The ‘Aadi Anant: From Here to Eternity,’ a travelling music festival, was brought to Chennai’s Music Academy on November 29 by Citi and NCPA.
It featured the inimitable Rashid Khan, disciple of Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan of Rampur Sahaswan gharana (an off-shoot of the Gwalior gharana), in the musical evening, which will stay etched in one’s memory for a long time.
Ustad Rashid Khan’s gayaki has also been influenced by the immortal voice of Ustad Amir Khan Sahib. He was in perfect form and began in raag Yaman in vilambit ektaal ‘Kaise Kaise Lalan Ke Sang’ and continued dhrut ‘Toon Jag Mein’ in teental. Then followed a scintillating fast tarana in ektaal. His rendition of Yaman was special with a reflection of Shudh Kalyan in the characteristic phrase, ‘pa ma ga re sa.’
A traditional bandish of the gharana was presented in raag Desh in dheema teental, ‘Karam Kar Deejay, Kar Deejay Khwaja Moinnuddin Ke.’ The elaborations on Khwaja Moinnuddin were beautifully delineated and ably supported by his disciple and accompanist Prasad Khaparde.
They seemed to be performing in a timeless moment of ecstasy and joy. The backdrop sketch offered a comment on the passing of time and the continuity that the tradition promises, while it makes way for the new.
‘Beet Jaat Balkhaat Piya N Aaye,’ a dhrut composition in ektaal, commencing from the ‘sam’ was a powerful conclusion to the Desh. On request, Ustad Rashid Khan also performed the legendary thumri of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Sahib ‘Yaad Piya Ki Aaye’ in raga Bhinna Shadaj.
In his rendition, Ustad Rashid Khan brought in nuances of ragamalika in different permutations and combinations of the swaras, thereby showcasing shades of a few allied ragas.
The concert concluded with another thumri in Bhairavi, ‘Aaj Radha Brij Ko Chali.’ The thumri had a beautiful sway and was a meditation on the meaning of life.
Ustad Rashid Khan’s clarity of swaras, development of aalap close to structure of the bandish, bol aalaps, akars, bol sargams, merkhands, maends and the literary content of the words enveloped in bhava and rasa of the raag were beautiful and came close to bolbanao of the thumri.
The fast sargams in his deep resonant voice will be remembered both for the speed of execution and the emotion they portrayed. The variety of taans - sapat, chhut, halaq, gamak, bol, were bold and clear, covered a wide range, and set to layakari ended on ‘sa’ to the characteristic sam on the tabla.
On the sarangi was Ustad Murad Ali Khan, of the sixth generation of sarangi players of Moradabad gharana, and one of the finest exponents of instrument in India. It was heartening to hear sarangi, the closest instrument to the human voice, which unfortunately appears less frequently in concerts in recent times.
Pandit Shubhankar Banerjee (tabla) was from the Farukhabad gharana. His improvisation and adroitness left the audience thrilled. Ajay Jogelkar on the
harmonium provided impeccable support.
The concert also included the recital of sandhi prakash raag, Puriya Dhanashri by the Ustad’s disciple, Prasad Khaparde. It was a fitting tribute to the Guru-Sishya Parampara, as was the work of two of his disciples, Deepika and Dada Pir, on their beautifully carved tanpuras.
Pt. Bhimsen Joshi has rightly said of Ustad Rashid Khan: he is indeed, “an assurance for the future of Indian vocal music.”
