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PHOTO: R. ESWARRAJ

THE THIN LINE Ustad Amjad Ali Khan: ‘Science has not been able to push the envelope and discover new musical note’

The depth of his existentialist theology has often been drowned by the haunting melodies of his Sarod.

But his grasp on matters that concern the soul are subordinate only to his unparalleled mastery over the instrument he made famous.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khanbared the moral premise that forms the bedrock of his musical prowess.

“Leave religion out of it,” he said referring to the large-scale politicisation of religious beliefs across the globe.

Pointing out that humankind has made tremendous progress in the field of education he questioned the contributions made by education to society at large.

“Perhaps it is good that I have not read much. All this education could not convey to the world that there is one God.

Education could not create compassion, it could not make us better human beings,” he grieved.

“The time has come for priests to stop guiding society,” he said, arguing that religious evangelism had only managed to polarise the world further.

He went as far as to say that religious television channels should be censored as they only manage to deepen the communal chasm.

Hailing music as the panacea of all ills he argued that the simple notes of music had always brought the world together.

“Language creates barriers but music has no language. It just has one pure, incorruptible element and that is sound,” he said.

“I was born on this earth to be a slave to this divine creation called sound. It is the meaning of my life.”

Drifting closer to his domain he shared his perspective on the challenges posed by electronically generated music to traditional forms.

“It simply lacks the human touch. Despite the innovations and mechanisation, science has not been able to push the envelope and discover new musical note,” he said, while dismissing electronic music as “synthetic”.

However, he welcomed the winds of change that have transformed classical music and celebrated the fact that unlike his ancestors, he did not have to perform in the courts of eccentric and ill-informed patrons and Maharajas.

While conceding that classical music was facing extremely challenging times, he expressed satisfaction over the influx of younger musicians into the field.

Offering his advice to budding musicians he said, “The only way for a musician to attain greatness is by surrendering to the powers of the universe.”

SUDIPTO MONDAL

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