Ustad Amjad Ali Khan – The greatest living virtuoso of the Sarod

Media Release

Kuwait, 10 Oct 2012: There is no doubt that his is the singing sarod. His sarod sings of love, devotion, passion, sadness and all the other multitude of emotions. Internationally acclaimed Ustad Amjad Ali Khan was one of the best things to have happened to Indian Classical music when he burst on the firmament at the young age of 11, more than half a century ago. Like a comet, unleashing melody from a difficult instrument, he turned a subcontinent and large swathes of the world into ardent devotees. “In those days playing songs on the sarod was taboo, but from my childhood I had this great desire to sing through my instrument and my father and guru the great Hafiz Ali Khan, showed me the way,” recalls the virtuoso whose mastery over the Indo-Persian instrument gained him rock star status in a country which continues to regard classical music as the domain of ‘the knowledgeable few’. For decades, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, sixth generation composer - artist of an unbroken line of musicians from an illustrious Bangash lineage with their roots in the Senia Bangash School of Music, held his innumerable admirers in the palm of his hand with his dignified, expressive and spiritual rendition. The maestro presents his music as if like an offering, his visage that of a ‘sadhu’ in meditation.

 

 One of the most frequently recorded Indian musicians; he has brought Indian classical music closer to the common man. His concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Centre, House of Commons, Sydney Opera House, St. James’ Palace and innumerable other venues across the world are complete sell-outs. In an exclusive interview, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, recipient of several national and international recognitions including the UNESCO Award, Padma Vibhushan (Highest Indian civilian award), UNICEF’s National Ambassadorship, France’s Commander of the Order of Arts and letters, spoke of his life, the inherent spirituality in Indian Classical music, the universality of music, the need for collaboration and his concern about bringing classical music closer to the masses. Khansaheb, as his wife Subhalakshmi, an accomplished artist in her own right refers to him, was in Kuwait for a non commercial concert, On Saturday, 29th September, 2012, at the Futouh Ballroom of The Regency Hotel in Salmiya.

 

“Music is a precious gift of God. In India we say ‘swar his ishwar hai’,” said Khansaheb over a cup of tea at the Hotel Regency. According to him there are two types of music, one of them communicates without the use of words. “That I believe is the most natural sound. The sound of sarod, symphony, sitar, violin or the guitar is pure. It is difficult and challenging to connect with the world without any language. I communicate through sound and when sound becomes music, it is beautiful.” Known for his majestic demeanor on stage, exuding a calm and a slight smile even while he works the sarod into a frenzy, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan’s approach to his art is spiritual. Technically brilliant and innovative, the maestro’s devotion to music can be compared to that of a devotee towards his God. “For us in India music is not just an entertainment. Through music, followers of different faith can connect with the Almighty.” The confluence of faith and diverse culture is most evident in Indian classical music. Khansaheb agrees. “Hindustan is like a bouquet of flowers of different colours and fragrance. You will find a Muslim student training under a Hindu Guru or vice versa. For instance Swami Haridas was the guru of the great musician Tansen,” said the maestro whose wife Subhalakshmi is a Hindu. “My father and guru taught us that the people of the world belong to a common race and all of us have a common God. There may be ups and downs in India, but it is fact that what I am today is because of my motherland and because of the love I have received from every region of my country.”

 

As an artist Ustad Amjad Ali Khan believes in the importance of international collaborations to reach out to a wider audience. “Collaborations with the West is a must if you are performing in the USA or Europe.” He recalls an incident many years back when he was asked to stay back in Los Angeles , at the end of a tiring busy tour of the States, to play for Michael Jackson. Despite his admiration for the artist, Khansaheb refused, he missed his family back home in India. “ My sons now tell me that I should have stayed back,” he smiles. “ I did what my heart told me to do.” But with age and time, the virtuoso became more responsive to the need of the hour. His international collaborations led to some great work including compositions for the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, a sarod concerto with the Taipei Chinese Orchestra and a 4-concert residency at the Wigmore Hall in London.On the ninth anniversary of 9/11, Khansaheb gave a Peace Concert at the United Nations in New York in the presence of the UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-Moon.He was nominated for a Grammy in the best traditional world music album category for his joint venture with the Iraqi oud soloist Rahim Alhaj. When asked about his collaborative work he said, “Music has united the world. The music of the entire world is based on the seven notes.” The Arabic tradition of maqam, he says bears close resemblance with Indian classical music.

 

“ God has given that kind of power to music that a line of melody can introduce the country or the region. We see this in the folk music of Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Kashmir. Similarly, there is one kind of sound you hear everywhere in the Middle East and that is the sound of the Azaan. The Azaan is beautiful and appealing when the muezzin is a trained singer,” he said breaking into an impromptu melodious rendition of the Islamic call to prayer. Notable among his collaborative work is his work with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Sharing his observations on the difference between western and Indian traditions in music, he noted, “India has an oral tradition in music. We can sing anytime, anywhere. Our music is spontaneous, whereas the notation system is very sophisticated in the western system of music. It is remarkable how they do not only play, but read music at the same time. I will never be able to do both together.” A fearless innovator, he recalls fondly his attempts at writing a symphony which was later recorded in a beautiful church in Edinburgh. Earlier this year, Khansaheb was invited to teach his philosophy of music at Stanford. As a finale to the Maestro residency, he performed with the Stanford Philharmonia at the Mozart and More Festival.

 

The greatest living exponent of the sarod, a versatile instrument made from wood and goat skin Khansaheb has spent a lot of time on breaking taboos and improving presentation. “One damaging thing that has happened to our music, is that some musicians in their blind adherence to convention, stretched their interpretation of the ragas to the extent that they became repetitive without their noticing. A raga loses its beauty if you prolong it and so the audience lose their interest. I do not follow convention. Convention, I believe is a very unhealthy word. My father always said that music is food for the soul and we as musicians should bring out the beauty of the raga. Although I have given night long performances in my career, I am now working on making presentation more interesting.”

It was under his father Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan, that young Amjad received his talim in music. It was not easy for a boy, the youngest son of a brilliant figure to take up the mantle, but he did so when he gave his first performance in Calcutta at the age of 12. “Tradition is a responsibility,” he said when asked if his legacy was a burden. “ At times people ask me when I decided to make music my career, but then I say I had no time to select a career. Music was our most precious inheritance. As a family we have dedicated ourselves to music and left the rest to God.” Khansaheb has recently penned a tribute to his father which will be published later this year.

 

In recent years Khansaheb’s two sons Ayaan and Aman Ali Khan have made great strides in taking the ‘Bangash’ lineage forward. “ I would like to bring Amaan and Ayaan with me next time. When we play together, it sends a different message to the audience. By the grace of God, my sons do not sound alike, they have their own styles, and their approach to music is different. But sadly enough, though we give regular performances in the States and Europe, we do not get enough opportunity to play in the Middle East,” said the maestro expressing his disappointment. “I am sure people love music in this part of the world, but there not many concerts being organized here.”

 

Khansaheb ends with a message for those who harbour apprehensions about Indian classical music being meant for a niche, knowledgeable listenership, “There are many listeners who have a mind block about attending Indian classical music concerts, they feel they do not understand it. To me ‘understanding’ is a confusing word. Music can only be understood by those who learn music, the rest of the world is not supposed to understand it; they should just feel the sound and the rhythm and enjoy it. Attend concerts and feel the positive effects of music,” he urges.