Ustad Amjad Ali Khan was only 12 when he performed for the first time solo in Kolkata. The city undoubtedly left a strong impact on the legendary instrumentalist, as his sons Amaan and Ayaan too went on to begin their careers from the city of joy roughly thirty years back. Today, the life of the musician has come to a full circle as his grandsons too recently debuted from Kolkata with the Three Generations One Nation concert organised by HCL Concerts at Kala Mandir. Ustad ji along with his sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash get candid with us about their legacy and much more.
What makes you keep coming back to Kolkata?
Amjad Ali Khan: Honestly, we have come to Bengal with my grandsons Zohaan and Abeer for their debut performances because our ancestors have always considered Bengal as a cultural epitome, and Bengal’s blessings are important for their career. They are not yet maestros but it is just the beginning of their lives. Our relation with this part of the country can be traced back to generations, and even my father was fortunate enough to be blessed by the bard Rabindranath Tagore. He used to always tell me to make Bengal happy first, as if they appreciate your music the world definitely will.
Ayaan Ali Khan: My sons are extremely fortunate to have shared the stage with their legendary grandfather and their uncle. The lockdown played an important role since I found the opportunity to teach them. Their schools were shut, which also gave them the opportunity to explore the instrument and its legacy.
Amjad: The credit goes entirely to Ayaan, as he did not leave any stone unturned. Amaan and I taught the children only when we could, but Ayaan made sure they utilised the time properly. The children are just like any other of today, and are mostly busy with gadgets in their leisure time. Yet it is commendable that they understand the importance of riyaaz and sit for practice whenever they are asked to. It’s just a start, however none of us want to limit them to just one genre, and they freely explore other genres of music as well. Bangash is the surname of our ancestors, while Senia Beenkar gharana is our legacy and I feel proud and fortunate to see my grandsons stepping in as the eighth generation of Sarod players in this legacy.
Instrumental music was initially confined to the royal courts, which then transitioned on to auditoriums and masses. What are the challenges when it comes to performing instrumental music for an audience?
Amaan Ali Khan: Generations of musicians have contributed to different aspects of instrumental music which has helped with its transition from the royal courts. Sarod’s history can be traced back to the Persian instrument Rabab which was taken up by a lot of communities when it travelled to India. The modern Sarod is a fruit of dedication and hard work of numerous maestros, of which my father is one. He has always modified his versions of performance where he plays classical, but moulds it according to the audience he is playing for. It is important for us to remember that we are performing for people who want to enjoy music, and it is not meant to be something educational.
Ayaan: Yes instrumental music was always limited to intimate gatherings, but it particularly transitioned on to the audience in the sixties and seventies.
Amjad: It is true that the royalties were great patrons of instrumental music, but not all of them understood music. This was sort of a punishment to many musicians, who did not have the freedom to explore their art. It is a blessing that music has transitioned through that phase and opened up to the masses. However, there are modern challenges to this as well such as understanding the audience. Music is supposed to impart happiness, and not bore listeners hence one should understand that hour long concerts are not to be performed everywhere. Here is where a sense of proportion comes into play and performances are to be limited according to the audience we are playing for.
How is Generation Z as an audience to classical music?
Amaan: It is on us to make them comfortable with what they are listening to. The newer generations shouldn’t be scared off with stereotypes, since they truly encourage audiences when they listen to it. Moreover, the younger generation has greater possibilities of exploring classical music since they have access to its history, diversity all within a click on their phones.
Amjad: Again, this is where proportion comes into play. Our ancestors haven’t written any book on proportion and its relation to audiences, and I wish they did. We have been bestowed with immense liberty, and it is on us to utilise this wisely according to the audience we are playing for, which includes the Generation Y as well.
Ayaan: The audience’s attention span has decreased significantly over the years and people no longer wait to listen to full tracks since they can move on to another piece if they don’t like the track within its first thirty seconds.
Guldasta (A Bouquet of Flowers) in 1994 was one of your very first attempts at exploring classical music through short pieces. How did you envision this almost 30 years back?
Amjad: It was in 1990 that I recorded for Tribute to Tagore, where I collaborated with Suchitra Mitra- known for her Tagore renditions. It is around this time that I realised the genius of Rabindranath Tagore, as he never composed tunes purely based on traditional forms of ragas. Since he was a poet too, he took the liberty to add his own touch to the tunes based on pure ragas. None of his songs are meant to be sung for hours, so in a way he inspired me to modify my works into shorter pieces so as to reach out to a wider audience. At the end of the day, be it his music, a film track or a classical track, all of them are composed out of the basic seven notes. Take for instance Amitabh Bachchan’s song Mere Angne Mein, it is also based on a very old composition in Raag Piloo, but it is all about enjoyment at the end of the day. Today, it is not essential for the audience to understand every aspect of the Raga they are listening to, it is more important to make them enjoy what they are listening to.
What will you tell aspiring Sarod instrumentalists?
Amjad: Music shouldn’t be pursued if one is looking to make a fortune out of it, since the field involves numerous unforeseen struggles. It is like entering a dark tunnel in the search of light on the other end. There are only a few who find that light, while others keep walking. You have to surrender yourself to your music and your guru and not expect to reap benefits within a short span of time.