When your gharana’s lineage is traced back to Miyan Tansen, the North Indian classical legend, every move you make is ferociously scrutinised by other stalwarts, veterans and enthusiasts alike. Ghulam Niyaz Hussain Khan is at the receiving end of that. He is not merely a vocalist who can sing for himself. He is the custodian of a repository he has to keep above himself for the larger respect of his Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, where he gets his musical blessings from. Every time he takes stage, including this time when he’s performing at Aarohi classical musical festival, he is circumspect about the way he conducts himself. It will determine the ethical standards with which young music students will approach classical arts in the future.
With the pace at which the world is moving, a slow life philosophy is only wishful thinking. This is where music introduces calm into our restless personalities. Infact, neuroscience has already proved several times that listening to music can lower stress exponentially. It not only slows down rapid thinking, certain rhythms and sound also lower heart rate, reducing the risk of cardiovascular issues. “But people are till spending less and less time introspecting and realising the power of calmness (thehrav). I believe the music I perform, brings serenity into the humanity. Staying serene is very essential to mental health and this form of music will eventually reflect in the day-to-day activities and decisions made by the people. Furthermore, the freedom that our music offers in terms of the imaginative singing (Khayal) is a great tool for the development of creativity in an individual,” says Khan.
The show is being presented by Kaladharmi, a NGO that promotes performing arts. For its golden jubilee ceremony, it is celebrating through music of the gharanas. In a day and age when the individual has become more important than the school they represent, people like Khan are an exception. “The newer generations are exploring various aspects of different gharanas and creating their own styles. This sometimes results in individualism that is not necessarily associated with any particular gharana. And if that individual’s style is well received by the audience, then eventually he/she will be celebrated. I think there is nothing wrong in this,” he says.
Khan’s Rampur-Sahaswan gharana was founded by Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan Saheb during the early 20th century. It fills his heart with immense pride when he talks about it. “I would like to think that our gharana has everything— the dhrupad style in khayal singing, thumri, ghazal, dadra, tappa and tarana to name a few. The vocal embellishments such as sapat-tans, halaq-tans, chut-tans, bol-tans, tappa-tans, and sapat sargams give incredible flexibility and control to the singer,” says Khan.
Joining him in this effort to glorify different gharanas will be other artists such as Pandit Pannalal Ghosh of Borishal Ghosh Gharana, followed by a flute recital by Sudip Chattopadhay. You’ll also see Rajshahi- Shahjahanpur Gharana being represented by Narendra Nath Dhar, followed by paying homage to Patiala Gharana with a vocal recital by Pt. Shantanu Bhattarcharya.
Working at All India Radio for 26 years, Chattopadhay, it gave him great exposure to musical diversity. While he enjoys listening to contemporary music, classical sounds are where his soul finds nourishment. “Classical music is a spiritual and philosophical discipline. When you understand that, it becomes a transcendental experience,” says Chattopadhay.
November 18-20, at Meghdoot Auditorium, Mandi House; Stein Hall, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road.
In a nutshell
Aarohi music festival is a celebration of India’s glorious gharanas in a day and age when the individual has become more important than the school of music he was nurtured by all along.