Tag Archives: Musicians of India

‘Music without spirituality is meaningless’

Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :

Ustad Waseem Ahmed Khan on maintaining his gharana’s parampara and his views on music.

Ustad Waseem Ahmed Khan

The illustrious Agra gharana of Hindustani classical music has had distinguished exponents and teachers who have imparted this school of music to countless disciples over the centuries. Ustad Waseem Ahmed Khan is a prominent vocalist of this gharana.

Born in 1974, Waseem Khan is the grandson of Ustad Basheer Khan from his father’s side and of Ustad Ata Hussain Khan from his mother’s side. He has thus inherited the rich repertoire of both the khandans . He took his initial taleem (education) from Ata Hussain Khan at the age of six. Thereafter, he learnt from his father, Ustad Naseem Ahmed Khan.

Waseem’s debut performance was at the age of 10. In July 1999, he became a scholar of ITC Sangeet Research Academy ( ITC – SRA) under erstwhile guru Ustad Shafi Ahmed Khan. He left the academy in April 2003 as an A-grade scholar. Since then he has performed at various venues all over the world, sharing the stage with maestros. He taught for five years as a senior faculty member of Shakhri Begum Memorial Trust, an academy run by Ustad Rashid Khan and is currently assisting with ITC-SRA projects. He is also a regular performer for All India Radio.

Waseem, based in Kolkata, will give his first ever concert in Kerala at the Kerala Sangeeta Nataka Akademi Hall, Thrissur, on September 21 at 5 pm. Prior to the concert, Waseem spoke to Friday Review on his gharana, Indian classical music and more. Excerpts from an e-mail interview.

What are the defining features of the Agra gharana?

The voice production is distinctive; the voice throw is open-throated. The other distinctive features are nom-tom alaap (the rhythmic section where the raga develops with a steady pulse employing syllables such as non-tom but without the binding of tala). The method of presenting a bandish (fixed, melodic composition) is also distinctive of this gharana. We break the bandish into many parts. For example, if there is an interesting line in the antara, we use this line for bol tan (rhythmic pattern of notes which uses the words of the bandish), bol bandh, bol vistar and so on. We are not supposed to create an artificial voice but rather polish the one gifted by God.

Is there an amalgamation of features of various gharanas in the Hindustani music we hear today?

Yes. It is healthy as long as one is able to express one’s identity clearly. Every gharana has its own beautiful features. Artistes of the past also adapted the features of other gharanas and enriched their music. They, however, retained a stamp of their gharana, which could be identified by the opening ‘sa’.

Being part of an ancient and reputed gharana, what are your responsibilities? Do you have another generation to take on the mantle?

It is a huge responsibility. But I feel proud too. I consider it is my duty to carry on this tradition and, if possible, enrich it. The most important aspect is to pass on this legacy to the next generation. My young daughter has started learning it and I’m also teaching students at the ITC-SRA Kolkata apart from my own students. The Agra gharana, today, has a lot of good artistes making their mark in the world of music.

Ustad Waseem Ahmed Khan

What is your opinion about lighter forms of classical music such as thumri, dadra…?

It is beautiful to sing the light forms also. Old masters of our gharana like Ustad Faiyaz Khan Sahib, for instance, used to sing the thumri and the dadra. I sing these in almost all my concerts. It is nice to switch to a relaxed mood after a heavy khayal.

Is there a link between spirituality and Indian classical music?

Definitely! Music without spirituality is meaningless. Our bandishes address gods irrespective of religion, requesting their mercy for the well-being of this world.

How do you decide which raga to sing at a concert?

The time of the concert plays an important role. Each raga is associated with a specific time. We follow that strictly. But this can be modified depending on the weather and the mood of the concert. For example, Malhar is a night raga. But we may choose it intuitively during a concert held in the day if it is raining outside. We do it because we feel that it will suit the mood and the effect is usually amazing. During festivals like Durga Puja or Basant Panchami, we render ragas like Gouri, Durga or Basant accordingly. And if it is a concert series, we render it according to the raga rendered earlier.

