An evening of Music by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and sons at the NABC 2007
By Kavita Chhibber

In the past couple of years I have seen several concerts of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan and Ayaan in different cities in the US. I’ve also been lucky that at each concert apart from the popular compositions that always bring a smile to everyone’s lips, Khan Sahib plays something which becomes totally memorable in my mind. It makes each out of town trip that I take to go to these concerts so very worth it.

Just before they came here this time, Khan Sahib and I had a very interesting conversation about the fact that the essence of the raga does not need to be captured in marathon performances, and that shorter compositions can do as well, unless there is some special occasion or a festival geared towards serious classical music lovers or fellow artists.

Personally I have noticed in most of these concerts that the music lovers in most age groups are people with a short attention span and minimal knowledge of ragas. For them the lilt in the melody, faster compositions, bhajans and folk tunes seem to be much more enjoyable than an long interpretations of the raga.

The North America Bengali Conference was a 3 day event where the hustle and bustle and ongoing streams of humanity making their way through halls without remaining still for too long, was perhaps not the best place for long sessions. It is really important for any musician today to be in tune with the needs of the time and also be able to measure the pulse of the people who are watching.
As I walked in to the auditorium that was bang next to the Bazaar selling everything from clothing to jewellery to other stuff, I realized that this was going to be a melee and a mela. I also expected that a lot of people will keep on walking in and out.
However much to my pleasant surprise, the audience of about two thousand or so music lovers, actually stayed put, with minimal movement.

Amaan and Ayaan opened the evening with Rag Bageshwari, starting with alaap, and 2 compositions. They were accompanied on tabla by Sandeep Das, one of the best Tabla players on the Global music scene today. What stands out each time is how there is a steady growth in the way Amaan and Ayaan play and develop more depth and understanding of their music-that they are not stagnant. Amaan has always been the one to play with a strong hand and to relish the power with which his music resonates from the sarod. It is usually offset by the graceful touch from Ayaan’s fingers making it a visually and aesthetically rich performance. However in the past couple of concerts especially, I have noticed that today Amaan has developed that touch as well and blends the power into it in a seamless way. Ayaan has always been so much like his father; something he says was a childhood obsession. I remember him telling me a few years ago as he reminisced about his childhood that for as long as he knew he wanted to be like Abba. He would sit in the exact same pose; put a shawl on his foot the exact same way. Amaan on the other hand was more into wanting to be a football player than a Sarod maestro, and that vigor used to be a hallmark of his music. Today both have come such a long way as musicians, and with their new cds Reincarnation and Truth, taken Sarod to a new dimension.

I have heard the two play Bageshwari many times and each time it’s been a very mellifluous rendition. Sandeep compliments the Khans very well. In fact all through the evening he was so immaculate and graceful that I jokingly asked him if he ever has a bad Tabla Day. He laughed and said he did but I find it pretty hard to believe that. I have to yet see a performance that I can call anything buy wonderful. The interactive sessions between Amaan and Sandeep and then Ayaan and Sandeep are always delightful to watch as is the genuine appreciation they show each other. It’s a pleasant change from seeing artists trying to upstage each other-and instead of making music seemingly dueling each other on stage.

Amjad Ali Khan was then welcomed on stage for a solo performance by the trio, and he was given a standing ovation as he walked on to the stage. Resplendent in a white and gold Kurta, the handsome Sarod maestro greeted the audience and said that after the energetic performance of the youngsters he’d like to play some beautiful compositions of many maestros including the great Rabindranath Tagore, which brought cheers from the Bengali crowd. Khan Sahib began with Khamaj which he said was a great favorite of his father Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan, and followed it with a beautiful composition in Raga Darbari which made my day. Darbari is a personal favorite-its resonance, depth and almost melancholic melody just evokes visuals in my mind that are unique in beauty and richness. Amjad Ali Khan who is way ahead of his times in terms of what he creates and in terms of how he perceives and interprets music, always makes each composition his own. In the last concert I attended he played raga Shankara and I could actually see Lord Shiva dancing to his rendition. The memory has stayed with me to this day. I don’t think anyone has played it as well as Khan Sahib did last year. The composition in Darbari too was beautifully rendered, and Sandeep kept pace with great energy and zest.

The segment was followed by the return of Amaan and Ayaan. The evening came to a close with all three performing Raga Kirwani. It was really interesting to see three instruments in synchronicity-not a very easy feat to simultaneously play in unison, but that is the wonderful thing about playing with your father. The education and harmonizing continues at all times. Sandeep too continued to be in his element playing with each artist both individually and simultaneously with great ease.

Khan sahib said that he was very happy to see the NRI community paying so much attention to Indian art and culture and how important it was to preserve it and pass on that love for our heritage to future generations. He added “You should expose your children to creative arts of different nations and include Indian creative arts in it as well, so that your children and the future generations can enjoy all kinds of music, and other art forms.” The evening was enjoyed by everyone and was probably one of the major highlights of the conference.