I cannot write poetically, for I am no poet.
I cannot make fine artistic phrases that cast light and shadow, for I am no painter.
I can neither by signs nor by pantomime express my thoughts and feelings, for I am no dancer; but I can by tones, for I am a musician.
— Mozart
And to remain a true musician, Mozart, like Khan Saab Ustad Amzad Ali Khan, must’ve felt those butterflies fluttering. For Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, every performance is as if he is performing for the first time. He says that if this anxiety is gone the art in the artist is over. And this writer can see this in his eyes when he shares the news that he will be performing at the Royal Festival Hall, London, along with his sons Ayaan Ali Bangash and Amaan Ali Bangash, on the 30th of this month.
London’s Southbank Centre has three main auditoriums; the smallest is parcel room, followed by Queen Elizabeth Hall, where Khan Saab played in the 1970’s for the first time, and, with a seating capacity of 2,500, the Royal Festival Hall; that had a full house for Khan Saab two years back.
Performing at Southbank Centre is an achievement, the magnitude of which increases much when the centre directly invites an artiste to perform. This time when Khan Saab and his two sons fill the London air with Hindustani music, we should feel pride, something that Indians are made to search for these days. While in London, classical music lovers of various countries, who make the city truly cosmopolitan, will buy their tickets to enjoy the music concert.
In Delhi, where the audience loves free passes probably more than music, a ticket, that too for a concert of classical music, strikes an odd note.
To sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, a full house gives creative satisfaction. His argument: we don’t value things that are coming free. He would further add without taking names — there are institutions in Delhi that for self-promotion or to show they are generous will host classical music concerts for free. It is not good for this music. His sons share the same feeling, their point: “you can just walk in…” is not a favoured reply by an artiste when asked, “how may we attend your performance and listen to you playing”?
Southbank Centre’s Facebook wall reads:
“Don’t miss master sarod player Amjad Ali Khan performing with his sons Amaan Ali Bangash & Ayaan Ali Bangash at Royal Festival Hall.
“A player at the height of his inventive powers and currently unequalled” (BBC Music Magazine)
Book your ticket.”
Relying on the Ustad’s experience, it would be good for Hindustani music, to see “Book your ticket” for a concert’s promotion, even if it is government sponsored (you do buy tickets for museums), happening in the capital. In Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, the entry is mostly ticketed.
The Bangash brothers — who debuted in London in 1989 at Logan Hall, while genius classical guitarist Julian Bream was in the audience — have collaborated with Britten Sinfonia, percussionist Evelyn Glennie, London Philharmonia and had played many times for the Prince Of Wales at St James Palace and are excited, for it’s been a while since London heard them. London is not a wholly no-problem-zone for Hindustani music. Khan Saab explains that Art Council England is the kind, gracious, generous government-funded body that gives quite a few grants to India’s musical bodies that are “opened” there in London (really). These bodies succumbing to nepotism will promote artistes of lower quality, or as it happens in unhealthy politics (is it left healthy anymore?) their favourites. Two years back when the sarod guru was to perform at the Royal Festival Hall, the organiser, who incidentally is getting a lot of ACE grants, didn’t even have the basic tehzeeb (courtesy) of asking him which tabla player he would like to accompany him. They decided on their own. Is the Art Council listening? Time to wake up and do some sound checking.
It’s been a few decades since Indians started favouring nuclear families. For the Indians living in Europe, the US and Canada, Indian values are now a much-sought-after thing. They like seeing father and sons sharing the same stage. Thankfully, we respect our gurus and certain values are surviving because of the guru-shishya parampara; the Ustad is the guru of sons Amaan and Ayaan. The young maestros will give their guru all the respect, never taking it for granted, hence their serious riyaz: for being sons of Khan Saab, the responsibility and the audience’s expectation is bigger. The South Centre inviting them to perform shows how good they are doing. This reminds me how Ayaan and Amaan once confessed, “to grow as a musician blessings are a must”. Wishing them a full house.
The writer is an interior designer with a passion for photography, and Hindustani literature and culture
