So strange...so utterly crazy... that this day has come when I, of all people, am writing something related to Indian classical music!!!
Well, there's reason for me acting so crazy because there's a standing joke in my family that I cannot distinguish between a sitar and a sarod (probably can't between a piano and a flute or a drum either). I never had anything to do with Indian classical music, any form of dance or any musical instrument. So when I bought tickets to attend a sarod concert at Seattle Town Center, it was strange.
That day finally dawned and after a full day's work I went to the concert with Arnab. It was Ustad Amjad Ali Khan's concert and so you can well imagine the standard of it. The first piece was really nice, but the second, a composition on the raag Malhar absolutely threw me off! I was listening with my eyes closed and with the tabla sounding at 16-matra I could very well hear the pitter-patter of falling rain drops! What a masterpiece! Then came Kaafi, the raaga for holi and a nice blending between "Ekla cholo re" and a tune from Assam's Bihu. By the interval I could already visualize Tansen at Fatehpur Sikri :-)
After the interval came Ustad-ji's sons Amaan and Ayaan. I at least knew about Ustad ji from my birth, but the boys being my contemporary I had no clue to what they are and how well they can play. What impressed me was not just their lineage, but also how disciplined and traditional they are! Amaan is no doubt a budding maestro. The town hall was reverberating during his jhaala and the crowd burst in applause. Ayaan, on the other hand, didn't sound that vigorous, but he has a nice melodious style. He was playing around subtleties with a wonderful style.
I will come back to the story of the concert in a bit, but before that I want to rant about some things that I didn't like in the society I grew up in. It is good to revere classical music, but not to the point that makes it inaccessible to people. People talk about "understanding classical music and raagas". I never really got to the position to "understand" them, so I never learned about raagas and as a result I fell out from enjoying the music just as a piece of nice sounding music. On the other hand, no one ever told me anything about western classical music, so I listened to those just like that. As a result I became quite aware of Beethoven's symphonies and now can tell which one is which easily. Vivaldi's Four Seasons easily bring up the seasons in my mind's eyes and I still believe if the human race had no other piece of music, but just the Moonlight Sonata, it would still be enough for me. I am happy to realize that I am not deaf to music after all.
Coming back to the concert, the last two pieces were performed by all three of them. Ustad ji was playing a piece and Amaan, Ayaan with the two men on table were all playing in jawab. What a marvelous performance!!! The final raaga they played was Kirwani. All these raagas were Hebrew to me, but I still could appreciate the music.
We both were so moved by this evening that we promptly bought a CD of sarod played by them. I will have to learn about Indian classical music now. A friend of mine has commented now my liking for the Indian and western classicals would be balanced. I think so too :-)
We are planning to listen to Darbari Kanada at the dead of the night tonight. Let's see how that goes!
Well, there's reason for me acting so crazy because there's a standing joke in my family that I cannot distinguish between a sitar and a sarod (probably can't between a piano and a flute or a drum either). I never had anything to do with Indian classical music, any form of dance or any musical instrument. So when I bought tickets to attend a sarod concert at Seattle Town Center, it was strange.
That day finally dawned and after a full day's work I went to the concert with Arnab. It was Ustad Amjad Ali Khan's concert and so you can well imagine the standard of it. The first piece was really nice, but the second, a composition on the raag Malhar absolutely threw me off! I was listening with my eyes closed and with the tabla sounding at 16-matra I could very well hear the pitter-patter of falling rain drops! What a masterpiece! Then came Kaafi, the raaga for holi and a nice blending between "Ekla cholo re" and a tune from Assam's Bihu. By the interval I could already visualize Tansen at Fatehpur Sikri :-)
After the interval came Ustad-ji's sons Amaan and Ayaan. I at least knew about Ustad ji from my birth, but the boys being my contemporary I had no clue to what they are and how well they can play. What impressed me was not just their lineage, but also how disciplined and traditional they are! Amaan is no doubt a budding maestro. The town hall was reverberating during his jhaala and the crowd burst in applause. Ayaan, on the other hand, didn't sound that vigorous, but he has a nice melodious style. He was playing around subtleties with a wonderful style.
I will come back to the story of the concert in a bit, but before that I want to rant about some things that I didn't like in the society I grew up in. It is good to revere classical music, but not to the point that makes it inaccessible to people. People talk about "understanding classical music and raagas". I never really got to the position to "understand" them, so I never learned about raagas and as a result I fell out from enjoying the music just as a piece of nice sounding music. On the other hand, no one ever told me anything about western classical music, so I listened to those just like that. As a result I became quite aware of Beethoven's symphonies and now can tell which one is which easily. Vivaldi's Four Seasons easily bring up the seasons in my mind's eyes and I still believe if the human race had no other piece of music, but just the Moonlight Sonata, it would still be enough for me. I am happy to realize that I am not deaf to music after all.
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| Ustad Amjad Ali Khan with the young maestros Amaan and Ayaan at the Seattle Town Hall. 05/11/12. |
Coming back to the concert, the last two pieces were performed by all three of them. Ustad ji was playing a piece and Amaan, Ayaan with the two men on table were all playing in jawab. What a marvelous performance!!! The final raaga they played was Kirwani. All these raagas were Hebrew to me, but I still could appreciate the music.
We both were so moved by this evening that we promptly bought a CD of sarod played by them. I will have to learn about Indian classical music now. A friend of mine has commented now my liking for the Indian and western classicals would be balanced. I think so too :-)
We are planning to listen to Darbari Kanada at the dead of the night tonight. Let's see how that goes!
4 comments:
kemon laglo Darbari Kanara?
Otyonto bhalo! Ami ekhon time dekhe dekhe raag-ragini shunchi :)
dekhechho to... jak...better late than never.
Hmm... ekhon amar kaan khulche :)
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