Unlike what we perceive classical music to be — intransigent and stuck in a time warp — it has let ustads, pandits and vidwans transcend genres, styles and geographical borders. It was evident when sitar ace Pandit Ravi Shankar struck a musical friendship with The Beatles star George Harrison, and tabla wizard Ustad Zakir Hussain formed percussion ensembles with Western drummers and jazz artistes and when the demure M.S. Subbulakshmi drew thunderous applause in America in the 1960s with her kritis. The system has enough space to accommodate fresh perspectives and approach.
Naad-Ninaad jugalbandi will be another step in this direction. It will let you take a closer view of tradition in a contemporary setting. It is the meeting ground of two creative minds and Hindustani exponents — Ustad Rashid Khan and Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan.
Voice will enter into a dialogue with sitar strings as the two artistes share the stage at The Hindu November Fest’s opening concert on November 17 at The Music Academy. Together, they will set the pace for this avant-garde festival. Since its inception, it has showcased the many colours of sound through traditional and experimental concerts.
Naad-Ninaad is an example of how hoary family legacies can be taken forward through changing times. Ustad Rashid Khan hails from the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana and is the great-grandson of the gharana’s founder Inayat Hussain Khan. Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan, who belongs to the Etawah Gharana, comes from a family whose members, including Ustad Vilayat Khan, are revered musicians. Their music, with its definite character, is a strong link to the past.
At the November Fest, both ustads will bring to the concert platform their personal style of raga exposition, embellishing each phrase with many-hued swaras and impeccable improvisation.
Though this is not the first time that they embark on a joint creative exercise, the two artistes, who have travelled the world over, see jugalbandis as opportunities to better understand their shared heritage. “Live concerts are such a joy, which is doubled when you perform along with an artiste such as Ustad Rashid Khan. Also, to perform in Chennai, with its thriving art and culture scene, is always exciting. What more can an artiste ask for than discerning rasikas?” asks Shahid Parvez Khan.
Apart from a busy concert schedule, Rashid Khan has sung in Hindi films and has several albums to his credit. Shahid Parvez Khan’s SPK Academy has, over the past decade, trained young enthusiasts in India, the U.S., the U.K. and Canada.
The concert will exhibit their distinct artistry before they come together to explore the many facets of raag and taal.
While Rashid Khan will indulge in powerful taankari, Shahid Parvez Khan will match it with his eloquent layakaari. Delicate, almost plaintive passages would be interspersed with a flurry of notes, and technical prowess will be backed by emotion.
The ustads will be accompanied by Subhankar Banerjee on tabla and Ajay Joglekar on harmonium.
