Shiraz Ali Khan (Sarode) & Mainak Biswas (Tabla) I Raga Kaushi Kanada I Dhaka, Bangladesh

Shiraz Ali Khan (Sarode) & Mainak Biswas (Tabla)

Raga Kaushi Kanada

Venue: Gulshan 1, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Sunday, November 27, 2022

Sharing some memories from an interview for "The Hindu"

Could you share some anecdotes about your legendary grandfather Ustad Ali Akbar Khan?

My grandfather was a quiet person; his music spoke for him. He taught me many compositions in several ragas, and insisted that I develop an emotional connect with them to strike a chord with the listeners. Since the gayaki method is followed in the Seniya gharana, my grandfather used the same technique. He would sing and teach us the basics and then take over the instrument to demonstrate. A Gurumukhi approach: I listened, observed and played. This gharana stands for its melody. The world knows about the geniuses like my grandfather, Annapurna Devi ji, Pt Ravi Shankar, Pt Nikhil Banerjee, Pt VG Jog and others. They brought much acclaim to the gharana.

What are the characteristic features of the Seniya Beenkar and Seniya Rababiya gharana and how did it evolve?

As far as my understanding goes, the word Seniya came from Mian Tansen. His descendants started calling themselves Seniyas and that is how the ‘Seniya gharana’ came into being. The Seniya gharana became the precursor to all gharanas – vocal or instrumental. After Tansen’s death it formed three branches — Seniya gharana (specialising in Dhrupad), Seniya Beenkar gharana and Seniya Rababiya gharana. The focus was three instruments — Been, Rabab and Sursringar.

How do you keep the traditional elements intact in your performances?
I look up to my guru and uncle, Aashish Khan for guidance to help keep our style of music alive. The teachings don’t just happen in the classrooms and often carry on to live performances when I learn a new way of approaching the tradition of our gharana. It is a continuous learning process and this is just the beginning. I still have miles to go.

Courtesy: Chitra Swaminathan

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