Ustad Amjad Ali Khan calmly takes a sip of water from a glass. He has just wound up his hour-long performance at IIT Madras’ Saarang. Outside the green room, in the open air theatre, an audience of three thousand sits transfixed. They’re still soaking in the heady melodies produced by the maestro’s Sarod. This is the same crowd that spins to the grooves of a DJ and beats of filmy numbers with manic vigour. “Whoever says youngsters don’t like classical music should come to concerts like these,” chuckles the 70-year-old. It’s evident he’s got a sense of humour like a few others in the realm of Indian classical music.
How often do you get someone who has taught classical music across the USA, still enthused when performing for a crowd of twenty-somethings in Chennai? How often do you find a musician who has practically every Padma award on his mantle but still doesn’t bat an eyelid before talking about intolerance, the future of his art form and where he began. Dressed in a soothing cerulean blue kurta, Khan insists that you take a picture with him instead of an autograph. The interview can wait. With niceties and selfies in place, we sit down for a 10 minute chat and it couldn’t have been any better. Excerpts…
You have been a favourite among connoisseurs and youngsters alike. How much do you love playing for a younger crowd, especially in institutes like the IIT?
Oh, (I like it) a lot. In fact, I have been playing in IITs for decades. I remember coming to IIT-M to perform in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Even my sons Amaan and Ayaan have performed here many a time. The audience has always been overwhelming and appreciative.
Do you tailor your compositions according to the type of audience you’re playing for?
No, I never prepare. It’s all ad lib. “Jo dil mein hain wo bajate hain” (whatever I feel like playing, I play). Like today I opened with raag Hamsadhvani which is sung in the praise of Lord Ganesha and then moved on to Zila Kafi and Charukeshi interspersing the performance with taranas. I try to bring in more variety into my compositions and with every performance I discover a new composition. If there is a situation, I do a long elaboration of a raga too. In fact, in Calcutta, my sons and I were the only musicians who played continuously from 9 pm to 7 in the morning. The point is not how long you can play, but how long you can keep the audience connected. We have to value the time of the audience and within that we must play the music that interests even uninitiated people.
You are known for experimenting with styles on the Sarod and inventing new ragas. How would you define your style of music?
My style of music is mostly defined by it’s composition than by it’s convention. I have chosen not to be a ‘lakeer ka fakir’ (slave of convention). That’s because convention is a very unhealthy word, it doesn’t allow you to think and innovate. And sadly most classical musicians, whether in the North or the South, have been blindly following convention. You will still find gharana musicians playing one raga for one and a half or two hours.
How are young classical musicians received today?
Musicians like my sons Amaan and Ayaan are very successful. They are established players and perform all over the world. So, the future looks bright. Because ‘jab tak chand sooraj rahega tab tak classical music rahega’.
As a guru, what did you pass on to your sons, perhaps some wisdom passed on to you by your guru?
One lesson taught by my father, who was also my guru, left an indelible impression on me and in a way defined my whole approach towards music. It was that I should never be the cause of humiliation of music. Abba told me that through me and my music, people should connect with music and enjoy it.
How can the young breed of musicians keep classical music alive?
You can’t do anything to keep it alive because music grows on you. You can’t promote music. It is not a toothpaste. There are so many organisations that are getting grants from government and corporate houses in the name of promotion of music. But nobody can promote music. It grows on you.
So, who inspired this streak of innovation in you?
Who else! My father Haafiz Ali Khan. He always told me that I should do what I think is right. He never forced convention on me and encouraged me to be creative. There was a time when I used to play a raag for two to three hours. But gradually, like Tagore and so many other poets I understood the value and beauty of ‘rachna’ (compositions) whether it is with the language or lyrics. Since then, I have been performing more compositions because they are created to preserve the ragas.
As a musician, what is it that someone like you aspires for?
It should be to create music that is appealing to all. ‘Hum duniyan mein takleef dene nahi aye hain. Hum duniyan mein logon ko khushi dene aye hain, shanti dene aye hain’ (We are not here to torture people with our music, we are here to make them happy). If as a musician I am able to make a common man, who has never heard Sarod before happy, then my purpose is served.
Do you think the audience has changed over time?
Undoubtedly it has. The media is at its peak and people have so many options today. There are films, laughter shows and what not on television to keep people entertained. But, despite that, playing before a congregation of over 3000 people in IIT testifies that classical music has not lost its ground and is still loved and respected by today’s generation.
What’s the one bit of advice you have for aspiring musicians?
Learn the kind of music through which you can earn your living because there is a lot of ‘tapasya’ (perseverance) in classical music. Nowadays people don’t have much patience to do ‘riyaz’ (practise). They are looking for shortcuts. ‘Music mein shortcut aa gaya hai. Ye jo keyboard hai, it’s a shortcut’. But it is passion, patience and perseverance that pay in the end.
Finally, how lucrative is music as a career today?
There was struggle, there is a struggle and there will be struggle.
Khan was just a boy of six, when he gave his first Sarod recital
Contemporary musicians you admire...
Well, if I start counting, the list will be really long. I admire a lot of musicians including my peers and today’s generation, but the one and only towering person has always been my father. Today we have a lot of talented musicians and when it comes to Sarod, there are almost 300 Sarod players in the world.