Exclusive interview with virtuoso, in California.
BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA: He has been called the finest living exponent of the sarod, and Indian classical music’s answer to Eric Clapton. Which is hardly a surprise; his musical genius crosses cultural boundaries and speaks eloquently to the heart. Effortlessly blending complex Indian ragas with Persian and Afghan musical influences, virtuoso Amjad Ali Khan’s soulful renditions has displaced the sarod from the sidelines of the sitar, and elevated its stature in the annals of world music.
In the course of his illustrious career, Khan has enthralled audience at the Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Kennedy Center, Victoria Hall in Geneva, St. James Palace and the Opera House in Australia.
Currently in California for a performance with his sons at the Bankhead Theatre, Livermore, Padma Vibhushan Khan shared a few thoughts with The American Bazaar on some of the driving forces of his life. His words- like his music- is deeply rooted in spirituality, and takes the listener back to a simpler time and place.
Edited excerpts from the interview:
On his music:
“Instrumental music, like the music of my Sarod, needs to be experienced and felt, not heard. Since there are no lyrics, there is no language barrier between the performer and the listener, which is why instrumental music transcends cultures and nationalities.
“As we use flowers in worship, welcoming, honoring, departure, and celebration no matter what our race, origin, religion or language, we similarly arrange musical notes into ‘bouquets’ or compositions which display all our human feelings and emotions Music is one of the most important ‘food’ for the intellect. Each musical note is connected to this most important part of our minds.”
(Amjad Ali Khan’s compositions interpret complex Indian ragas in refreshing new ways. He has been credited with the creation of almost 30 new ragas.)
His compositions:
“I feel uncomfortable to say that I create ragas. For me, a new raga is not just a scale; it is a living identity, perhaps a newborn. When a child is conceived, or in this case a raga invoked, how can you not accept it? I give it a name and the raga becomes mine, just like my own offspring.
“Many people find this humorous, but I have woken up on many an occasion with musical doubts answered in my dreams. An artist’s mind works 24×7 around music. I would like to believe that the motivation for this is spiritual.”
(Coming from an ancestry that traces back to Tansen, the musical genius and the heritage is strictly revered and passed down to every generation in the Bangash lineage.)
His musical heritage:
“My father, the legendary sarod maestro, Haafiz Ali Khan of Gwalior did not live for music. For him, life itself was music. And I inherited from him the legacy of five generations of musicians as naturally as a bird taking to the air.”
(Amjad Ali Khan was trained in music by his father, in the guru-shishya tradition; a custom he values and practices with his sons.)
“I am grateful to God that He has given Amaan and Ayaan to me and my wife. My years teaching them have been quite an experience. In a family like mine, where music is the fundamental way of life, training in its intricacies starts from the moment a child is born. When I held Amaan for the first time, I sang into his ear. On Ayaan’s arrival two years later, I did the same. Perhaps, a wise parent would not allow two sons to play the same instrument, but because music is the only wealth I inherited from my forefathers, I wanted to share it equally with both of them. As a teacher, it was the first time I was able to hold a student on my lap! In the course of Amaan and Ayaan’s training, which is an ongoing process for a classical musician, I never encouraged them to copy my style. As they matured as musicians, I was relieved to see that both the brothers were developing a distinctive approach rather than mimic what they were taught. This, I feel is only natural, for the music that an individual creates is a reflection of his or her mind and soul.”
(Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan have already justified their lineage with their instrumental technique and artistic creativity. They have achieved individual success in mainstream Indian music. A joint performance of the father and his sons is a sublime experience of the finest Indian classical music.)
“We are all soloists. However, when perform together, the synergy creates a 57 string symphony of three sarods!”
(Amjad Ali Khan recently authored a book on his father- his guru, titled ‘My Father, Our Fraternity’, which he offers as a gurudakshina.)
His writing experience:
“The prospect of writing a book was constantly in my mind. However, it got a jumpstart thanks to my family. I maintained a journal in which I wrote about my daily travels and concerts. Sometimes, I would reminisce about my father and his contemporaries and write detailed anecdotes. My family retained these books, and turned it into manuscript.
“I was thrilled at the prospect. As the years went by, I wanted to share these glimpses of the past musicians and musical heritage to the world. The fact that my sons, Amaan and Ayaan wrote a book on me in 2002 was also a great inspiration, it took me almost three and a half years to complete this book. The fact that it coincided with my father’s 40th death anniversary was a great coincidence! “
(Amjad Ali Khan has taught his philosophy on music at many universities in Europe and the US, including Stanford.)
His teaching stint:
“In western classical music, a composer scores a composition which is read and sung or played by the vocalists or musicians. In the Indian classical system, there is no written or scored music. It would be extremely difficult to record and subsequently interpret the subtle nuances on paper. We therefore follow an ‘oral’ tradition.
“My teaching is not just about sarod but about making European and American musicians feel the sound of music and to appreciate Indian classical music. There is a world beyond writing and reading and one has to feel, realize and experience music of any kind. I want them to feel music in my class and know what music is. How the sound becomes music is the subject of research.
“The scene is extremely bright. I see so much talent which perhaps I hadn’t seen twenty years ago. The young artists today are also very fortunate to have so many platforms wherein they can project their hard work and skill. I wish every youngster the very best in life to achieve their goal.”