When Ustab Akram Khan's tabla beats merged with the ragas of Azeem Ahmed Alvi's sitar here recently, the ensuing extravaganza was intended as a rhythmic musical tribute to late music legends like U Srinivas and Ravi Shankar among others.
Starting off with Raga Yaman, the duo enthralled audiences at a performance at the Triven Kala Sangam late last evening. Incidentally the event also marked the second time that the musicians performed together.
What made the performance notable was the age differences between the musicians. Alvi is almost half the age of Khan.
"Akram is a very senior and experienced artist. It was commendable of him to keep a low profile and let Azeem take the limelight," said Manjari Sinha, a culture critique and a self-proclaimed rasika.
The 28-year old sitarist, Alvi, who hails from a family of musicians and has trained under legends such as Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan, said, "It is Khan saab's greatness, that he is letting me play with him. I have grown up admiring him."
The two artists also come from very different musical backgrounds. Khan, who belongs to the Ajrada Gharana has trained under the likes of late Ustad Niazu khan and Ustad Ashmat Ali Khan.
The 49-year old artist has previoulsy performed with likes of Ustad Villayat Khan and Shujjat Ali Khan and is also a 'Top grade' All India Radio (AIR) artist.
"I get a lot of energy from my audience during a live performance. Their appreciation, applause and eyes, tell me a lot. That is completely lost in a studio recording," Khan said.
On the other hand, his younger counterpart has forayed into genres such as flamenco, jazz, electronica and sufi and has also worked with Viennese gypsy jazz guitarist Harri Stojka.
"One gets to learn a lot from western artists like Stojka, especially about scales in jazz, which are very much like the ragas in Indian music. At the same time, it is very difficult to please or get any appreciation from western audience," said the sitarist who has recently returned from his 15th European tour with Stojka.
Khan and Alvi had last played together in the year 2011.
"The importance of a good teacher can be best made out by the aesthetics of music a musician has. The seamless merger between a sitraist and a tabla player is the direct influence of a good teacher. All these qualities are present in Azeem," Khan said.
The concert, meant as a tribute to musical legends such as U Srinivas, Sitara Devi and Ravi Shankar, featured a composition by Alvi, comprising taals like 'rupak', 'ektaal' and 'teen taal'.
"This tribute goes out for all legends, be it vocalists or instrumentalists," Khan said.
