Blows can be blessings!
R. BALAJI
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Learning the instrument at a tender age, the young artiste has carved a niche for himself.
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Sarwar Hussein has a musical heritage of five generations.
As a 14-year-old boy, his joy knew no bounds when he received the coveted "Man of the Match" award from the hands of the three cricketing greats — Kapil Dev, K. Srikanth and M.A.K. Pataudi.
The boy, Sarwar Hussein, a diehard cricket buff had picked up four wickets by conceding just six runs to win the award at a local tournament in Bhopal in 1994, where the three former Indian captains were guests of honour.
Exulted with the twin joy, the boy rushed home to display his proud trophy and share the experiences. But, back home, it was a hot reception as grandfather Ustad Abdul Latif Khan the legendry sarangi player, grabbed a baton and rained blows repeatedly, until others intervened to defuse the matter.
"My grandfather wanted me to take up our ancestral vocation of music as he felt that cricket was not going to fetch me bread and butter," says Sarwar.
Though the blows were painful and unforgettable, Sarwar feels that the whacking he got from dadaji (grandpa) was a "blessing in disguise." "Perhaps, if it wasn't for those beatings, I wouldn't have made it so big in the music industry," muses the 24-year-old popular sarangi player from Madhya Pradesh's Gohad district.
Up-and-coming artiste
An accomplished and promising younger generation musician, Sarwar Hussein has a musical heritage of five generations. If his father Anwar Hussein was a popular ghazal singer, his grandfather Ustad Abdul Latif Khan was a renowned sarangi player.
The taaleem (teachings) he received from his illustrious grandfather is clearly reflected in Sarwar's virtuosity in playing the instrument. His playing embodies the intricate delicacy and rare techniques of using the fingernails to play the classical Hindustani ragas on the ancient instrument.
As a 11-year-old boy, he made his solo debut at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (N.C.P.A.) drawing accolades from a huge gathering of celebrated musicians. Since then, he had performed at several important concerts like Sarangi seminar (Mumbai), Saptak Samaroh (Ahmedabad), Swarna Samaroh (Delhi), and Tansen Samaroh (Gwalior). He was presented with the prestigious `Sur Mani' award at the 1998 Swami Haridas Sammelan.
Keen on films
"Every field, including music, has its own charm; but much depends on on the ingenuity of the performer. Look, at Shah Rukh Khan, he neither has good looks nor a gym-toned body. But he has mesmerised people with his sheer acting skills," says Sarwar who feels that a good artiste can always bring glory to a particular art.
The young sarangi wizard names Amir Khusro, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Nirmala Devi, Kishori Amankar, Ulhash Shaikar, Hariharan and (mandolin) U. Srinivas his favourite musicians.
On his interest in films, he says, "I haven't been approached by anyone so far. But if there is a good offer, I would definitely love to do it."
Though grandpa's beatings are still fresh in his mind, Anwar, however, confesses that he continues to be a diehard cricket fan. "Even today, when I go on concerts, I ensure that the hotels room where I stay has a good TV set to watch the cricket matches," he adds wryly.
A recipient of several awards including the first prize at the South Central Zone Cultural Centre (SCZCC), Sarwar has represented India in South Korea in 1997 and performed at a number of shows in the U.S. and S. Korea.
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Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
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