Sitar maestro Ustaad Mushtaq Ali Khan, revered beyond words, passed away in 1989, but his musical values are still upheld as part of his legacy at the UMAK Centre for Culture. In its latest endeavour, the establishment is presenting a two-day festival with recitals by artists like Pandit Debu Chaudhuri and Pandit Prateek Chaudhuri. A jugalbandi between santoor players Pandit Bhajan Sopori and his son Abhay Sopori will also be rendered.
Talking about the legendary Khan, Debu Chaudhuri says, “He was the only sitar player who honoured the tradition of sitar playing with 17 frets, dating back to the time of Masit Sen, the originator of Masitkhani Baaj. His contribution to Indian music was unparalleled in maintaining the purity of Senia tradition and he maintained the strict rules and discipline of the ragas.”
The first day will see a performance by the students of UMAK Centre of Culture, conducted by Pt Prateek Chaudhuri. The second day will see a recital by the maestro himself. ‘‘When you perform in the honour of an iconic like Khan, you start cherishing everything associated with the event,” he says.
Another highlight of the event is that the proceeds will go to the Out Cancer Foundation. ‘‘This concert with a cause is a beautiful blend of music propagation and a fund-raising initiative,” says Pt Bhajan Sopori, who, along with his son, has been a part of many such initiatives. They believe, like all the other artistes participating, that music has the power to take a being to a higher state of sensitivity and that sensitivity can result in an optimistic behavioral change in society.