How much does an audience affect your performance?

Like any musician, I love to sing before a huge audience. But there should at least be a handful of good listeners whose presence should motivate me to sing wholeheartedly. In the past, music was confined to a few, now it is accessible to millions across the globe. The gharanas are flourishing, Dhrupad and khayal are intact, there are gurus and shishyas, and there is innovation.

Do you think that the classical music scene is strong and prosperous?

I don’t think there is any threat to good music. Earlier, maharajas were the promoters of classical music. Now we have corporates and organisations in that place. I can say that ITC is a classic example. Then there are organisations like SPICMACAY and NCPA that have also done their bit to carry forward this great tradition.

How relevant is Indian classical music in the modern world?

It is relevant in the modern world. When I see young boys in half-pants touching my feet and learning classical music seriously, I feel it is because they feel it is pertinent. And in the West, the young generation has taken it up enthusiastically.

If you were asked to pick a memorable concert, which would you choose and why?

That’s a tough one. There are so many, like the one in New York recently where the listeners asked me to sing only khayals with elaborate nom tom alaap and not even thumri or dadra. I was surprised. I’m looking forward to the concert series here where I’m sure I will be in the company of avid listeners.

Is the guru-shishya parampara still existent? And what is the best way of doing riyaaz (practice)?

I teach my students the same way I learned from my gurus. But it was tough then, as the gurus were task masters. In the case of riyaaz, my advice would be to do ‘Kharaj Riyaaz’(practice of holding notes on the lower octave, where every single sur is used with full breath) in the morning. It is extremely important for improving one’s voice culture.

If not a professional musician, what career would you have chosen?

I would have been a cricket player, perhaps. I was passionate about the game and played it during my college days. I admire Sourav Ganguly, I’m a great fan of his.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Music / by K Pradeep / September 19th, 2019

Artiste Mujeeb Ahmed no more

Mysuru, KARNATAKA :

Mysore/Mysuru:

Artiste Mujeeb Ahmed passed away on Apr.6. 

Mujeeb Ahmed was born in Mysuru and lived here for 60 years. He started learning Banjo (Bulbul Tara) and Harmonium from his father late Noor Ahmed when he was 7 years old.

Mujeeb Ahmed, along with his close friend, one of the Kannada and Urdu singers Jahihulla Khan, son of late Shoukath Ali Khan of Bilugunda village, Kodagu district, learnt Hindustani Music from Ustad Basheer Masthan of Mysuru, and together performed several programmes across India. He was a close friend of A.R. Rahaman, renowned composer. 

Mujeeb Ahmed passed the exam with Zahirulla Khan and Zareena Banu in All India Radio, Mysuru. He has given several programmes with many renowned artistes which were telecast in Doordarshan, Bengaluru and several Mehfil Sama Khani (qawwali) programmes to the general public. 

Mujeeb Ahmed leaves behind his wife Nikhath Sulthana, a daughter and two sons.

Mukram Pasha, a resident of Bengaluru, is one of the close disciple of Mujeeb Ahmed and he rendered his services to his Guru Mujeeb Ahmed till his cremation. 

Condoled: Jahidulla Khan, Secretary, Fankaar Welfare Trust of India, Salma Siddiqua, have condoled the death of Mujeeb Ahmed.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / April 11th, 2020

The stirring raga rages on: Adjectives are too limited to describe the golden voice of Rashid Khan

Sahaswan (Budaun) , UTTAR PRADESH / Kolkata, WEST BENGAL :

He could captivate the audience and eradicate the thin line between a structured format and the playfulness of a classical composition while his voice moved through the shades of ragas.

Rashid Khan./ Sourced by The Telegraph

The name of Ustad Rashid Khan reminds one of the words of T.S. Eliot: “Music heard so deeply/that is not heard at all, but/you are the music/while the music lasts.’’

A born genius, talented and extraordinary musician… adjectives are too limited to describe the golden voice of Rashid Khan.

