Peep into the Ustad's fascinating world
GOWRI RAMNARAYAN
|
Shafqat Ali Khan presented an endearing performance recently.
|
AN IMPOSING SWEEP: Shafqat Ali Khan
"My voice has just warmed up, but it's time to end,'' rued Shafqat Ali Khan, as he plunged into his last piece of the evening, in Darbari Kanada, composed by Sufi saint Amir Khusro. It was no simple tarana, the raag was unfolded with majesty and grandeur.
Shafqat Ali Khan's exhaustive training in the Shamchaurasi gharana enabled him to indicate its imposing sweep within the short time span. The ustad also used the sprightly tarana form for a no-holds-barred display of technique, in increasing speeds of a five-beat cycle. But the virtuosity did not jar, nor was the crescendo a gaudy show.
Superb
Respect for the audience made the young Pakistani singer's performance an endearing event at the 80th birthday celebrations of Dr. M. S. Swaminathan. From start to finish, the ustad was eager to let you into his world, filled with superb taiyyari, blitzkrieg taans, thundering layakari, swara rills, or resonant alaap. The evening began with raag Rageshri, more imperious than romantic, in medium paced alaap, rendered in the dhrupad style to salute an older tradition in his family. The khayal which followed in the same raag in teen taal ``Dhan, dhan...piya more ghar ayo'' focussed more on technique than emotional content. ``Saiyan bina ghar suna" brought a change of mood.
The singer became involved with the way Pahadi accented the plaintive words, drawing notes beyond the raag's usual scale, but making them fit spontaneously into his design. The care for the lyric was evident here, as throughout the recital, in khyal - or kaafi, here not the raag, but a verse genre of that name.
Shafqat Ali Khan's ghazal singing is a concession to the times. But how different is his handling from the popular format! Ghalib's ``Dile nadaan" was tinted with raga and swara from a classical palette.
Iqbal's ``Tere ishq ka intahan chahta hoon" was marked by a terrific sense of timing, flashing into hidden nooks, its little alaap prelude squeezing out the essence from the Yaman notes.
Baba Farid's verses (``Ishq anokhdi peere'') were sung in the traditional Sindhi Bhairavi, followed by a more familiar Bhairavi rendering.
Kashif Ali Khan did not have an easy time, his tabla was called upon to underline, shade, frame and contrast the voice, which he did with a quiet, anticipatory control.
Sporting a tie the harmonium player Sanjay Deshmukh, executed a double role in the conference as scientist, and musical accompanist.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Entertainment
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
