performances started early in life. What did performing young teach you?

Sadakat: Performing at a young age teaches humility. The stage reflects everything you have not practiced. But it also teaches confidence. My early concerts were small and sometimes unpredictable, yet every performance sharpened something in me.

Q. Your international debut in Taiwan was a major milestone. What stands out from that experience?

Sadakat: Everything about it felt special. It was 2020, a very uncertain time for the world. When I played at Nanhua University, the audience listened with openness and curiosity. Many of them had never heard Hindustani classical music played as a solo on a piano. Their sincerity inspired me to play with complete honesty.

Q. You created a new genre called Harmonium Metal. How did this idea begin?

Sadakat: It started unintentionally. One late night during practice, I wondered what would happen if the harmonium carried more intensity, more attack, almost like a rock guitar. I wanted to see if it could express raw emotion without losing melody.

Metal music carries grit and fire. Indian classical carries depth and reflection. The harmonium exists between breath and vibration. When I experimented with fast taans, aggressive phrasing, and new textures, a new style emerged.

Harmonium Metal became my way of showing that tradition and innovation can grow together.

Q. Do traditionalists resist this experimentation?

Sadakat: Some do, and that is normal. Innovation always challenges comfort zones. I am not trying to replace classical tradition. I am only extending its possibilities.

Q. Many musicians talk about the limitations of harmonium. How do you see it?

Sadakat: Every instrument comes with limitations. They are not barriers. They are edges that invite exploration. The harmonium cannot glide like a sarangi, but it can sustain beautifully and create a sense of fullness. When used with intention, it surprises you.

Q. You often perform solo harmonium. What draws you to that format?

Sadakat: Freedom. In accompaniment, the harmonium supports the vocalist. In solo performance, it becomes the vocalist. The instrument tells its own story, and I get to witness it along with the audience.

Q. Is there a raga that feels closest to your identity at the moment?

Sadakat: Right now, Raga Multani feels like home. It is introspective and deep, with an emotional mystery that resonates with me.

Q. How has living in the United Kingdom influenced your music?

Sadakat: Moving to the UK opened my ears. Audiences here listen without judgement or fixed expectations. They ask simple and honest questions like, “How does this make me feel?” That perspective made me more fearless in my approach to sound.

Q. Your compositions range from classical to devotional to experimental. What fuels this variety?

Sadakat: I do not see genres as boundaries. Classical music gives discipline. Devotional music gives surrender. Fusion gives playfulness. Metal gives intensity. A musician carries many emotions, so the music should too.

Q. Among your releases, which one challenged you the most?

Sadakat: Devil’s Cry challenged me the most. It forced me to rethink how the harmonium can sound. I had to create sharper textures and darker tones, which pushed both technique and imagination.

Q. What is your vision for the harmonium in the coming years?

Sadakat: I want the harmonium to be recognised internationally as a lead instrument. It deserves a strong presence in concert halls, universities, and global festivals. If I can contribute to that evolution, even in a small way, I will feel fulfilled.

Q. And finally, what keeps you grounded as an artist?

Sadakat: Gratitude. My family, my teachers, my listeners, and the lineage I come from. Every time I play, I remember that this instrument carries the breath and blessings of generations before me. That awareness keeps me humble.