Amjad Ali: Free entry to classical music concerts humiliating

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan has re defined the sarod; his mastery of his instrument is total and inspirational; no wonder he received accolades like the Padma Shri at the unbelievable age of 30! The term “Living Legend” is today loosely used for anyone of an age; Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is actually a legendary musician. On the eve of his father, Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan’s death anniversary later this month,on December 28, the maestro, in a reflective mood, pondered on music and the situation today in the world of music. He revealed his wry sense of humour on several occasions, while making a point, musically. Some excerpts:

Q. Ustad ji, what do you think of free concerts?
A. Free entry to classical music concerts is a humiliation to the artists – it’s such an honour, while performing at Carnegie Hall NY or the Royal Festival Hall, to be told by the organisers that the concert is Sold Out; that there are still people waiting outside to buy tickets. It’s a great honour  for the musician, for the art, indeed, for the country. In the West the meaning of artist is much bigger, once a concert has started, no one enters even if they have bought a ticket. They wait till the first piece is over. They also appreciate the music more, give more standing ovations.

Thank God in most cities here too, there is the same system — people buy tickets in Mumbai Kolkata Chennai Hyderabad Bengaluru. Specifically, in Delhi since the last 40 years people have got used to free entry. It’s very sad. If the organisers don’t need the money from the sale of tickets, they can collect the ticket sale money, and donate the money to poor musicians who need financial aid. Please organise concerts to help poor musicians. The younger generation is used to paying for things — they will pay for tickets to classical music concerts too. Certainly, keep some invitations for artists, bureaucrats, politicians too, but also sell tickets.

Aise nahin hona chahiye ki maatam manaa rahe ho, (it should not be like at a funeral where everyone is welcome to pay their respects) everyone welcome! Walk in and out as you want; that’s disrespectful. In Delhi, jinho ne music ki entry free kee hai, unhone mausiqi ka janaaza uthaya hai. (Those people who have popularised the concept of free concerts have actually sounded the death knell of music)

Q. But classical music needs to be promoted, don’t you think?
A. Indian classical music does not been to be promoted like, say a toothpaste. Jisse shauk lag jaata hai, woh aata hai, and ticket bhi leta hai. (Those who have the taste for it, do come and buy tickets.) Some cultural organisations take credit for promoting Indian classical music in schools and colleges; they are even celebrating 40 years of promoting music; they get grants from the government, from corporate houses, some organisers are even receiving Padma awards and other awards for promoting music…. but what really has been done in these 40 years – they could not teach even this, that to honour the art, to honour music, they must pay for it. Aap Bhagwan ke mandir pe bhi charhawa dete hain, nazrana dete hain. (Even when you go to a temple or any place of worship, you make an offering).  Anything of value which is available free, will eventually lose its value; its place of honour and its dignity will go, if not now, in the future.

To allow classical music to be appreciated fully, there should not be too many restrictions on the audience, there should not be too many unnecessary do and don’ts. Let the music be felt, let there be nothing in between. I don’t stop anyone photographing or recording at my concerts so long as I am not disturbed. ….recently at my concert at Nehru Park, someone was recording me in concert for my personal use, he was stopped too! Why!! Arre bhai, today everything is available on Youtube; why are you stopping people!!

You have to listen with full concentration, or you cannot receive the positive effects of the music. While at a concert, you are distracted and texting, or you are worried about the next day…. The music will have less impact. Of course, there are different types of listeners; some people listen to music while cooking or reading a book, its fine too.

Q. So for you, listening to music is not for relaxation?
A. By the Grace of God, my mind has become like a blotting paper that absorbs every musical impulse. Every note registers in my mind. When I need to relax, I need complete silence. When I go to a spa, I request, please have the music switched off.

Music is a precious gift of God. Har Raga mein ek atma hai, hamare liye har raga ek entity hai. (Every Raga has a soul, for us it’s an actual living entity) My Guru, Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan, used to say “agar zaroorat se jyaada improvise kar rahe ho, to Raga torture ho jaata hai, aur Raga curse bhi karta hai, ki main kis anari ke haath aa gaya hoon, mujhe taqleef pahuncha raha hai. (If you improvise more than is necessary, you are torturing the living entity in the Raga. The Raga says, which novice is misusing me, my soul is being hurt). We must have complete reverence for the music; the inner nature of the Raga. Also, I feel a sense of proportion is very important, kahaan khatm karna hai, and kab khatm karna hai. (Where to end, and when to end). Certain Ragas don’t allow long improvisations, one has to be sensitive to this while performing. My Guru always used to say, “logon ka dhyaan zyaada improvisation pe ho gaya hai. Mukhra pakra, aur dukhra shuroo ho gaya” (musicians today concentrate on improvisation more, they pick up the opening section of the composition, and then the misery starts, in excessive improvisation).

Today, after a lifetime as a musician, I realise the importance of the composition in a recital. It’s not important only to improvise. Musicians don’t even play a complete “sthaayi” (first part of a composition).

The composition, bandish, in Maharashtra “cheez” has to be rendered in totality –it’s like poetry. There are two parts to every composition - the sthaayi and the antara;(ending portion of a composition) together they are complete.

Bahut kam instrumentalists hain jo puraa antara bajaate hain. (Very few instrumentalists play a complete antara). Listen to even old recordings. In our tradition, in my family we were taught to first sing the full sthaayi and antara and then execute it on the sarod.

Q. Khan sahib, usually, today your concerts do not follow the conventional format of presentation. Your comments?
A. There is a slight difference between tradition and convention. Tradition allows innovation. But, convention; we blindly follow convention. Convention is unhealthy – laqeer ka faqeer, aur bus, line mein lag jayo. Aage dead end bhi ho sakta hai, lekin line mein raho. (Go by the rule book, strictly, without exception. Just stand in a line, as per convention, even if the line ends in a dead end.) Don’t question at all! Today, some musicians blindly perform –“A to Z, jo seekha hai, pura kar ke uthta hai, apni puree ram kahani kehta hee hai!!” (Whatever one has been taught is blindly performed on stage, in totality; you reveal all your cards, musically speaking, at each performance, without discretion or discrimination)

Once in Germany after a concert, a Bengali musician came up to me and said Khan sahib, aap ne aalap nahi kiya. (You did not play aalap (the slow unfolding of the Raga). I told him, I have played lots of aalap, now you play. But I did feel “hairaani” (bewilderment) “ki toone jo maine kiya ha, woh to sunna hee nahin hai”.  (You just did not hear what I did play, just what I did’nt play)!!

At this stage of my life I don’t feel the need to follow conventions , that long queue…I feel I need to voice what is in me, through my music, not just blindly do what I’ve done earlier.

My father used to tell me, beta, maine jo theek samjha woh kiya, tumhe jo theek lage, tum karo”. (Son, I have always done what I thought was right, you must do what you think is right). So I am doing that. There is no book to guide you on how to present your music, so one has the liberty to present the music as one wants. Yes, one should never humiliate the music, or in any way, diminish it. I pray, that I am always heard, and that people pay to hear me.

I hope all the young musicians achieve what they desire, (and deserve) and wish everyone a prosperous and happy 2018.