An Evening with Ustad Asad Amanat Ali Khan: A Tribute

a treat: ustad mehdi hassan singing the ghazal main khyaal hoon kissi aur ka...absolutely mesmerising and matchless. classical music at its height.
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pt. 2

Re: # 16

Kaal, Both Hindustani and Carnatic musical institutions in India are very alive and kicking, and I hope will be forever, just as the western classical music has been kept alive in the West. Our musical traditions are much older and way too technical and intellectual compared to western classical traditions (in terms of improvisation, phraseology, etc.) the reason for this richness about Hindustani is because it was developed by interactions of different people and different cultures.

Re: # 8

I think it is sad that kanjarpuna or miraspuna is associated with music and art but in fact it is not the music and art that causes the devient behavior in some people as such. It happens when deviants take advantage of their position and try to misguide innocent human beings towards their devient behaviors. On this very forum there are people who take prostitutes of hira mandi as their moral guide and inspiration. Need I say more? Artists and musicians are very sensetive people. I wish they could somehow separate themselves from this underbelly of society; where they do not deserve to be categorized. Hazrat Ali Hajweri (RA) in his Kashaf-ul-Mahjoob writes that just as one orator is superior to other and some excell most and all in their oratory skills, music is also a form of communication that is a notch above the best of orattory skill in its effectiveness.

I have no doubt in my mind about this self-evident truth.

Re: # 9

Hamid Ali Khan and Asad Amanat Ali Khan are first cousins. Hamid is the son of Ustad ChotayFateh Ali Khan. The term ``ustaad`` is equivalent of english term Maestro. Very few achieve this title.

Re: # 19

Truly Sahib, Very aptly said (in a round about way), that’s delusional logic to associate immorality to a trade based caste. Kanjars don’t see it that way. Kanjars are classically trained dancers, and what is wrong with that?? Similarly Mirasi, also a trade based caste is about musicians who have learned their trade thru “Virsa” or lineage. Now where is this prostitution stuff associated with either Kanjirs or Mirasis?? Most prostitute in Hira Mandi are neither. Most of them are daughters of the affluent, and notable Pakistanis, politicians, bureaucrats, nawabs, etc. and secondly the reason of the decline in classical music in Pakistan is because of it’s Indian roots. And anything associated with Hindus is bad bad bad…

urstruly sahib, in the yesteryear of nawabs and rajas, classical music was mainly practiced by the gharanas and middle-class sharif log would not get into this. its however now completely changed in india, esp in carnatic ganre. now while children of the old gharanas indeed are still around, a lot of the new names come from middle-class (and upper-caste) backgrounds. a large number/percentage of middle-class indians try to send their kids to some kinda classical-music-dance training with a lot of cross-cultural shyte..bharat natyam is popular even in bhangra-afflicted pannaj. so, the kanjari-temple dancer association is long gone....a ``rishta`` is considered much-enhanced if the gal knows any of the classical arts.

Why do people sometimes address classical singers as `Khan Sahib` even if khan is not their surname?The legendary Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan was also from the Patiala gharana!

Who is your favourite hindustani classical singer?

http://classicalmusicheritage.org/default.aspx

Re: # 23

Asif, my Guruji, Khalifa of Farukhabaad Gharana tells me that the title “Khan Sahib” was introduced by Moghals as the leader of the court band, Khan also means head of the household, and for female lead dancers and singers, the term Khanum was used. For Muslim musicians Khan Sahib is an appropriate term of addressing. One has to be careful to use this only for more accomplished musicians, e.g., it is appropriate to address Mehdi Hasan ji as Khan Sahib, but not Ibrar-ul-Haq or whatever his name is the nephew of Nusrat Khan Sahib.

``#21 by Kulharee on April 17, 2007 1:32pm PT
Re: # 19
and secondly the reason of the decline in classical music in Pakistan is because of it’s Indian roots. And anything associated with Hindus is bad bad bad… ``

its very ssad that people mmix art and religion together. art in itself is so vast that no one religion can claim it or be attribbuted to it.

this is similar to urdu language in india....which most hindus aassociate as being the language of muslims!!!!

rgds,

devkant.

Re: # 26

Devkant Ji, I see what you are saying, but Hindustani indeed is a divine musical tradition. What makes it beautiful is how it combines different religious influences, form Vedas to Islamic adventures in India. We should be proud of that heritage. Sitar (originally Seh-Taar or a 3-string instrument) was brought to India by Persians, and the Indians adopted that and turned it into a 39 string instrument (that you see today) modeled after Veena. Hindustani will not be what it is had it not had such multicultural influences. It is sad that in Pakistan instead of claiming it as our own, we have rejected it.

Re: # 20

I think Hamid Ali Khan is Asad`s uncle and younger brother of Amanat Ali Khan.

I share everyone`s sorrow here. Having met Asad a couple of times back in Lahore, I can tell you that beside being an excellent singer, Asad had a great sense of humor. Some of his jokes are recounted many times by his friends. Everytime I saw him, he was brimming with life. This is a great loss.

Talking about his father, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, I have listened to his ghazal, ``honton pe kabhi un ke`` hundreds of times and everytime I enjoy it more than before. If there ever was a ghazal sung more effortlessly than this one, I haven`t heard it. Its a piece of heaven carved out. Here is the link to the ghazal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdvXi0XExUs

Artisians of the stature of Asad Amanat Ali are a national treasure. Sadly, it is not uncommon for many of them to die at relatively early age, even thouhg they have wherewithals and resources for best health care. I think the crisis in this community is due to the very busy life style, pressures of peak performance and a casual attitude to their physical well being.

Whenever I hear a performance of Nusrat Fateh Ali, I mourn his early death and think of everlasting tunes he never got the time to create. The music that would have given immense pleasure to countless millions.

These people are, undoubtedly national treasure. It is impossible even to quantify the prosperity, happiness they bring to the masses. Most of them are a class in themselves. Once gone, they are irreplaceable.

The government takes pain in ensuring the preventive healthcare of millions of employees. All service personnel are given annual medical check. Millions are spent on perfectly healthy MNA`s and bureaucrats for expensive and elaborate medical checkups, all in the name of national interst. Wont it be in order if the Government also takes the responsibility for these talented and gifted citizens too ? After all they are the people who are our real embassadors and treasures.

Indeed, loss of a great musician.

I think he was also famous for ``Umraan Langeeyaan Pabaan Paar``.