How Ustad Nishat Khan’s concert turned into a masterclass in classical music

Ustad Nishat Khan | Photo Credit: Tanveer Farooqui

Ustad Nishat Khan likes where he performs, and so his concerts are eagerly awaited. His recent wire of the Melody show in Delhi – he played there seven years later – attracted a full house organized by HCL concert.

Nishat Ustad is the eldest son of Imrat Khan, who is the younger brother of Ustad Vilyat Khan, and a six -generation legacy. He left school to continue the sitar practice, and began performing concerts in his mid-fanth age. Incidentally, he recorded his first All India Radio (AIR) concert at the age of 15.

The music of Nishaat is satisfactory because it has an indifferent, familiar experience. Although highly creative, he creates tradition, uses separate sitar ‘eagle’ to present a complete picture of his artistry on a large scale. Thus, a Nishat Khan concert will not only have not only the mex, fast tans, lakeras and a normal shackle, but will also have Bolkari, Gamk, Kranton and Full Leaded emphasis. He not only presents one or two dimensions of the raga, as is ideal these days. He rarely plays new creations or new rhythms; Understanding that until it enhances music, it is not required to be very expressed innovation.

Ustad Nishat Khan is a torch of a six -generation legacy. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

In the wire of Melody, Nishat played raga Eman or Yemen for an hour. He must have played it in concerts more than 300 times and many times in ‘Riaz’, but his Aman still looked fresh. Of course, the mystery is in feeling notes, not only to present them mechanically. Sometimes Shuda uses Madhyham delicately, but without converting the raga into Aman Kalyan, Nishat showed his mastery. After Aalap and a wonderful sequential Jor, he played an expander eight-bola Jhala. Lau He made it fantastic – one understood that it is not only the clarity of stroke or motion that makes for a satisfactory flutter.

Nishat then moved to the compositions, of course, in Kishore Tal, the most used pools of their household. Unusually, with them were accompanied by two tabla players – both young representatives of old traditions. Sharik Mustafa’s Jai Ho from Ustad Ahmed Jaan Thirkwa’s house and Zuheb Ahmad Ajarara is the grandson of Hashmat Ali Khan.

Ustad Vilayat Khan | Photo Credit: Hindu Archives

Middle La Gat was the composition of Nishat, in which Mukhra was picked up from the 14th Beat. Moving in an untoward manner as his style, Nishat created a pleasant atmosphere. Two tabla players held their sitar with subtle and small crisp single pieces. Not to finish the first piece with an ultra fast fasting, Nishat went to the raga outside. Choosing this raga because it is a raga of weather, Nishat also displayed it. Talim And as the mastery of the raga, he also played the brightness of the loud rags of Bahar – Hamar Bahar and Basant Bahar. Nishat also sang songs of the prestigious ‘Sakal Ban Phool Rahi Sarsan’, introduced by his uncle Ustad Villayat Khan. Nishaat then moved to the raga Shahna, in which he played the role of GAT, a ‘Drut’ popularly popular by his uncle. Keeping the audience tilted with their double speed tans, the disgrace ended in a magnificent waterfall. He concluded the two -hour concert with a chait in Mishra Pahari. As he explained, in Chaitra MassChatis is a necessity.

Nishaat’s concert reminded that the current trend to compress music into an hour -long format, with quick showing two ragas, is not the best way to enjoy classical music. Of course, someone needs the vastness of Nishad Khan’s music, which is just to attach the audience for an hour with a raga.