New interviews with Ravi Shankar, Shujaat Khan, Imrat Khan, Amjad Ali, etc.
Ajaitaal
SteveBh...@gmail.com
for paying tribute to fathers..... yet he's so busy making a name in
the expense of his much more illustrious cousin Shahid Perwez.......
Shujaat is a gr8 example of a jealous man
>>>
Shujaat......boy...you need to take a life.......practice hard and
play.......stay focussed on music.......none will accept you as a good
sitarist if you are so jealous of your own cousin Shahid
Perwez.............Shujaat, you have reached such a stagnation even
Nishat and Irshad are playing better than you..leave alone Shahid
Perwez......your father Vilayat Khan would have wanted you to be in
the right path and we hear from Imrat Khan you never had that respect
for your father that's why you moved out when you were
15.......Vilayat Khan knew you were short in talim as he has said so
many times....but your arrogance let you down.....go and first learn
from Imrat Khan or Rais Khan or even Shahid Perwez....that would be of
immense help to you....first purify yourself before purifying the
world.........
Akhil
very much sure that he is misinformed about the whole issue and his
allegations about his elder cousin Ustad Shahid Parvez is totally
false.
1> The great Ust Vilayat Khan was a genius and his contribution to
sitar is immense and unsurpassed. Never has Ust Shahid Parvez
entertained anyone who has questioned Ust Vilayat Khan's contribution
to music. In fact, he never gets tired of praising Ust Vilayat Khan's
music, be it in public or within his close circle. Ust Shahid Parvez,
as I personally know him, is a very simple and honest person and he
will be the first person to protest if ever Ust Vilayat Khan's musical
genius is questioned. Also he has often said on stage and in public
that he has drawn inspiration from the music of Ust Amir Khan, Ust
Vilayat Khan and Ust Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.
2> Ust Shahid Parvez has never, I repeat, never ever claimed that
he is the creator of the 'Gayaki Ang', as falsely alleged by his
younger cousin Shujat. In fact, Ust Shahid Parvez believes that
"Gayaki Ang' is the greatest gift of Ust Vilayat Khan to sitar.
3> Ust Shahid Parvez has never ever claimed that he is the creator
of the specific stroke-pattern as alleged in the interview by
Shujatbhai. Actually the mentioned stroke-pattern, the world knows, is
the invention of Ust Shahid Parvez's great-grandfather Ust Imdad Khan;
and his grandfather Ust Wahid Khan, Vilayat Khansahib's uncle and
Guru, has also used it in his playing. Ust Shahid Parvez has
extensively uses that particular stroke-pattern in all his recitals,
which is a very remarkable thing because it is indeed the most
difficult stroke to master.
4> Coming to the 'structure of the sitar', the world knows that
the normal (so-called) 'Gandhar-Pancham' sitar is the innovation of
Ust Vilayat Khan, and these sitars are manufactured in the make of Ust
Vilayat Khan's sitar. Shujatbhai's allegation in this regard is also
baseless. The old sitar Ust Shahid Parvez used was the sitar of Ust
Aziz Khan, his father and Guru, who inherited it from his father Ust
Wahid Khan. The sitar that Ust Shahid Parvez now uses is a customized
sitar manufactured by Yusuf Mirajkar and this sitar is not of the same
measurement and tone as a normal 'Gandhar-Pancham' sitar. Actually, he
has researched a lot on this subject and he made this sitar to suit
his playing-style and 'Mizaj'. Having said that, Ust Shahid Parvez has
never claimed that the normal 'Gandhar-Pancham' sitar is his
contribution. In fact, he believes that this sitar is the result of
Ust Vilayat Khan's endeavour to play khayal-style gayaki on the
sitar.
5> Ust Shahid Parvez is a true musician and has never bothered
about trivial issues such as "who was the first to use the ebony
bridge on the sitar'. As a matter of fact, the bridge Ust Shahid
Parvez uses is not even 'ebony'. 'Ebony' is a type of wood, while the
black bridge he uses for quite sometime is not made of wood but of a
synthetic material.
6> Ust Shahid Parvez has always acknowledged Ust Vilayat Khan's
inspiration in his music, but Ust Vilayat Khan has never given him
'Talim'. It is a totally false allegation made by Shujatbhai that his
elder cousin has learned from Ust Vilayat Khan sitting alongside him
with the sitar in hand. Ust Shahid Parvez's Guru is his father Ust
Aziz Khan and also his own uncle Ust Hafiz Khan.
7> God knows why Shujatbhai is giving emphasis on some Anwar
Khurshid's words when the one and only official website of Ust Shahid
Parvez is present and there all the authentic information about the
Ustad and his Khandan and views & news can be accessed. I definitely
know Ust Shahid Parvez has a school but its name is "Ustad Aziz Khan
Memorial School of Music" and no branch of it is situated in Toronto
as of now. Ust Shahid Parvez is not even associated with the Toronto
Sitar School, which Shujatbhai says belongs to Ust Shahid Parvez. I
have corroborated this fact with quite a few of his trusted students
and I have come to know that this Anwar Khurshid is a reject of Ust
Shahid Parvez and is in no way related to Ust Shahid Parvez, leave
aside being close to him. The Toronto Sitar School website is the
website of Anwar Khurshid only and not Ust Shahid Parvez's and any
comment posted in that website doesn't necessarily represent Ust
Shahid Parvez's views, even a layman can understand. To know more
about Ust Shahid Parvez's views it's better to visit his website
www.shahidparvezkhan.com.
8> Ustad Shahid Parvez has never bothered about self-promotion or
publicity and such a highly busy artiste like him need not beg for
concerts. Concerts come to him, not the other way round. Leave aside
unnecessary bickering and brawls, whenever Ust Shahid Parvez has been
asked about his cousins, he has said that all his younger brothers
including Shujat, Nishad, Irshad, Wajahat are talented and have the
caliber to uphold the legacy of the family. His father Ust Aziz Khan
has given him 'Talim' in such a way and he knows how to respect
others. You will hear good words in his interviews and not false
allegations. Actually a great musician is always confident about his
own abilities and they never worry about competition. In Ust Shahid
Parvez's words, "Competition is for the mediocre, not for the Elite".
He has proved himself to be one of the Elite and Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma,
Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Ust Zakir Hussain have all praised Ust
Shahid Parvez in their own interviews. Celebrated veteran Veenkar
maestro Ust Asad Ali Khan has publicly stated "ye Vilayat Kha ka
jawani ka Sitar tha" while describing Ust Shahid Parvez's music. The
renowned vocalist of Delhi Gharana Ust Nasir Ahmed has said the same
thing about Ust Shahid Parvez. Eminent sarod maestro Pt Budhadev Das
Gupta narrates on stage how many years ago, the first time he heard
Ust Shahid Parvez's recording he mistook it as that of the legendary
Ust Vilayat Khan, such is the virtuosity of Ust Shahid Parvez he says.
Ust Zakir Hussain, in his interview has referred to him as a genius
and predicts that Ust Shahid Parvez will be remembered as a legend of
his generation. Although he has received such critical acclaim from
such great musicians, Ust Shahid Parvez has remained down-to-earth and
has always said that Ust Vilayat Khan was a great genius whose
contribution to sitar is immense and there will never be another Ust
Vilayat Khan again, and this is sincerely what he believes from the
bottom of his heart as he has mentioned in innumerable occasions.
The above article is the least I can do to defend this great musician
and a gem of a person i.e., Ust Shahid Parvez from being wrongly
vindicated. I have been to a lot of his concerts where he has openly
praised Ust Vilayat Khan and talked about his inspiration and have met
many of his trusted students who have given me authentic information
about him. I have personally seen him from close range and I was truly
blown away by his humble attitude. Hope this will help you to better
understand this Maestro and pure gentleman.
Thanks,
Akhil
Bless you.
Sitariya
New generation of Sitar war !!
bdixit
generating these types of storms in the future. It serves no good
purpose ..................BND
fskhan
> Khurshid's words when the one and only official website of Ust Shahid
> Parvez is present and there all the authentic information about the
> Ustad and his Khandan and views & news can be accessed. I definitely
> know Ust Shahid Parvez has a school but its name is "Ustad Aziz Khan
> Memorial School of Music" and no branch of it is situated in Toronto
> as of now. Ust Shahid Parvez is not even associated with the Toronto
> Sitar School, which Shujatbhai says belongs to Ust Shahid Parvez. I
> have corroborated this fact with quite a few of his trusted students
> and I have come to know that this Anwar Khurshid is a reject of Ust
> Shahid Parvez and is in no way related to Ust Shahid Parvez, leave
> aside being close to him. The Toronto Sitar School website is the
> website of Anwar Khurshid only and not Ust Shahid Parvez's and any
> comment posted in that website doesn't necessarily represent Ust
> Shahid Parvez's views, even a layman can understand. To know more
> about Ust Shahid Parvez's views it's better to visit his websitewww.shahidparvezkhan.com.
>
I am not sure if what you are saying is true. I know Shahid bhai has
taught there for many years on a very regular basis. you dont need to
have an "official branch" to be associated with this toronto school.
infact i have a dvd of shahid bhai playing there which i bought from
the school as they were the only ones selling it.
I have great respect for Shahid bhai and i know Shujaat can be
temeramental sometimes but surely there is no need to go bickering
publicly. we all saw the same after Vilayat Khan's death between Imrat
Khan and Shujaat.
Lets concentrate on music and forget individual issues.
fsk
Samii
"...............His Father & Guru, Ustad Aziz Khan, trained Ustad
Shahid Parvez Khan up to the age of 15-16 years. His father
prematurely passed away when he was that age. He was also trained by
his own Vocalist and Surbahari uncle Ustad Hafeez Khan (H Khan
Mastana). Both his uncle and father were highly trained musicians.
Ustad Waheed Khansahab was a great Surbahari but he was also an
equally great Sitariya. His recordings of Piloo (Drut Gat) and
Khammaj
(Vilambit Gat-toda) are great examples of his virtuosity. He trained
one of his sons in Surbahar and the other in Sitar. Ustad Waheed
Khansahab lived into his ripe old age and Ustad Hafeez Khan and Ustad
Aziz Khan were the eldest sons of the Khan family, so it's not
surprising that his sons got a huge amount of 'Khandani Taleem' from
him.
Ustad Hafeez Khan was not just a Classical Vocalist and Surbahari
but he was one of the foremost and celebrated singers of the pre-
Mohammed Rafi era. Although Ustad Aziz Khan was a very competent
Sitariya he never took it up as his profession, nor did he earn his
bread by commercially teaching students. He was a top-notch music-
composer of his time and that was his profession. However, contrary
to
what some believe, Ustad Aziz Khan had students other than his
foremost disciple and son Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan. I personally know
one of them who is a sitarist from Delhi and has learned sitar from
Ustad Aziz Khan alongside Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan.
Ustad Aziz Khan was very strict and demanding and the kind of
intense riyaz he has made his son do, the goals and rules he had set
before him are largely responsible for what Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan
is today. 'Taleem' doesn't mean just teaching a few paltaas, sargams
or ragas, but one of the most important things about 'Taleem' is
teaching 'Tameez' or the way to present oneself before others. It is
because of Ustad Aziz Khan's 'Taleem' that Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan
has learned not just the Khandani Gat-Todas, Paltaas of the Ragas but
also the lesson to remain humble as a man and honest to the art.
Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan, among numerous other national and
international awards, is the first and youngest Sitariya of his
generation to have been awarded with the highest, non-political
musical honour of India. His Music has been highly appreciated not
just by the masses but also by the Masters. But Ustad Shahid Parvez
Khan has never given importance to achievements; instead he has
always
remained down-to-earth, humble and honest.
To this 'Taleem' of his Father Ustad Aziz Khan, Ustad Shahid
Parvez Khan has adopted techniques from musicians who inspired him,
including the great Ustad Vilayat Khansahab. As I have seen infinite
times, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan is never short of praise when he
speaks fondly about Vilayat Khansahab's music, and he has always
acknowledged Vilayat Khansahab's inspiration in his music. The other
day, at the recent Kolkata Workshop, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan
masterly
executed a super difficult Drut Gat of Ustad Enayat Khansahab (with
DR-
R bol) and observed that - 'sirf Vilayat Khansahab k haath mein hi ye
baj sakhta tha', and it was so sad that Vilayat Khansahab was no
more.
From the above sentence, I hope you will understand what love and
respect he has always had for Ustad Vilayat Khan. However, I must
emphasis, Vilayat Khansahab has inspired him, but he is not his Guru,
Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan has always respected Vilayat Khansahab as
"Guru-Saman' but never got Taleem from him.
Coming back to Ustad Aziz Khansahab, I will request all to please
read the memoirs of respected musician Pandit D.T. Joshi, one of the
senior-most and bona fide disciples of Ustad Enayat Khansahab (father
of Vilayat Khansahab) and Aftab-e-Mausiki Ustad Faiyaz Khansahab.
Those who have read it will know that Joshiji has mentioned both the
names of Ustad Hafeez Khan (Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan's uncle) and
Ustad Aziz Khan (Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan's father and Guru) as
musicians with whom he has practiced a lot. So, from there also the
reader will come to know that Ustad Aziz Khan was a musician.
However, we don't feel there is a need for third party assurance
in this regard; Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan, through his work and music,
is singularly enough to prove that his Father and Guru Ustad Aziz
Khan
was a musician of caliber.
What was Vilayat Khansahab's view about this?
.
.
Ustad Vilayat Khansahab, in his bio, 'Komal Gandhar' has actually
named people who have received Taleem from him, sitting in front of
him with the sitar in hand. Please go through it, you will get
valuable insight.
For those who haven't , do note there has been not a single referance
about Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan being his student at all.
However mainly overtly and sometimes covertly he has named the
following people as his Shahgirds, whom he has given taleem -------
Ustad Imrat Khansahab and his sons,
Ustad Rais Khansahab,
his elder son Ustad Shujaat Khan
and younger son Hidayatji,
Pandit Arvind Parikh,
Smt Kalyani Roy,
and one Mr. Sandeep.
No where has Ustad Vilayat Khansahab said that Ustad Shahid Parvez
Khan is his student.
.
.
In quite a few TV programmes compered by Ustad Vilayat Khansahab,
Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan has performed, where Ustad Vilayat Khansahab
has himself talked about Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan.
There he had introduced him as only his nephew, but not a single time
has he said that Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan is his student or disciple
or Shahgird............."
I hv quoted a reply by one of Shahidjee's most trusted shahgirds,
whom
I have consulted with queries about Shahidjee's guru.
regards
Samii
Steven Bhullar Sr
....oooookkkkkk.........so I was right .....Shujaat is after cheap
publicity......is this Vilayat Khan's son??????????
wanna see this ????
that Purbayan.., Shujaat was talking about, has responded to the
allegations thrown at him by Shujat. I got it through google alerts
and man....do you know what Purbayan has said......he said.....he is
influenced by Shahid Parwez like most of the sitarists of his
generation (Shahidji is a great influence on many of us contemporary
sitar players. - he said) ....he has also said he never claimed being
a student of Nikhil, as Shujaat has alleged.....he has also denied
playing Shujaat's music...man this Shujaat lad is totally frustrated
and really jealous after seeing Shahid Parwez reach the pinnacle of
success.......he does he not play and prove his point instead of
abusing others....
go through his interview:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2179055.cms
Steve
Steven Bhullar Sr
Sitariya wrote --
> New generation of Sitar war !!
man... at least 2 parties are needed to participate in a war.....this
has only been a case of severe abuse.....
an......you know what Shujaat will never go for a Sitar war with
Shahid Parwez.....Shujaat is cunning and knows his limitations. ;)
Steve
Steven Bhullar Sr
> I am not sure if what you are saying is true. I know Shahid bhai has
> taught there for many years on a very regular basis. you dont need to
> have an "official branch" to be associated with this toronto school.
> infact i have a dvd of shahid bhai playing there which i bought from
> the school as they were the only ones selling it.
hey.... even if we assume for the sake of argument Shahid Parwez
teaches now also (though I have found out he doesnt), does that mean
he has to question Vilayat Khan's legacy since the director of that
Toronto school, who has once learned from Shahid Parwez, questions
Vilayat Khan's legacy, as alleged by Shujaat???????
fskhan wrote :
> I have great respect for Shahid bhai and i know Shujaat can be
> temeramental sometimes but surely there is no need to go bickering
> publicly. we all saw the same after Vilayat Khan's death between Imrat
> Khan and Shujaat.
buddy.... if we all go by your logic...... then Shujaat has the right
to abuse anybody.......that is..whenever he gets
'temperamental' (which he often gets) he has the born right to abuse
and humiliate anybody and everybody even his seniors like his father
Vilayat Khan, uncle Imrat Khan or elder cousin Shahid Parwez.
please clarify, do you want to say, the eternal rules can be tweaked
only for a person (read Shujaat) and the unfortunate people who will
be abused will have to accept that.......strange, isn't it.....
an... who's bickering in this case...it's only Shujaat....have you
read Shahid Parwez abusing his family members in
interviews..........has Shahid Parwez abuse anybody in reply....Nah.
faskhan wrote:
> Lets concentrate on music and forget individual issues.
dear pal, who are you to tell us to forget individual issues?????? You
feel this is an individual issue. Shujaat has hurt the sentiments of
all of us who love good music by insulting such a maestro musician
like Shahid Parwez.......do you mean to say Shujaat will say any
rubbish he wishes to say to gain cheap publicity and every one of us
should remain silent ????????????????????
may be you can remain silent, not me man........ what's wrong is
always wrong & it's wrong for all...
Shahid Parwez has not responded up till now...so he never will......I
understand he is too busy with music to reply to someone's
crap....there is a chance that he doesnt even know about this at
all............ but we, the listeners of music and the readers of
RMIC, are not that much busy.... we can protest.....may good
prevail....
Steve
Steven Bhullar Sr
> I hope Kavita does not get involved in
> generating these types of storms in the future. It serves no good
> purpose ..................BND
I agree you BND
Read this -
I looked up the internet....
an....... know what I found Kavita Chibber, the interviewer, is
closely associated with Shujaat and even has sung a few duet songs
with him.
See what Shujaat has to say about Kavita Chibber >>
"The funny thing is that we often don't like the same people, and I
speak my mind and at times am a little too out spoken, but till date
she has never misunderstood or misconstrued anything I've said on or
off record.
I have met thousands of people in my life time, but there are only a
small handful of people I trust totally and call my friend. Kavita is
one of them."
this I got from Kavita Chibber's site only.....
http://www.kavitachhibber.com/main/main.jsp?id=Celebspeak
Doing something for a friend is fine but at the expense of a respected
figure loved by many.... wrongly throwing baseless and distasteful
allegations at others......is it worth doing for a friendship.
Steve
Ajaitaal
wrote:
> I agree you BND
> Read this -
> I looked up the internet....
> an....... know what I found Kavita Chibber, the interviewer, is
> closely associated with Shujaat and even has sung a few duet songs
> with him.
Look closer and you will also see that Ms. Chhibber has interviewed
Shahid Pervez, and I know firsthand that he is fond of her... he
greeted her with great warmth the last time they met. You will also
see that she's interviewed Imrat Khan (Shujaat's supposed Uncle-
nemesis). Imrat Khan is very fond of Kavita as well... in fact, Ravi
Shankar and his wife (aka "That other gharana") are also good friends
of hers. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and sons consider her like family. Her
subjects have controversial things to say, but this only reflects on
her ability to bring out their most candid side.
> See what Shujaat has to say about Kavita Chibber >>
> "The funny thing is that we often don't like the same people, and I
> speak my mind and at times am a little too out spoken, but till date
> she has never misunderstood or misconstrued anything I've said on or
> off record.
> I have met thousands of people in my life time, but there are only a
> small handful of people I trust totally and call my friend. Kavita is
> one of them."
>
> this I got from Kavita Chibber's site only.....http://www.kavitachhibber.com/main/main.jsp?id=Celebspeak
Scroll further down and you'll see Uncle Imrat Khansahib also
bestowing his blessings. There is no way any of these musicians would
be so candid if she could not establish a comfort level with them. The
music is beautiful and interesting, but the musicians behind it are
also fascinating studies... all of these geniuses have very human
sides with egos, insecurities, etc.
> Doing something for a friend is fine but at the expense of a respected
> figure loved by many.... wrongly throwing baseless and distasteful
> allegations at others......is it worth doing for a friendship.
There is no "expense" here. Simply an interviewee who has stated an
opinion for the record. If it is truly "baseless" or "distasteful", it
may be either be refuted or simply ignored. I sincerely doubt that
Shahid Pervez will lose future concert bookings due to this
"scandalous" uproar on a low-level activity newsgroup. I also don't
think that Shujaat's popularity will skyrocket as a result of his
opinions... on the contrary, he has opened himself up to criticism. If
one truly wants to know the truth, we could put the artists in a room
together and have them reminisce at length about their respective
taleem, riyaaz and shishya-ship. The cousins, despite these minor
differences (and they really are very minor if you think about it),
have immense regard and respect for each other's musicianship and
artistry. Shujaat Khan regards his cousin to be a tremendous musician,
as any of his disciples will attest. To use words like "insults" or
"abuse" is hyperbole. There is no question of "good" or "evil"... only
truth and fairness. There is also no need to add twenty exclamation
points or question marks to the end of sentences either.
So... for the record, what WAS Vilayat Khan's view about this?
Unfortunately we cannot ask the departed Ustad, but in a 1996
interview he talks about the progress of HIS DISCIPLES:
"Q: And what are you doing now?
A: Presently I'm at Princeton, NJ USA. I have several disciples and
they are progressing very well. My sons Shujaat and Hidayat are doing
well, as is my nephew Shahid Pervez. Then my senior disciples are well
known."
It's here: http://www.angelfire.com/folk/cultureindia/vilayat.htm
Ustad Imrat Khan's opinion from a 2005 interview:
"The outstanding sitar players that you see today are my nephews
Shujaat and Shahid and my sons, trained by bhaiya and me, and perhaps
Budhaditya Mukherjee who is a student of our gharana."
It's here: http://www.kavitachhibber.com/main/main.jsp?id=imrat_khan
Instead of getting second-hand answers from Shagirds and chamchas, a
simple question directly to Shahid Pervez would be ideal... and I hope
he himself gets a chance to answer it and set the record straight some
day. It's a valid question that is very much related to his music, and
even more related to the sitar legacy and tradition itself which is
larger than all of these cousins.
Town Crier
To which, on Jul 12, 10:36 am, Ajaitaal <AJait...@aol.com> added:
>
> I know firsthand that (Shahid Parvez) is fond of (Kavita Chhibber)...
> Imrat Khan is very fond of Kavita as well...
> Shankar and his wife (aka "That other gharana") are also good friends
> of hers. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and sons consider her like family.
To me, the bottom line seems to be - smart artists keep media persons
in good humour.
DG
Samii
many of us feel that there is no conspiracy theory attached with this
interview. we understand your point but surely there is no need to
over react(plz dont mind)
Also if the interviewee has good ties with the media, then what's bad?
Ajaitaal wrote:
> Look closer and you will also see that Ms. Chhibber has interviewed
> Shahid Pervez, and I know firsthand that he is fond of her... he
> greeted her with great warmth the last time they met.
Ajaitaal, even I have personally met Ustad Shahid Parvez jee and he
greeted me with great warmth. I was just.......overwhelmed. Can such a
great musician be such a humble person!! I feel it's his nature to be
polite and humble. That is one of the reasons why I responded to this
interview. Shahidjee keeps himself away from the media and only
worries about music, as I have found out. I feel Shahidjee should
utilize the media more like for example Pandit Ravi Shankar jee.
Ajaitaal wrote:
> Shujaat Khan regards his cousin to be a tremendous musician,
> as any of his disciples will attest.
When one is a tremendous musician, people accept that, as Shujaatjee
has done. We have a tendency to believe that past is always superior
than the present. That's the only reason why, perhaps, I believe
Shahidjee is somewhat under-rated. Otherwise, the virtuosty he shows
in his music is enough to put him in the bracket of Pt Ravi Shankar
and U Vilayat Khan.
Ajaitaal wrote:
> So... for the record, what WAS Vilayat Khan's view about this?
>
> Unfortunately we cannot ask the departed Ustad, but in a 1996
> interview he talks about the progress of HIS DISCIPLES:
>
> "Q: And what are you doing now?
>
> A: Presently I'm at Princeton, NJ USA. I have several disciples and
> they are progressing very well. My sons Shujaat and Hidayat are doing
> well, as is my nephew Shahid Pervez. Then my senior disciples are well
> known."
>
> It's here:http://www.angelfire.com/folk/cultureindia/vilayat.htm
The answer of UVK proves nothing, because it doesn't prove he has
taught Ustad Shahid Parvez (USP). Perhaps, "Presently I'm at
Princeton, NJ USA." is the bit that answers the Q.
See, if anybody from Imdadkhani family mentions Shujaatjee's or
Nishatjee's names(here even Hidayat Khan's name is also mentioned) as
someone doing well, one cant forget to mention Shahidjee's name first.
It has been the case there.
Also in the same interview, UVK says he was influenced by BALARAM
PATHAK.
Tell me dont you feel there has been an error in translating. Infact,
the influence may have been the other way round. Pt Balaram Pathak was
born in 1926 in UP,gave his first public performance in 1938 and he
died in 1991. He was not even senior to UVK in age.
Also take a look at this photo of both UVK and Balaram Pathak in one
frame and you will understand the dynamics:--
http://www.el-horto.hu/members/lives/pathak/index.html
In so many places where both UVK and USP were persent together, UVK
hasn't said USP is his student, so it's good for me to understand. USP
says his Guru is his father Ustad Aziz Khan and inspirations UVK,
Ustad Amir Khan and UBAK. Many things point out that it is the truth.
Ajaitaal wrote:
> Ustad Imrat Khan's opinion from a 2005 interview:
>
> "The outstanding sitar players that you see today are my nephews
> Shujaat and Shahid and my sons, trained by bhaiya and me, and perhaps
> Budhaditya Mukherjee who is a student of our gharana."
>
> It's here:http://www.kavitachhibber.com/main/main.jsp?id=imrat_khan
See UIK claims that he is the co-developer of playing style that the
mass believe is UVK's invention.
Ustad Imrat Khan says:
" I learnt sitar from my brother Vilayat Khan sahib who was a musical
genius and is rightly considered the greatest sitar player in the past
century. I worked side by side with him for 40 years. I was 8 years
younger and he treated me like his son. We practiced together and
played together, and did extensive research on gandhar pancham that HE
became so famous for and together WE worked and changed the entire
setting of the sitar.
The result of that research is the VILAYAT KHANI SITAR that you hear
today. "
So do we take his words as the truth?
UIK has often issued several comments like these, it makes no
difference, that's his temperament.
Some 15 years earlier, I was witness to an occasion where UVK's family
tree was presented before the audience in the presence of UVK and
there 3 ommisions in the family tree, one was Shahidjee's uncle Hafiz
Khan, the other was Aziz Khan, his father and last was Shahidjee
himself. Now Shahidjee is the foremost torch-bearer of his Gharana's
music and sitar, now he is being claimed as one of the family, why was
his name and his father and uncle's name not mentioned, when he was
not famous. This is another reason why i have responded, Shahidjee is
a self-made musician like his great-grand father Ust Imad Khan and he
should be given credit for that. We cant disagree with the fact that
several things are ther in USP's music (laykari or rythmic play) which
were not present in UVK's music.
Samii
many of us feel that there is no conspiracy theory attached with this
interview. we understand your point but surely there is no need to
over react(plz dont mind)
Also if the interviewee has good ties with the media, then what's bad?
Ajaitaal wrote:
> Look closer and you will also see that Ms. Chhibber has interviewed
> Shahid Pervez, and I know firsthand that he is fond of her... he
> greeted her with great warmth the last time they met.
Ajaitaal, even I have personally met Ustad Shahid Parvez jee and he
greeted me with great warmth. I was just.......overwhelmed. Can such a
great musician be such a humble person!! I feel it's his nature to be
polite and humble. That is one of the reasons why I responded to this
interview. Shahidjee keeps himself away from the media and only
worries about music, as I have found out. I feel Shahidjee should
utilize the media more like for example Pandit Ravi Shankar jee.
Ajaitaal wrote:
> Shujaat Khan regards his cousin to be a tremendous musician,
> as any of his disciples will attest.
When one is a tremendous musician, people accept that, as Shujaatjee
has done. We have a tendency to believe that past is always superior
than the present. That's the only reason why, perhaps, I believe
Shahidjee is somewhat under-rated. Otherwise, the virtuosty he shows
in his music is enough to put him in the bracket of Pt Ravi Shankar
and U Vilayat Khan.
Ajaitaal wrote:
> So... for the record, what WAS Vilayat Khan's view about this?
>
> Unfortunately we cannot ask the departed Ustad, but in a 1996
> interview he talks about the progress of HIS DISCIPLES:
>
> "Q: And what are you doing now?
>
> A: Presently I'm at Princeton, NJ USA. I have several disciples and
> they are progressing very well. My sons Shujaat and Hidayat are doing
> well, as is my nephew Shahid Pervez. Then my senior disciples are well
> known."
>
> It's here:http://www.angelfire.com/folk/cultureindia/vilayat.htm
The answer of UVK proves nothing, because it doesn't prove he has
taught Ustad Shahid Parvez (USP). Perhaps, "Presently I'm at
Princeton, NJ USA." is the bit that answers the Q.
See, if anybody from Imdadkhani family mentions Shujaatjee's or
Nishatjee's names(here even Hidayat Khan's name is also mentioned) as
someone doing well, one cant forget to mention Shahidjee's name first.
It has been the case there.
Also in the same interview, UVK says he was influenced by BALARAM
PATHAK.
Tell me dont you feel there has been an error in translating. Infact,
the influence may have been the other way round. Pt Balaram Pathak was
born in 1926 in UP,gave his first public performance in 1938 and he
died in 1991. He was not even senior to UVK in age.
Also take a look at this photo of both UVK and Balaram Pathak in one
frame and you will understand the dynamics:--
http://www.el-horto.hu/members/lives/pathak/index.html
In so many places where both UVK and USP were persent together, UVK
hasn't said USP is his student, so it's good for me to understand. USP
says his Guru is his father Ustad Aziz Khan and inspirations UVK,
Ustad Amir Khan and UBAK. Many things point out that it is the truth.
Ajaitaal wrote:
> Ustad Imrat Khan's opinion from a 2005 interview:
>
> "The outstanding sitar players that you see today are my nephews
> Shujaat and Shahid and my sons, trained by bhaiya and me, and perhaps
> Budhaditya Mukherjee who is a student of our gharana."
>
> It's here:http://www.kavitachhibber.com/main/main.jsp?id=imrat_khan
See UIK claims that he is the co-developer of playing style that the
balwant dixit
going on for years. Do not forget Rais Khan in this whole mix either.
In my opinion (a non musician) he was (may be still is) one of the most
accomplished sitar virtuoso (in true sense). I heard him first in 1951
or 1952 at the age of about 14. He was very impressive even then. But
instead of celebrating positive musical attributes of each musician from
this clan there is so much animosity and bickering that goes on and gets
the most attention. The statement about Shahid Parvez (whom I have
known for the last 20+ yr.) "We cant disagree with the fact that several
things are there in USP's music (layakari or rhythmic play) which were
not present in UVK's music" is very true. I just hope that this family
feud does not overshadow the fine music these musicians have produced
and are still producing ..................BND
Town Crier
> I just have failed to understand this unpleasant feud which has been
> going on for years.
Why, it is simple. Free publicity for all around. ghaTam bhindyaat,
paTam chhindyaat...
DG
Steven Bhullar Sr
> Some 15 years earlier, I was witness to an occasion where UVK's family
> tree was presented before the audience in the presence of UVK and
> there 3 ommisions in the family tree, one was Shahidjee's uncle Hafiz
> Khan, the other was Aziz Khan, his father and last was Shahidjee
> himself. Now Shahidjee is the foremost torch-bearer of his Gharana's
> music and sitar, now he is being claimed as one of the family, why was
> his name and his father and uncle's name not mentioned, when he was
> not famous. This is another reason why i have responded, Shahidjee is
> a self-made musician like his great-grand father Ust Imad Khan and he
> should be given credit for that. We cant disagree with the fact that
> several things are ther in USP's music (laykari or rythmic play) which
> were not present in UVK's music.
ok.... so this has a long history
.....VK's son is known because he is VK's son and not for his sitar,
there so many sitarists who are way above his level.....but through
publicity and stunts he wants to get highlighted every now and
then....you are right Town Crier....
and you know what...Town Crier....... that son of VK even writes in
his own website that He himself "..is perhaps the greatest North
Indian classical musician of his generation" (talking about
himself)....so funny....why has he worried about writing
'perhaps'...its his site he can write any crap.....he has got VK's
temperament not his music....
as for Ajaitaal.... I dont feel like responding to him....his earlier
posts prove he is someway related to Shujaat or Kavita....I understand
his anger....
bdixit
for anyone; neither for the musicians under discussion or the readers of
this forum at large. Just my opinion
...................BND
bdixit
prasad.b...@gmail.com
A lot of discourse seems to be based on the premise that artist A is
"better" than artist B and creating some kind of a hierarchy.
My question is - who decides such a hierarchy? Is it decided based on
how accomplished the artist is? If so, then are we not putting a lot
of premium on how many concerts an artist delivers in a year or how
many CDs he/she has. Is this the right way to measure art? If an
artist refuses to perform in public (and I can think of a few
examples), does that mean his/her musical abilities are somehow
inferior.
I would imagine, like any creative art, there would be so much
subjectivity in the way music is approached, delivered and received.
Is Van Gogh better or Picasso or Da Vinci or M F Hussain or an artist
in some obscure corner of India that we may not know about but who has
the same gift of art?
All the artists mentioned in this thread are wonderful artists and it
must have taken the years and years of Saadhana to be able to play the
way they do. Their individual styles may be quite different but
perhaps enjoyable in different ways. It is fair to have personal
opinion on whose music one individually prefers, but why do some of us
think they are qualified to judge them in such a public, generalized
and demeaning way?
Warm regards,
Prasad
balwant dixit
Unfortunately this has been a curse to Indian classical music for
generations. Only now, because of the internet access, these visceral
outbursts are coming to the attention of a larger section of the people
interested in ICM. In 1950s such derogatory opinions about a musician
used to discussed by other musicians but they never went much beyond a
small group of persons who used to be around an artiste.
.....................BND
my.sitar...@gmail.com
<prasad.bhandar...@gmail.com> wrote:
> All the artists mentioned in this thread are wonderful artists and it
> must have taken the years and years of Saadhana to be able to play the
> way they do. Their individual styles may be quite different but
> perhaps enjoyable in different ways. It is fair to have personal
> opinion on whose music one individually prefers, but why do some of us
> think they are qualified to judge them in such a public, generalized
> and demeaning way?
>
> Warm regards,
> Prasad
I also wonder why?
Music, as a creative art, cannot be compared. But, as Prasad says, it
is fair to have personal opinion on whose music one individually
prefers.
In fact, I, for one, love different musicians for their own distict
styles of presenting the same old Ragas. However, I believe, expertise
on the instrument can be technically evaluated.
As BND said, In 1950s such derogatory opinions about a musician used
to discussed by other musicians but they never went much beyond a
small group of persons who used to be around an artiste.
Regarding this recent allegation, this is nothing new. Over the years,
a whole lot of musicians have claimed musicians as students without
actually training or teaching them. Whatever their musical level, they
have indulged into these exercises so as to prove their greatness.
Sadly, even such a great musician as Vilayat Khan cannot be excluded
from this list. The sufferer, in that case, was Rais Khan, as
knowledgeable people like BND will definitely know. Rais khan was such
a terrific sitarist in his haydays, and his control over the sitar is
phenomenal, however, a major drawback of his is lack of formal
training. Md. Khan, his father, died when he was very young. But
Vilayat Khan, being his maternal-uncle, could have easily taught him,
but strangely he didn't really teach him. Yet, when Rais Khan came up
the ranks and became well-known, unfortunately, Vilayat Khan's family
started claiming him to be one of Khan's students who never accepted
Khan's contribution as a teacher. But the truth remained that Rais
Khan didn't become Rais Khan because of Vilayat khan, but because of
his own rigorous riyaz and reasearch. Over the years Rais Khan has
faught a lone battle and is a very misunderstood musician. Note that
his rude behaviour didn't do any good to his cause.
Now, he is not the lone person in that gharana who is suffering from
this same variety of disinformation. 2 other tremendous musicians have
been forced into the ranks and they are Shahid Parvez and Budhaditya
Mukherjee, two of the foremost and finest Sitariyas of their
generation. With Budhaditya Mukherjee the things took such a turn that
he was forced to put a paragraph in a few of his CDs saying he was
never taught by Vilayat Khan.
Just imagine. Very sad, but that's what life is sometimes.
I, for one, was really put off by the choice of words by the
interviewee.
Sentences like -
"..... I have always felt that well brought up children of good
gharanas do their work and carry their gharana's legacy and ALWAYS
acknowledge the contribution of their forefathers...."
"......My father helped Shahid Bhai's family financially and in so
many other ways, and not once have I seen him acknowledge Ustad
Vilayat Khan's contribution to his music. He claims his father taught
him. Well what did his father play..."
"......It is a very poor example that he is setting for the future
generations......"
he has used are, quite understandably, to project a person (here
Shahid Parvez) in a certain manner.
Several other phrases used by him are so crude as well as rude, I felt
as if he is a politician and not a musician.
