JJB £I**J FRIDAYRl-VIEW . (>V HU ^ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019 VOICEOVER 5 \ • cX vX >' Raag Taal Gharana The Imdadkhani scions The three renowned musician-sons of Ustad Imrat Khan will present the gharana's features at NCPA today

CHITRA SWAMINATHAN heights. "An excellent vocalist, our ing the tone of the instrument close uncle chose to play the sitar to keep to the human voice by integrating alive the family tradition, while our the nuances of khayal singing. othing can describe the musi­ father did so by pursuing the surba­ "Though the gayaki was" deve­ cal life of brothers Nishat har," says Wajahat, the first member loped by our grandfather, it was per­ NKhan, Irshad khan and Waja­ of the illustrious family to take to the fected and popularised by our uncle hat Khan more aptly than the Hindi sarod. and father. They also went beyond idiom sone pe suhaga (doubly de­ The surbahar, a sitar-like stringed the conventional raags and taals lightful). Their father and guru was instrument, rather a bass sitar, was used in the gharana. Vilayat and Im­ the surbahar and sitar wizard Ustad introduced by Ustad Sahebdad rat saabs were experts in presenting Imrat Khan while Ustad Vilayat Khan to the world of classical music. rare ragas. Ustad Imrat Khan pre­ Khan, the musician whose name is "With its range and depth it lends sented pieces in different taals such entwined with the history of Hin­ beautifully to the gayaki ang. The as Teen taal, Ek taal, Rupak taal and dustani music, their uncle. improvisation and refinement that Jhap taal," says Wajahat. The brothers' destiny was deter­ our father brought about soon made Ustad Enayat Khan's wife Bashi- mined the day they were born. him a renowned solo surbahar ar­ ran Begum was a strong influence in "When every member of the family, tiste. He was equally adept at play­ the life and musical journey of her both maternal and paternal, was ing the sitar and travelled across the sons Vilayat and Imrat. either a vocalist or an instrumental­ world performing and teaching," "After our grandfather's death, ist, music had to be our calling. But says Irshad. she worked hard to ensure that their it also meant carrying the huge res­ The gayaki ang gave a distinctive musical training continued and the ponsibility of the legacy on my slen­ characteristic to the playing of the legacy was carried forward. A strict der teen shoulders. Being the oldest Tracing the legacy Brothers Ustad Nishat Khan, Ustad Wajahat Khan and sitar in the Imdadkhani style; bring- disciplinarian, during our growing of the four, I was the first to be or­ Ustad Irshad Khan up years, she saw to it that we four dained as the torchbearer of a se­ brothers (the youngest Shafaatullah ven-generation musical tradition. At ni baaj traces its roots to Ustad evolved. This includes everything Khan plays the tabla) never skipped that point in life, it truly appeared Sahebdad Khan, a pioneer in every from modifications in the string pat­ our riyaaz," recalls Nishat. daunting. But the bond that I deve­ way. terns, playing the alap to format of Like their father and uncle, who loped with the instrument as a child The style of playing of the sitar the compositions and interacting were individual artistes in their own who could barely hold it, now de­ and surbahar established by the with the tabla," adds Nishat. right, yet presented concerts as to­ fines my wajood (existence). And the gharana is followed even today by When the family shifted base to gether, the brothers have kept up responsibility has turned into a life­ instrumentalists across the world. Etawah near Agra, the gharana also- the family tradition through solo long passion," says sitar exponent "We used to play the dhrupad ang began to be referred to as Etawah. and joint performances. and prolific cross-genre collaborator before the gharana came under the "Our great grandfather and grand­ 'The Fifty Fingers' was an ensem­ Nishat Khan. khayal influence. Successive genera­ father were such celebrated musi­ ble featuring the brothers and their tions kept adding to the style and re­ cians that they were invited by sev­ father. Special concert pertoire with its virtuosity and vi­ eral royal courts such as Indore and "He took great pride in sharing Today at NCPA (National Centre for sion. Ustad Imdad Khan, introduced Calcutta. So they moved from one the stage with us. This ensemble has the Performing Arts), Mumbai, Nish­ jhalas, gats and different types of city to another," informs Irshad, travelled across the globe and per­ at, Irshad and Wajahat will present a strokes in instrumental music," says who performed his first concert at A musical trio' conceit at formed at national and international concert titled 'A musical trio', show­ Irshad Khan, a surbahar exponent. age seven at Mahajati Sadan in festivals. He was extremely happy casing the distinct repertoire of the "Ours should be the only family Calcutta. NCPA is not merely a that the four of us had mastered a Etawah or Imdadkhani gharana. in the world that has documented performance, but an effort different instrument and were It is named after Ustad Imdad the works- of four generations of Popularity of the gharana to highlight the history of a showcasing the beauty of the gha- Khan, the great grandfather of the musicians. This has been crucial in After the death of Ustad Enayat ran in our own way. The Imdadkha­ brothers, who received taleem in si­ the development of the gharana. It Khan at the age of 53, his son Vilayat musical tradition that ni gharana is more a ghar for us that tar and surbahar from his father Us­ shows how the structure and tech­ Khan, along with his brother, took redefined many aspects of binds us together in life and music." tad Sahebdad Khan. The Imdadkha- nique of the instruments have the Imdadkhani gharana to great Hindustani music says Nishat Khan.