08 January,2011 07:14 AM IST | | Aditi Sharma
Ustad Aashish Khan, torchbearer of the Senia Mehar Gharana that was founded by Mian Tansen, will headline Teen Prahar, a festival of unheard raagas
He belongs to a family that traces it's legacy to Swami Haridas, whose disciple Mian Tansen founded the Senia Gharana in the 16th century. The legacy continued with Baba Allaudin Khan Sahib, whose guru was Mohammad Wazir Khan Sahib.
Baba Allaudin's son, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan took the family to newer heights with his interpretation of the Sarod. Today, Ustad Aashish Khan is one of the few performers to be taught by none other than Baba Allaudin.
He represents one of the greatest families of Indian Classical music. A concert featuring Aashish Khan can rightly be termed as legendary.u00a0
Ustad Aashish Khan is known as the greatest Sarod player
alive
Khan, often referred to as the greatest Sarod player alive, believes it was his "good karma" to be born into a family of geniuses though life was quite a struggle for him.
"I went through a very tough time in my life to keep the musical traditions of our family alive because there were some people who didn't wish for our musical heritage to be carried further," he reveals in an email interview.u00a0u00a0
In the '60s, it was Khan's father Ustad Ali Akbar and Pandit Ravi Shankar who worked hard to open international doors for Indian Classical music. In 1967, Khan accompanied his father to the US to teach Classical music to American students.
The exposure inspired him to perform with Western musicians who played Jazz, Rock n Roll and Pop music. Khan has since collaborated with George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, John Barham and many Jazz and Pop musicians. Presently, he is part of two World Music groupsu00a0-- Shringar (with musicians from New Orleans) and The Inner Voyage (with musicians from Salt Lake City, Utah). "It is a long cherished desire to bring my groups to India, to perform a new kind of music," he confides.
As Professor of Indian Classical music at the California Institute of the Arts, and the University of California at Santa Cruz, Khan spends most of his time outside the country. To see him perform live is a privilege. "I love to play for my people here in India. It gives me a different kind of pleasure and satisfaction. After all, I have learnt my music from gurus in India," he concludes.
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Teen Prahar also features performances by the virtuostic violin brothers Ganesh Kumaresh, a World Music concert by Talvin Singh, Rakesh Chaurasia and Abhijit Pohankar and a Benarasi semi classical performance by Pandit Channulal Mishra.
On Today, 5 pm onwards
At Ravindra Natya Mandir near Siddhivinayak Mandir, Sayani Marg, Prabhadevi.
Call 9892132711
Donor Cards Rs 150 and Rs 250
