As he gears up for a concert in the memory of his great grandfather, Acharya Baba Allauddin Khan in Mumbai on April 20, young sarod exponent Shiraz Ali Khan elaborates on the essence of the two crucial terms that have shaped his musical journey. One is ‘gharana’ and the other, ‘virasat.’
Even for musicians like him, who are born into a lineage, these terms have to be seamlessly integrated into the taleem (training) for them to understand their significance.
Fortunately, for Shiraz, they began to make sense soon as his training started at age five under his father, the late Professor Dhyanesh Khan. Later under the guidance of his grandfather, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, uncle Ustad Aashish Khan and aunt Begum Ameena Perera he also realised what it means to be a torchbearer.
Despite learning to play the tabla from the inimitable Pt. Shankar Ghosh, Shiraz decided to pursue sarod and take forward the Maihar Seniya Gharana legacy.
He elaborates on the nuances that define Hindustani sangeet.
How much does gharana hold relevance in today’s music world where cross-genre experiments have become common?
Gharana stands for schools of musical ideology or styles that are followed by the members belonging to that particular school or gharana. There would be a guru or teacher who defined the gharana’s style from his experiences and learnings. His disciples, be it from his family or outside, followed him and a lineage was created over the years. So gharana is like a root, a musician’s base and irrespective of which times we live in, you always need a root, a home, an origin from where one comes from. Musicians of a gharana will innovate and co-create to add to the lineage and the gharana thus emerges generation after generation. Cross-genre experiments have always been there. It’s just that people have given them names such as fusion. When our forefathers, those legendary musicians, transformed gayaki styles to instrumental styles that was fusion in itself. That is how music has evolved. However, even in a crowd, every individual has his/her identity or face and I think gharana gives you that identity, that face.
How did you prepare yourself to take forward the legacy of Baba Allauddin Khan? Does it sometimes weigh heavy on the shoulders? Or does belonging to a lineage makes the task easier?
I strongly believe that it’s a calling, your destiny, that makes you a part of the legacy. Of course, it is a big responsibility, but more than that, I feel it is a privilege that I get to be a part of this legacy of my family and follow in the footsteps of legends like my great-grandfather, Baba Allauddin Khan and my grandfather, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. However, following the footsteps and to be able to even try and fit into their shoes is a mighty and an almost impossible task. But I am most excited to be one of the torchbearers of the Maihar Seniya Gharana and I am working hard to prove myself worthy of the privilege. If you belong to a lineage, that means you have to live up to people’s expectations and that cannot be easy, it’s extremely challenging. I always hope and pray that I will be able to win the hearts of listeners with the treasure I have inherited.
Renowned Sarod exponent Ustad Ali Akbar Khan
Could you share some anecdotes about your legendary grandfather Ustad Ali Akbar Khan?
My grandfather was a quiet person; his music spoke for him. He taught me many compositions in several ragas, and insisted that I develop an emotional connect with them to strike a chord with the listeners. Since the gayaki method is followed in the Seniya gharana, my grandfather used the same technique. He would sing and teach us the basics and then take over the instrument to demonstrate. A Gurumukhi approach: I listened, observed and played. This gharana stands for its melody. The world knows about the geniuses like my grandfather, Annapurna Devi ji, Pt Ravi Shankar, Pt Nikhil Banerjee, Pt VG Jog and others. They brought much acclaim to the gharana.
What are the characteristic features of the Seniya Beenkar and Seniya Rababiya gharana and how did it evolve?
As far as my understanding goes, the word Seniya came from Mian Tansen. His descendants started calling themselves Seniyas and that is how the ‘Seniya gharana’ came into being. The Seniya gharana became the precursor to all gharanas – vocal or instrumental. After Tansen’s death it formed three branches — Seniya gharana (specialising in Dhrupad), Seniya Beenkar gharana and Seniya Rababiya gharana. The focus was three instruments — Been, Rabab and Sursringar.
How do you keep the traditional elements intact in your performances?
I look up to my guru and uncle, Aashish Khan for guidance to help keep our style of music alive. The teachings don’t just happen in the classrooms and often carry on to live performances when I learn a new way of approaching the tradition of our gharana. It is a continuous learning process and this is just the beginning. I still have miles to go.
Since you are also into teaching, how do you help youngsters imbibe the nuances of the gharana and how important you think it is for a learner?
I remember the way I started my riyaaz. My grandfather always told me the importance of having a firm grip on the basics. I tell the same thing to my students. What is important for youngsters is to get the perfect tone of every swar, to get the perfect sur and understand the taals. The rest then falls into place. More than everything, it’s the passion that matters the most. Music is a matter of the heart for both the musician and the listener.
The concert ‘Antarik’ (also featuring vocalist Kalapini Komkali) on April 20 has been organised by Annapurna Devi Foundation, in association with Acharya Allauddin Music Circle and Bhargava’s Musik at the Royal Opera House, Mumbai.
