Our rivers are crying foul, and as we make half-hearted efforts to save what remains, a soulful stirring from the strains of Ustad Shujaat Khan’s sitar is what makes his new album, Call of the River. It takes us back to the journey of the river that was, once upon a time, the epitome of meandering beauty.
Call of the River is gentler and even more soothing than your earlier albums. Were the fewer vocals a deliberate choice?
This album is more thematic, so I didn’t feel the need for too many vocals. That would be tying it down too much to a particular region. Call of the River is more about melody.
What gave you the idea of paying tribute to the rivers of our land?
Call of the River was produced in line with earlier albums like Call of the Valley and Call of the Desert. It is the story of the river, from the time it takes form till the very end, and the journey in between. This album puts forth the feeling and emotions a river goes through in the process.
Does the condition of the river today affect the way you view its course?
Always. From the moment it starts — the cleanliness, the innocence, and then the way it takes on people along the way. In holy cities like Benares, it takes the pain of a dead man, while also washing the body of a newborn. I have travelled all over India and seen the river from the time of its conception at Gangotri, drop by drop, changing into a rivulet, taking different forms in Bengal, Himachal Pradesh and so... my thoughts have been put together in this album... We should be ashamed of the way we treat the river.
How long did you take on this album? Was it an easy journey?
It took about six months to complete. As opposed to a lot of people, I don’t think very much. Being over-educated, people tend to over-analyse things. I’m not very highly educated but I rely only on my instinct. So I didn’t run into any blocks. In fact, I was fortunate enough to work with young people on this album, which was exciting for me. Upamanyu Bhanot, who has sequenced and arranged the album, is only 25 and my son, Azaan, on the guitar, is only 19. There are many more youngsters who I got to work with and I enjoyed myself.
You have over 60 albums to your credit. How do you feel when you look back at your work in the last decade?
I am proud of each one of them. They have all rolled out in conjunction with what I’m feeling at the time. Each one turned out differently with age and accumulation of knowledge.
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You are composing pieces for a Bollywood film, Mr Singh/Mrs Mehta. Are the tracks tipping towards semi-classical?
Yes. The film is half art, half mainstream. I have composed six or seven songs for Mr Singh/Mrs Mehta. It should be out in another three or four months. The tracks are like those from a normal Bollywood film — melodious. I’ve got a host of good singers on board — Udit Narayan, Shreya Ghoshal among others.
As a classical artist, how does one keep away from becoming a commercial-classical artist? Or is that an inevitable direction?
One doesn’t need to keep away from it. Commercial music is also difficult to compose and perform. It is great fun, and it is possible to jump from classical to commercial and then back to classical. Just because I slip on trousers doesn’t mean I can’t wear a kurta. It all depends on whether you can carry off trousers.