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Photo: R. Ravindran

Thumping success Zakir Hussain in concert.

“Rarely does a tabla player get to offer homage to legends like Ustad Amir Khan through a solo concert,” conceded Ustad Zakir Hussain, while Kolkata probably for the first time saw the brightest star of Indian classical music share a platform with a relative non-entity. The aficionados were aghast at the contrast offered by the opening vocalist of ‘Sur-Rang 2008’ organised by Ustad Amir Khan Memorial Foundation at Kala Mandir and patiently waited for the second half of the evening.

When the cherished moment arrived, the impeccable tabla wizard let young Dilshad Khan’s brilliant sarangi create the desired mood before his high-pitched tabla (replacing his usual low-pitched one for solo) commenced badhat-like slow progression, in the Amirkhani style, very gently with superbly modulated soft bols like ghe, tun, na, ka, etc. This warming-up was a display of stupendous technical virtuosity, at times transforming mundane sounds of life into poetry. Giving equal emphasis on the bayaan (the left drum of the pair), he blended Benaras elements with his Punjab style immaculately.

Choosing to present the favourite ragas of the legendary vocalist, Pandit Tejendra Narayan Majumdar’s sensitive sarod literally sang Marwa. The meend-laden key phrases exuded the raga’s inherent pathos, the dhamar, accompanied by Abhijit Banerjee’s broad-faced tabla emitted power, and the concluding zilla showcased delicate ornamental sarod-baaj. Pandits Rajan-Sajan Mishra, the famed singing duo of the Benaras gharana, offered Malkauns as a grand finale.

Shahbaaz Khan, the actor son of Ustad Amir Khan, screened a touching documentary with original footage of his father’s recitals and interviews and released an audio CD containing some of his archival recordings.

The mores of buying slots in television channels has seeped into the classical arena now. The most talked-about event of Kolkata probably introduced this by entertaining unknown talents backed by sponsors. While these aspirants run after companies, the corporate sector chases the renowned. As a result, the same stars are invited year after year.

Then, there are those with power and organisational aid who facilitate the ‘give and take’ mode. Sur-Rang had set foot in Kolkata in 2007 supported by Amit Mukerji, the then director of ITC SRA. A smug contender himself, Mukerji could do wonders with an easy access to the rich archival collection of records and books like the one by Pandit Tejpal Singh with notated compositions as sung by Amir Khan, his ustad. But his recital that opened this otherwise grand two-day soiree proved once again that, even among the amateurs belonging to the huge Indore clan or Amirkhani cult of Bengal, he remains a tot. The only perceptible redeeming factor was that Mukerji’s voice could traverse the middle octave without strain this time.

In Kolkata every second music lover, led by an amazingly agile octogenarian vocalist Pandit Amiya Ranjan Banerjee, is a die-hard devotee of ‘Sur-Rang’, the inimitable path breaking musician of musicians. So why settle for any less?

•Sur-Rang is the pseudonym of Ustad Amir Khan, who was a great lyricist-composer as well.

•Shahbaaz Khan lost his father when he was eight. By his

own admittance, he kept away from classical music ever since.

•Inspired and supported by some well-wishers, he is now

collecting archival material pertaining to his legendary father

and plans to organise music festivals more often including

ghazals and lighter genres.

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