The fulfilment of an art form touches immortality when the artist becomes the art, as the poet said. Diehard listeners of Rashid Khan and ardent music lovers know the truth because they have discovered the artiste’s voice in different genres of music and steeped integrated melodies.

The great-grandson of the legendary Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan, the founder of the Rampur Sahaswan Gharana, Rashid was born on July 1, 1968, at Badaun in Uttar Pradesh.

Memory and melancholy created the soul of the artiste, although he was completely unaware he would one day become one of the greats of Indian classical music. He lost his mother and younger brother at a very early age; he found solace in kabaddi and cricket.

Rashid studied in Mumbai for about a year and after coming back to his hometown, his tutelage was started under his illustrious granduncle and guru, Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan. He also carried the lineage of renowned vocalists like Mushtaq Hussain Khan and Ghulam Mustafa Khan. But the rather authoritarian Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan changed the course of his life and made him what he became over the years. He nurtured the latent potential of Rashid through his training, first at his own residence at Badaun and subsequently at the Sangeet Research Academy in Calcutta.

Young Rashid Khan, an assured voice of the future of Indian classical vocal music, certified by none other than Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, was to evolve into a formidable talent, especially with his prowess in taankari and gamak.

His full-throated voice was an exceptional amalgamation of depth and rhythmic generosity. He could captivate the audience and eradicate the thin line between a structured format and the playfulness of a classical composition while his voice moved through the shades of ragas. He was adept at the instrumental stroke-based style which he inherited from his gharana, as well as an expert at infusing emotion into an elaborate musical verse.

Probably this is the reason he was successful in different styles of singing and innovation despite being a rooted classical musician.

For example, when he sang Tagore songs based on various ragas, he focused on the rendition of the quintessential flavour; his command over the notes and tunes brought out the charm of the song with skilful originality.

Rashid had fond memories of the town of Badaun and its surroundings where he spent his early days. The river which flows by the town was a witness to the number of hours Rashid spent by its side singing.

He paid his respects on his visits to his hometown at the cemetery where his parents and young brother were laid to rest.

It may well be the inexplicable pain and loneliness of childhood filtered through his every rendition of ‘Yaad Piya ki Aye’ (composed originally by Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan) — a Rashid reinvention that became very popular. As with the Bollywood hit ‘Aoge Jab tum o saajna’ from Jab We Met.

He skilfully obliterated differences between musical genres and was able to recreate a unique combination of love and exuberance with the full boom of his voice in three octaves, as manifested in each and every song. In numerous playback essays, he successfully broke traditional boundaries with his scintillating voice and evoked sensibilities even when he was out of his core expertise.

In the words of senior organiser of the Dover Lane Music Conference, Bappa Sen: “Rashid contributed an unparallel range to the music fraternity. We have seen him grow as a man as well as an artiste and witnessed his excellence in all spheres of music. He was an integral part of this music festival from a very young age and even performed in the periodicals. Along with his talent, he excelled himself to heights that required enormous hard work and open-mindedness. As a person he was as humble and respectful to all of us as he was from the very first day.”

Sarodiya Amaan Ali Khan thinks: “Unki voice mein to Ishwar hain.” He had countless memories with this senior artiste, fellow musician and co-performer who, Amaan says, was always an inspiration to him. “He was a person as clear as water,” said Amaan.

To his close friends and contemporary musicians, Rashid Khan was an irreplaceable voice and human being in every sense. The absence of Rashid’s mortal existence has now created a vacuum in the world of Indian classical music which is now devoid of his rich depth of voice.

Rashid’s son Armaan is carrying the torch of the legacy, his daughters Suha and Shaona are into Sufi music.

Rashid flourished as the breaking dawn with Lalit, Ahir Bhairon, Miyan ki Todi, returned to the root with Puriya Kalyan, Puriya Dhaneshree, Shree, sparkled with Sohini.

He has left behind an unforgettable repertoire of renditions and the gift of his unbridled imagination to lovers of his singular work.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home> Culture> Music / by The Telegraph / January 10th, 2024