Sitar player Ustad Shujaat Khan embarks on a unique musical venture in the Himalayas.
Patting Mojo the boxer lying by his side, Ustad Shujaat Khan, sitar maestro, sighs happily. It’s mid-morning and the musician is taking it easy; feet up, with an easy smile, the start of the summer signalling a break from back-to-back concerts, ushering in evenings to relax with family and friends, replaying old recordings of Ustad Amir Khan or Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, or taking off on long drives. Ustad Shujaat Khan, currently at a peak in his career, is in fact quite relieved to give his fingers, and his sitar, some much-needed rest.
The verandah beyond the living room of his elegant farmhouse in Delhi’s Chattarpur is in full bloom — alas, he sighs, it’ll soon be too hot to enjoy the outdoors. The summer will force a lull in Delhi’s cultural calendar — musicians generally go into hibernation, or travel extensively outside the country for performances. This year, Khan has other plans.
The 49-year-old musician from the Imdadkhani gharana, known for his gentle gayaki ang style, is currently giving shape to a unique initiative called Sounds of Silence. It’s essentially a music tour inviting instrumentalists, vocalists and people with a passion for music to a retreat in Uttaranchal. “I have led a couple of music tours in the US in the past, one to Lake Tahoe, another to Rochester, and a couple of trips in England. Then there was one I organised to Lahore. I feel that we can now make it work in India,” he says. And why not? With a tradition of music so rich, India has always been a hotbed for cultural meetings across disciplines. As Khan puts it, “In India, the exchange of music is most natural.” All you need is a comfortable environment.
Khan’s approach, however, is a departure from the rigidity sometimes attached to classical music. He, instead, prefers to encourage a free flow of music and ideas. The retreat, therefore, will allow music enthusiasts — age and occupation no bar (“One of my students, who’s just seven years old, wants to join in too”) — to learn, listen and enjoy Indian classical music, both instrumental and vocal.
“I want people to discover music for themselves. I don’t need to hardsell it to anybody. This isn’t a commercial initiative,” says Khan firmly. The first week-long tour/retreat, with a group of 10-15 visitors, is planned for July/August this year and will take place at Kanatal, a quiet, accessible spot near Mussoorie in the lower Himalayas. The trip will be a distinct departure from a typical “resort holiday”, explains Khan.
The idea, largely, is to break out of the “agenda”, and to take time off from normally mundane lives to exchange musical notes, and to connect with the traditional methodology of teaching, learning and performing. “People today forget the thought process behind practice,” points out Khan. The tour is loosely structured, with informal instrumental/vocal sessions in the mornings and evenings.
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“Our daily lives are so complicated, I want to make it simple, cutting back on overloading. When you are in a relaxed environment that is not time-bound, so many thoughts just come up, as opposed to when you are working around a 9-10 am music lesson. When you work without an agenda, you realise you were chasing something you don’t really need to chase.” Such as music, which flows easily and effectively when given space and time.
Moreover, it’s the idea of a musical exchange close to nature that appeals to Khan. He grew up in Shimla surrounded by pine trees and believes it’s in the lap of nature that the mind can relax. “During our music sessions, we could be singing, playing instruments, or just talking about things such as the different issues that affect the lives of performing musicians,” says Khan, who mastered his craft under the tutelage of his father, the legendary sitar player Ustad Vilayat Khan. “He was my guru,” says Khan.
This spins the natural query, does the guru-shishya parampara (tradition) hold as strongly any more? Khan answers, “You know, you can be a very good musician without devoting yourself to a guru, but to be a great musician, to be a cut above the rest, you need that level of involvement in the parampara.”
Khan’s effortless style on stage is enough to reveal that he is, indeed, a cut above. The musician is, however, quick to make light of the demigod like status that classical musicians seem to acquire. “On stage, they are meant to create magic, otherwise why would you come and watch them perform? Off stage, however, they are as human as you and I.”
(For details of the tour, check www.shujaatkhan.com)