Front Page

The passing of a legend

L. Subramaniam

A great shehnai player and a great human being

Chennai: Ustad Bismillah Khan, the legend who made the shehnai internationally known, has passed away, leaving a huge void in the world of Indian music.

I had the pleasure of meeting him in the mid-1970s, during a series of concerts, where we both performed individually.

When I met him, I realised that not only was he the greatest shehnai player but also a great human being. He was simple and had no false airs in spite of his popularity and success.

First collaboration

Subsequently, I was fortunate enough to collaborate with him, both on stage and during recordings. In 1987, I was invited to be an artistic advisor for the Festival of India in Geneva, where I was commissioned to write an orchestral piece for the famous Swiss Romande Orchestra and also put together a roster of artists to perform there.

The very first name that came to my mind was Ustad Bismillah Khan. At that time, it was suggested by Lalit Mansingh that I do a jugalbandi with him in an open air auditorium as a special concert.

I still remember the public sitting on trees and on the rooftops of neighbouring buildings to witness the concert, as all the seats in the auditorium were taken.

I was informed that it was the only collaboration that he did with a Carnatic musician. At that time, he had already released unparalleled jugalbandis with Ustad Vilayat Khan. After the concert the jugalbandi was released as `Live in Geneva'.

Later, in 1996, I invited him to perform for the Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival in several cities, such as Chennai, Bangalore and Delhi, which was coordinated by M.A. Baby and his organisation Swaralaya.

At that time, he travelled with a group of 10 people, so when I went with Varadarajan, the former Culture Secretary, I offered him 10 air tickets.

He was upset and said that they would travel by train so I would save money. Also, he refused to stay in five-star hotels and asked me to book him a room in a small hotel, which he said he was comfortable in. Even his concert fees were very nominal. It was then that I was able to comprehend his affection for me, and also his simplicity.

The Delhi concert was a special for us. The chief guest was President K.R. Narayanan. He was so happy that he continued his performance well past the 45 minutes allotted to him.

Overwhelming success

After the tour, I was so happy with its overwhelming success that I offered him more than he quoted, but he was again upset and refused to accept a penny more. I have never come across an artist with this quality.

In 2004, we had the privilege of conferring the Lakshminarayana International Award on him, which he accepted in Delhi. He was one person who remained the same from the first time I met him till the last. Though he is no longer with us, his music will live on for generations to come.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu