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"Riyaaz is but a very small part of an education in music."

Pandits Rajan & Sajan Mishra

by

Ally Adnan

Pandits Rajan and Sajan Mishra are the leading representatives of the three

hundred (300) year old tradition of khayal-gaiyiki (the singing of the

predominant genre of classical vocal music today) of the Benares gharana

(school of music) in India. The recipients of the Padma Bhushan, Sangeet Natak

Akademi, Gandharva National and Tansen Samman awards, the two (2)

maestros have released more than twenty (20) albums of their music during

their illustrious career spanning five (5) decades. The duo has performed

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virtually all over the world - Austria, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Oman,

Qatar, Singapore, the Soviet Union, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, UK, USA, and many

more countries - but feel that their journey won't be complete until they

perform in Pakistan. In an exclusive interview with the Friday Times, the two (2)

Pandits talk about their music, their lives, their fondness for Pakistani

musicians, and much else.

1. At the time of the partition of India and Pakistan, the two countries

shared the same tradition of Hindustani Sangeet (music of Northern India). How

has the once-common musical tradition of Pakistan and Northern India changed

and diverged over the course of the last sixty-seven (67) years?

The tradition of music has not changed; not, one bit. The same music is

practiced in Pakistan and in India. When Malkauns (a pentatonic melody) is

sung, the same five (5) notes are used in India as are used in Pakistan, and the

same rules are followed. Hindustani Sangeet - the music of Pakistan and

Northern India - is a well-established discipline. This has not been subject to

change.

The change that has occurred has been in the musical ethos and not in the

tradition. At the time of partition, Pakistan was home to some of the greatest

musicians of the time. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, Ustads

Nazakat and Salamat Ali Khan, Ustads Amanat and Fateh Ali Khan and

Roshanara Begum were giants of Hindustani Sangeet, all of whom belonged to

Pakistan. Sadly, during the years that followed partition, Pakistan saw a decline

in the popularity of classical music. India, on the other hand, continued to focus

on its musical tradition. Music conferences, concerts and shows were held

regularly, new students were inducted into the discipline and the state

sponsored the art of classical music. As a result, we see many more classical

musicians in India today than in Pakistan. There seems to be a greater interest

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in popular and fusion music in Pakistan today; even the scions of major

gharanas of music are releasing albums of fusion music. This breaks our hearts.

We believe in upholding our traditions and wish that they would return to the

music of their forefathers. The void in classical music that exists in Pakistan

today is tragic. We need more Amanat-Fatehs, Nazakat-Salamats and

Roshanaras to fill the void.

2. The list of major gharanas of khayal - Agra, Bhindi Bazaar, Delhi, Gwalior,

Indore, Jaipur-Atrauli, Kirana, Mewati, Patiala, Qawwal Bachay, Rampur-

Sahaswan, and Sham Chaurasi - does not include the Benaras gharana. In fact,

Benaras is often referred to as the gharana of thumri (a genre of light classical

music) and not one of khayal. Why is that?

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The gharana is a relatively new institution, no more than four hundred (400)

years old. It was predated by the vaanis of Dhurpad (the oldest form of classical

Indian music). In ancient times, we had five (5) styles of singing known as the

geetis. These have been recorded by seventh century historians as the Shudh,

Bhinna, Gauri, Vegsur, and Sadharani. These styles of singing evolved into the

four (4) vaanis of Dhurpad: Gauri, Khandar, Nauhar, and Dagar. The gharanas

came into being centuries later.

The institution of gharana was established to preserve and to pay homage to

the musical thought, practice, style and aesthetics of masters of Khayal. The

distinct music of the master was the foundation of a gharana. A gharana was

said to have been established if the master's musical tradition survived and was

practiced by three (3), or more, generations of musicians.

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Benaras is the oldest city in the world. As such, it has the oldest and most well-

established culture and traditions. Benares has been regarded as the center of

all arts rather than just a gharana by historians and musicians. The aura and

beauty of the city has attracted artists from all over the country for centuries. A

number of musicians, of all gharanas, and from all over India, have migrated to

Benaras during the course of history and made the city their home. Benares is,

therefore, home to masters of Dhrupad, Dhamaar, Tirwat, Prabhand, Nivand,

Hori, Khayal, Thumri, Dadra, Tappa, Tarana, Chaturang, Tap-Khayal, Tap-

Tarana, Chaiti and Kajri - virtually all genres of Hindustani Sangeet. No other

city can make this claim. The school of music that has emerged as Benares

gharana is, therefore, not limited to Khayal but encompasses all genres of

music. Consequently, it sometimes not regarded as a gharana of khayal but a

school of all forms of music and associated arts.

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Music is complete only when we have Gayan (vocalist), Vaadan

(instrumentalist) and Nirtan (Dancer). Benaras is the only gharana that

represents the Gayan - Vaadan - Nirtan trinity. No other gharana can make this

claim.

3. In an interview with Thakur Jaidev Singh, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan talks

about the bond between the Patiala and Benares gharanas. What is the

relationship between the two (2) gharanas?

In the nineteenth century, the Maharaja of Patiala hosted a week-long jalsa

(music conference and competition) and invited musicians from all over India to

participate and compete in the event. A young duo of vocalists from Benares,

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brothers Parshadi Mishra and Manohar Mishra, were amongst the invitees. The

two (2) listened to other musicians perform for seven (7) days but did not get a

chance to perform themselves due to their young age and the large number of

senior musicians present. The Maharaja noticed that the two youngsters had

not performed and asked them to sing at the very end of the conference, just

before he was going to award the prize. The musicians decided to sing in the

styles of everyone they had heard at the conference, one at a time, before

singing in their own style. The Maharaja appreciated their ability to sing in the

style of all gharanas and awarded them the grand prize at the event even

though musicians of the caliber of Miyan Tanras Khan were amongst the

performers at the jalsa. This gesture of the Maharaja endeared the two (2)

young performers to Patiala and the subsequent celebration of their victory in

Patiala immensely pleased musicians from Benares who began to visit and

perform in Patiala on a regular basis. Knowledge of music thus came to be

shared freely, and on a regular basis, between the two (2) gharanas which

developed many similarities in their music over the years.

4. A Ganda-Bandhan (ceremony held to commemorate the formal

apprenticeship of a student with the teacher) is an important part of our

musical culture. Please tell us about your Ganda-Bandhan.

A Ganda-Bandhan is one of the most auspicious occasions in the life of a

musician. In the ceremony, the Guru (teacher) ties a thread, the Ganda, to the

wrist of the Shishya (student). The tying of the thread symbolizes a lifelong

commitment of love and sincerity that the Guru and Shishya make to each

other.

In our culture of music, one does not tie the thread to his own children and

grand children. Therefore, our Ganda-Bandhan was not done with our father or

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our grandfather. We tied the thread with my father's Uncle whose name was

Bade Ramdas Ji Mishra. We learnt from our real grandfather, Sur Sahai Mishra,

from our father, Hanuman Prasad Mishra, and from our uncle, Gopal Prasad

Mishra but the formal Guru was Bade Ramdas Ji, one, because we were not his

grand children and, two, because he was the most senior musician in the

gharana at the time.

Our ceremony was a simple one. The focus was on a vachan (oath) we made

that day by reciting the verse:

چوری سے ِمتر کپٹ، سے ُگرو

کوڑهی ہو یا ، دهن ِنر ہو یا

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three (3) times. The verse means that a person who is dishonest with his

teacher, or with his friend, ends up either penniless or a leper. A lot of

discussion took place about the promise and about the respect a student must

have for his teacher at our Ganda-Bandhan. Fruit and sweets were distributed

to all those present at the event and we gave gifts to our teacher, his wife and

his family. The tradition continues even today; even though we live in Delhi, we

send gifts to our guru's family on Guru Purnima (Hindu festival honoring

teachers) and other holy occasions. The rituals at a Ganda-Bandhan vary from

gharana to gharana, and different Gurus and Ustads (teachers) have their own

preferences for the rituals of a Ganda-Bandhan, but the essence of the

ceremony is always the same. It binds a student to respect, love and obey his

teacher and to learn with honesty and integrity. There is a saying in Urdu:

نصیب با ادب با

نصیب بے ادب بے

which means, loosely, that the one who is respectful is also the one who has

good fortune and the one who is disrespectful is the one without good fortune.

A student must understand and believe in the saying for the Ganda-Bandhan to

be complete. Students of music are taught to respect elders and seniors. A

Ganda-Bandhan is a celebration of the respect a student has for his teacher.

5. What was your education like?

We were very fortunate to have had very kind teachers. They did not force us to

practice all day; our riyaaz (music practice) was limited to two (2) to three (3)

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hours a day but our given education took place round the clock. The education

entailed having serious discussions about music, listening to stories of great

musicians of yesteryears, learning to appreciate the styles of the various

gharanas, and developing an understanding of the power of blessings. Our

Uncle would tell us

stories about

accompanying Roshanara

Begum on the sarangi.

He would tell us how she

would dress up for a

concert, sing on stage

and engage the audience.

Our father used to tell us

about the temperament

of Ustad Fayyaz Khan;

details about how he

dressed up, how he

walked on to the stage

and how he wore his

many medals. He would

tell us about

performances of Pandit

Bhimsen Joshi. Our

teachers would tell us

about the qualities of

great musicians of all

gharanas. In addition, we would accompany our father and Uncle to their

performances and attend all major conferences of music. These tours afforded

us the opportunity to listen to the music of great masters. The exposure played

an integral part in our learning. Riyaaz is but a very small part of an education

in music.

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6. You have talked about having had the good fortune of having listened to a

lot of great musicians. Which musicians have inspired you?

All great musicians have inspired us but a few names come to mind readily. First

and foremost are Ustads Salamat and Nazakat Ali Khan. There is, of course,

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. We are huge fans of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. Ustad Amir

Khan's music inspired us greatly. We admire Ustads Fateh and Amanat Ali Khan.

We hold Kishori Amonkar Ji in high regard. As young musicians, we used to love

attending the concerts of great musicians and eagerly sought opportunities to

sing in front of them. It is our great fortune to have sung in front of Pandit

Bhimsen Joshi and many other great masters. Our regret is not having had the

opportunity to sing for Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and for Ustad Amir Khan.

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7. Why is it important for you to sing in front of senior musicians - for

education and critique, or for blessings?

Only for blessings. Our education was done at home and our teachers analyzed,

assessed, evaluated and critiqued our singing as a part of our training in music.

The taught us their own music and also shared the qualities of the music of

other gharanas with us. We did not want an assessment of our singing from the

masters; we wanted - and needed - their blessings. Getting the opportunity of

getting the aashirwaad (blessings) from the masters is invaluable.

8. What is it that you like about the music of some of the masters you have

mentioned?

The masters had countless qualities. It is difficult to enumerate them

completely. We will talk about the major qualities of a few masters.

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was a strong and powerful singer. He had a flawless grasp

of sur (musical notes). His notes were perfect both in pitch

and in frequency. He could sustain a note for as long as he

wanted while maintaining volume, pitch, frequency, and tone.

In addition, he had a remarkable ability to render very long

taans (musical passages). No one in India, and no one in

Pakistan, has ever sung taans as long as those of Pandit Ji. We

have heard him sing in forty-eight beat vilambit (slow tempo),

starting a taan at the sam (first beat) and ending it after a full aavardi (one

complete rhythmic cycle) at the next sam, without once pausing to catch breath.

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His breath-control was amazing. No one could match his tayyari (preparedness)

in the sixties and seventies. He was a giant of Hindustani Sangeet.

Ustad Amir Khan was a true chintak (thinker). He spent his entire life reflecting

on various aspects of music - sur, raag (melodic scale), taal (rhythm), bandish

(musical composition) and much else.

Hindustani Sangeet owes a great deal

to his thoughts and deliberations;

rarely has the world seen a more

serious contemplation of music. He was

an known for expertly using

Meerkhand (a difficult singing style in

which numerous permutations and

combinations of notes in a raag are

used systematically) passages in khayal. Ustad Amir Khan was the king of

Meerkhand. His tayyari was remarkable. He used to incorporate musical

passages in multiple layas (tempos) in a single taan and sometimes combine

various types of taans in a single passage. No one has ever rendered a choot

taan (a taan in which an entire octave, or a set of notes, is skipped in ascent or

in descent) better than Amir Khan.

The music of Ustads Salamat and Nazakat Ali Khan had immense feeling and

emotion, the power to bring listeners

to tears. They understood the unique

sentiment of each raag and had an

uncanny ability to communicate it to

listeners. The two (2) Ustads had a

great command over rhythm and

sang in certain taals - sulfakhta,

farodast, ikwaii - that are rarely, if

ever, used by vocalists in India and

Pakistan. Their tayyari was outstanding and they were able to deliver all types

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of taans - Bol (taan in which words of the bandish are employed), Sapat (taan in

which notes are used in order), Koot (taan in which notes are used out of order),

Gammak (taan that employs exaggerated vibrato), Geetkaari (taan that

employs cluster of notes) - accurately at high speeds with both ease and facility.

Ustads Amanat And Fateh Ali Khan are able to completely fill the canvas of the

vilambit khayal. The completely,

and accurately, render the full

text of a bandish from sam to

sam spanning the entire aavardi

of the taal. When singing in

slow tempo, a lot of vocalists

have trouble filling in the period

from one beat to the other; a lot

wait for the end of the aavardi

to sing the mukhra (the opening phrase of the bandish). The way these Ustads

of Patiala render a bandish in vilambit bears testimony to their lineage and their

expertise. They are two (2) of the greatest khayal singers of our time.

9. In your opinion, which ones of the young musicians today show the

greatest promise?

There are a lot of good classical singers in the current generation. Sanjeev

Abhyankar is a gifted vocalist. Rashid Khan is one of the top vocalists in India

today. Kaushiki Chakravarty is very good. We have a great fondness for the

young Arshad Ali Khan and feel that he will make a great name for himself in

the world of music.

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10. A large number of notable vocalists - Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Amir

Khan, Ustad Abdul Kareem Khan and many others - were sarangi players as

well. Yet, the sarangi has fallen out of favor as an accompanying instrument

amongst vocalists. One of your teachers - Pandit Gopal Prasad Mishra - was

India's premier sarangi player of his time; but, you no longer use sarangi in

concerts. Why is that?

It is true that we belong to a family of sarangi players. It is also true that there is

no better instrument in Hindustani Sangeet than the sarangi. That being said, it

has become increasingly difficult for us to perform with sarangi players. There

are very few good sarangi players in India and Pakistan today. The ones who are

young are focused more on technique than on raagdari (knowledge and

practice of raags). Sarangi players today are not capable of accompanying

classical vocalists. They do not rehearse with vocalists and do not get proper

education in the theory of Hindustani vocal music. They are more interested in

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fusion and commercial music and their exposure to serious vocal music is

limited. Some have changed the strings of the sarangi, opting to use nylon

strings for the guj (bow) instead of hair from a horse's tail. These changes have

resulted in hurting the sound of the sarangi and destroyed its beauty. We don't

enjoy singing with such sarangi. We used to sing with Ustad Sultan Khan, Ustad

Latif Khan, Pandit Ramesh Mishra and many other sarangi players, but the

sarangi - as it is played today - is not for us.

11. Tappa is a genre of light classical music associated with Benares. What is

the reason behind the popularity of the tappa in Benares?

The tappa was invented by Miyan Ghulam Nabi Shori who was a singer in the

court of the Nawab of Awadh in the eighteenth century. Miyan Shori was a

restless soul and wandered the desserts of Punjab in his quest to add new

dimensions to his singing. He developed a liking for the sound of the bells

adorning camels in Punjab

and combined it with his

tremendous skill in

rendering taan to produce

the tappa. He returned to

Gwalior from Punjab but did

not find peace in the region

and finally settled down in

Benares. The tappa was

greatly appreciated by the

people of Benares and the genre quickly gained popularity among vocalists as

well as listeners in the region.

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The people of Benares have been religious historically. The great pandits of

Benares preferred to live in Benares and rarely traveled to perform in Muslim

courts. The bai jis

(female vocalists)

who were their

students, on the

other hand,

travelled far and

wide and

popularized the

music of their

teachers. The

tappa was a

difficult song and required mastery of taan for proper rendition. The bai jis used

the genre as a vehicle to demonstrate their musical virtuosity all over India. The

tappa, therefore, came to be associated with Benares.

12. The audience for classical music can broadly be divided into two (2)

categories - The Kan Ras ( رس کن ) who enjoy but do not necessarily understand

music and the Jankaar (جانکار) who understand the theory and practice of music

well. Who do you prefer to sing for?

Truthfully, we like to sing for people who enjoy and love music. People who

have great knowledge of music tend to be biased and staid as an audience. We

like to sing for people who derive pleasure from listening to us and who

demonstrate their pleasure candidly. An audience that is engaged in our

performance is the best one. We fondly remember a concert of ours in the

Netherlands where a few Pakistani listeners were present in the audience. We

do not think that they had very deep knowledge of classical music but their love

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for music was palpable. We formed a spiritual connection with this group of

listeners and they accompanied us on our musical journey throughout the

concert. They put their heart and soul into listening and we did the same with

our singing. These Kan Ras people elevated the level of our performance to one

that we do not achieve often. Pakistanis tend to listen using their hearts and not

their minds. We love that and it is for that reason that we have a great desire to

perform in Pakistan. We have travelled the world but our journey won't be

complete until we sing in Pakistan.