Living up to a rich legacy
JITENDRA PRATAP
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Concerts by Mujahid Hussain Khan and Jitendra Pal Singh Ladi brightened the Delhi horizon.
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A NEW SPARK: Mujahid Hussain Khan.
Ustad Mujahid Hussain Khan is a leading torchbearer of his illustrious Gwalior-Rampur-Saheswan gharana. He had the good fortune of being trained by his legendary grandfather, the late Ustad Nissar Husain Khan, maternal grandfather, the late Ustad Rashid Ahmed, and his father, the late Ustad Sarfaraz Hussain Khan. Mujahid however had to struggle to make a niche for himself in the world of Hindustani classical music, unlike his cousin Rashid Khan, who seemed to have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Rashid Khan was fortunate to stay close to his maternal granduncle, Ustad Nissar Husain Khan at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata, where the late ustad was a guru-in-residence. The Academy also nurtured young Rashid as one of its scholars, and later on graduated him to the position of guru-in-residence.
Mujahid, on the other hand, had to struggle hard to sustain himself as his father Ustad Sarfaraz Hussain Khan besides being a highly proficient vocalist of his gharana, was himself a very shy and humble person, totally unaware of the modern-day interaction with media and public relations. He was a dedicated and highly respected guru to a large number of his disciples. Because of his simple and kind nature, he was sidetracked by some of his own kin and pushed further into the background. Mujahid worked hard with his daily riyaz early in the morning and late into the night, but spent the entire day imparting music lessons to a large number of his students in order to make ends meet.
Insightful concert
It was a delight to see Mujahid now perform with total confidence, artistic insight, and full understanding of the rich traditions and nuances of his gharana. His performance at the Ustad Yunus Hussain Khan Memorial Society concert at the India Habitat Centre the other day was a big draw, with a large number of older maestros present in the audience. Mujahid opened his recital in the serene raga Jaijaiwanti in its authentic version with the notable features of ragas Nat and Desh, unlike its usual hybrid form with prominent shades of the ragas Gara and Sorath. The slow Ek tala composition (Kaa Kahaa Kal Ho) and the madhya Teen tala piece (Daras Deho) were replete with charmingly inserted phrasings in alap-badhat and taans. The colourful tarana composition of Hazarat Amir Khusaru in raga Shahana was rendered with aplomb, particularly the antara sequence in Persian. The famous Ustad Inayaet Husaain composition in raga Chhayanat (Jhanan Jhanan Jhan Baaje Payaliya) sung on audience request and a charmingly rendered thumri in raga Khamaj came as a pleasing finale to Mujahid's commendable performance of the evening.
He had commendable vocal support from his younger brother Musahid Hussain Khan, with Ustad Mehmood Dholpuri (harmonium) and Ustad Nawab Ali (tabla).
Sarod recital
The sarod recital by young Jitendra Pal Singh Ladi in raga Malkauns was indicative of the sound training he is receiving from sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan.
He has a pleasing touch of his left-hand fingers on the sound plate and bold strokes of the plectrum held in his right hand. Veteran tabla maestro Pandit Subhas Nirwan delighted with his superb accompaniment as well as his several rounds of solo variations.
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