Sultan of sarangi : Sultan Khan - Page 2

Houston, August 24, 2001

I do not want to talk about people who do not know music, " Ustad Sultan Khan opens audaciously. " Classical music is something that has to be impressed on a child's mind just like physics and language. It has to be a part of education just as any other subject, to help the child grow up into a healthy adult. This is what I call sanskar from our sanskriti. The present genre of artists does not practice, and hence do not last. Music has become more 'visual' than ever. I am not disheartened by it. People who know music always admired classical. It is pure, next to god" Houstonians would probably never forget the magical evening of 24th August, the evening with Ustad Sultan Khan. An unusual performer performing in an unusual setting for the few elite connoisseur of classical music left in town, Ustad Sultan Khan gave an everlasting memory of melody to all the listeners. Performing in the mehfil style setting in Sweetwater Country Club, Ustad Sultan Khan was accompanied on tabla with his dexterous brother, Hanif Khan. The warm and informal gathering started with small chitchats and glasses of wine with Ustad gathering up his mood on the stage. No later than when Ustad thought the time was ripe for Raag Yaman Kalyan, he let his fingers glide on his Sarangi and left the mehfil stunned for a moment. The magic had begun. No wonder his instrument is referred to as Singing Sarangi. The virtuoso maestro has already stunned the world since he has opened his vocal chords. The evening was no exception either. One after another, sometimes with his Sarangi, sometimes with comments and sometimes with his vocal productions, Ustad miraculously kept everyone's attention tied to the stage. From the legendary Raag Darbari to the quixotic Misra Pilu to his evergreen Piya Basanti Re, Ustad let everyone be satisfied to their hearts content with the rhythm and melody of the voice and the instruments. As expected, no one wanted to let him go off the stage even after three and half-hours of show. With numerous rounds of applause listeners paid their salutations throughout the program. The program was brought to the town by Society for promotion of International Music. Later Ustad made his comments on the present trend and his personal affiliation with Indian traditional music. "A gharana is formed when three generations practice the same style of music and the father becomes the first teacher", Ustad comments on the significance of Gharana. Ustad Sultan Khan belongs to Indore gharana and is one of the selected few musicians alive today who can sings three gharanas on one stage. "In the past, communication was not very easy. With different schools of music all across the country, different styles evolved within each of them, each adding a slightly different color to the spectrum of Hindustani music. I am the eighth generation in my family tree that has carried the tradition of Sarangi and my son is going to be the ninth one. It is not very advisable to stick to the aboriginal form of music, though it the mother of all flavors existing today. Indian classical and western Jazz can be combined very harmoniously and has a supernatural effect if done with fineness. In my latest upcoming album, I have tried to bring late Nuserat Fateh Ali Khan back to life on my Sarangi. I have tried to imitate his shrill and sharp tone on my Sarangi and balance it with the serenity of my own style of singing. It is a unique project and a gift for music lovers." "Most of the bandish in Hindustani music is women (often gopi) trying to woo a man (Krishna). There is only one song where the man woos a woman". With this short introduction Ustad sings his world acclaimed bandish "Gori tore naina bin kajal kajrare". " Indian classical music got its flavor after Krishna. He started raas with gopis and all the songs and dances with emotions originate from then," explains Ustad.

"I have attended fame at a very late stage. Today even Lata Mangeshkar tells me that I should have started twenty-five years ago. It is difficult to explain that it takes a whole lifetime of practice to achieve excellence in classical music. I have practiced for 14-15 hours every day for ten years. I still have lot to learn. Music is in my blood. The Sarangi that I play belongs to my father. I am proud of my lineage and confidant about my knowledge. It is the blessings of my seniors and my riyaz that has brought me today on stage before the world." Frank and straightforward in his opinion, Ustad still surprises people with his humility and down to earth nature.

On Nov 20th, 2005, the music lovers of Chennai got an opportunity to enjoy the musical extravaganza provided at the Music Academy, as a part of the Friday Review Festival, performed by Mandolin. U. Srinivas and Ustad Sultan Khan. What a performance it was!! Carnatic Vs Hindustani, musical creativity at its best on a western instrument such as the Mandolin by Srinivas Vs the emotional depth created by the Sultan of Sarangi.

One of the greatest Sarangi players India has ever produced, the Ustad counts among his fans names like Prince Charles( he performed on the occasion of 50th Birthday celebrations of Prince Charles), George Michael, Goldie Hawn and has recorded or performed with artists like Yehudi Menuhin, George Harrison, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Zakir Hussain, Madonna, and Duran. The simple outlook of this man makes you wonder if he is the same man who along with George Harrison and Ravi Shankar was one of the three star attractions of the celebrated 1974 Dark Horse World Tour, and that he has composed and recorded music for films like Gandhi and In Custody. .

As far as Uppalapu Srinivas who got introduced to music when he received a Mandolin as his birthday gift at the age of 3 (or 5?, my memory fails me her), he went on to hold a concert at the age of 10. In his mid-thirties now, he has performed with people like John McLaughlin, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Allah Rakha Saheb, Sultan Khan Saheb, Pandit Jasraj,Michael Nyman and Michael Brook...to list a few, phew!! And, not to forget the International Jazz festival where he got invited to play along with the likes of Miles Davis, at a tender age of 13, which introduced him to the international music fraternity.

Amidst the truly mind-boggling performance by these two enigmatic musicians, something which really touched my heart was their unbelievable simplicity and the humility that was more than evident during the concert. The honesty, dedication and absolutely unassuming nature of their approach towards music by these immensely successful artists moved me to tears. The Shraddha (discipline) with which they came on stage( as if it was their first stage performance!), and their graceful way of accepting the admiration/appreciation showered on them by the audience was something to ponder about. Those gestures of his hand by the Ustad, to show his appreciation towards the performance by Mandolin King, who is a little over half the age of Ustad left me amazed by the humble nature of this man. The same applies to Mandolin Srinivas, who after every performance by the accompanying musicians on the Mridangam and Tabla, made sure to show his appreciation towards them. The genuineness of their appreciation was something I truly envied about these musicians at the receiving end. Somebody once said, "Modesty should be typical of the success of a champion." These instrumentalists, despite being the epitome of the musical instruments they are renowned for, have managed to remain modest, leaving a lot to be learned by most of us.

The concert, being a Jugalbandi required tremendous co-ordination among the musicians, and the ease with which the two teams (Carnatic - Mandolin accompanied by Mridangam Vs Hindustani - Sarangi accompanied by Tabla) handled this, created a truly mystical experience which was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience. These two renowned musicians are so successful in the world of music, nationally and internationally, that their striking simplicity made me feel so humble. It was truly a heart-warming scene when the Ustad, totally enthralled by Mandolin's performance, jokingly put down his Sarangi and asked Srinivas to continue playing, in response to which Mandolin Srinivas showed his obeisance with an evident shyness in his eyes, something that you can't miss while looking at him.

In addition to the unforgettable musical delight that I experienced,there is something much more of a cherisable reason because of which this concert will always remain close to my heart, the one of having had the opportunity to know the kind of fine human beings these performers are - they re-inforced the belief in me to remain humble.

"Make no display of your talents or attainments; for every one will clearly see, admire, and acknowledge them, so long as you cover them with the beautiful veil of modesty"