I enjoyed a few of the other interviews but this didn't appeal to me.
I had other ideas about him and he has dissapointed me.
History has repeated itself. Then it was Rais Khan and now it is
Shahid Parvez. Great many people know about the temperament of Vilayat
Khan. Did he ever sincerely teach anybody? If so, where are they? Can
a single name (outside his family) be given whom he has taught and who
has gone on to become a top-class sitariya as Rais Khan, Shahid Parvez
or Budhaditya Mukherjee (I feel for them). When you have Vilayat Khan
as your guru why will you think twice before naming him as your guru?
Ravi Shankar and Annapurna Devi, in this regard, has so many good
students (Chaurasia, Bhatt, etc) and has done us a big favour. That's
how it should be. If you really teach students, you dont have to claim
one.
r&bw,
HO
amit...@gmail.com
> knowledgeable people like BND will definitely know.Rais khanwas such
> a terrific sitarist in his haydays, and his control over the sitar is
> phenomenal, however, a major drawback of his is lack of formal
> training. Md. Khan, his father, died when he was very young. But
> Vilayat Khan, being his maternal-uncle, could have easily taught him,
> the ranks and became well-known, unfortunately, Vilayat Khan's family
> started claiming him to be one of Khan's students who never accepted
> Shahid Parvez. Great many people know about the temperament of Vilayat
> Khan. Did he ever sincerely teach anybody? If so, where are they? Can
> a single name (outside his family) be given whom he has taught and who
> or Budhaditya Mukherjee (I feel for them). When you have Vilayat Khan
> as your guru why will you think twice before naming him as your guru?
> Ravi Shankar and Annapurna Devi, in this regard, has so many good
> students (Chaurasia, Bhatt, etc) and has done us a big favour. That's
> how it should be. If you really teach students, you dont have to claim
> one.
>
> r&bw,
> HO
This is absolutely true. I really applaud you for coming out with this
and I'm glad that finally some truth about these things are coming
out. I personally know Ustad Rais Khan's close friend and neighbor
from the days he lived in Bombay (this man is also a great sitarist
and scholar of Raga although not publicly known - but he wrote the
commentary on the Nand Kalyan CD), and other members of the Bombay
music scene at that time, including artists in classical dance and
film composers, who know about the truth of the Rais Khan - Vilayat
Khan controversy. There are also Calcutta maestros of the sitar who
also first-hand witnessed the usurping of Rais Khansahib's khandan by
Vilayat Khan claiming that he taught him - only when Rais Khansahib's
playing became a threat.
It is also true that Ustad Enayat Khan's playing and Vilayat Khan's
playing are of two different worlds. Where Vilayat Khan developed his
approach is rooted in mystery. A simple style of singing sitar was
experimented with by Rais Khansahib's father Ustad Mohammed Khan, and
Rais Khansahib's mother (Ustad Vilayat Khan's elder sister) was a
great influence in Rais Khansahib's riyaz and approach to gayaki. She
was a singer herself. Ironically, Vilayat Khansahib's sitar has more
to do with his sister's singing than his father's sitar. Anyone who
analyzes the situation will know that the so-called "Imdadkhani
Gharana" has little to do with Vilayat Khansahib's approach to the
sitar.
Those in the know in the Bombay music scene know that Rais Khansahib's
training not only came from his own family but also from Ustads Hassu
Khan and Haddu Khan, hence his gayaki is really gayaki - as in not
only in the sound, but the temperament, pacing and structure of
improvisation. There are compositions that he upheld even though they
were technically incorrect, simply because his father Ustad Mohammed
Khan taught him those. An example is Rais Khansahib's beautiful
rendition of Raga Tilak-Kamod. The composition is actually
"Bihari" (although the Ragdari is Tilak Kamod) - and Khansahib knows
this, yet he upheld the name of his father. There are deep-rooted
things that Rais Khansahib has played, like 5 hours of Darbari for the
King of Baroda, and Thumri and folk compositions that can only be
understood by one who has totally become passionate for the singing
art.
If Vilayat Khan taught Rais Khan, then why, until this day, there is
no recording of Vilayat Khan or anyone else coming close to the
Dhrupadiya gamaks of Rais Khan? If anyone has ever heard the tans in
the almost impossible to get recording of Raga Jhinjhoti by Rais
Khansahib, the proof doesn't need to be even talked about. Those
gamaks could only be played at that speed by old vina masters (and
great Dhrupad singers like N. Moinuddin Dagar), and Khansahib's father
was a great Dhrupadiya.
As far as Budhaditya Mukherjee and Shahid Parvez - the truth is also
coming out. Budhadityada learned with his own hard work. In fact his
father was so hurt by Vilayat Khan's reluctance to teach the then
young and extremely intelligent Budhaditya, that he was known to have
said, "My son will have the food off the plate of your family." After
that, Budhadityada learned from his father and from several other
teachers, including the Pathak family. Shahidji had to fight to make
his name be heard, although fewer and fewer people pay much attention
to Shujaat's blatherings about these great sitariyas. I met Shujaat in
the US at a recording session when he and his father weren't even
speaking to each other. This had gone on for years. And then suddenly
all this lovey dovey stuff.
If Shujaat could even play one meend like Ustad Rais Khan, Pandit
Budhaditya Mukherjee and Ustad Shahid Parvez, then he would have the
right to talk. Pulling a note and shaking it anyway you like isn't
"andolan." You have to know what you're doing.
Forgive me if this reply is a bit scattered sounding...
Let's not lose the music over this stupid gharana business.
sitartruth