He’s been honored the world over but for Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, it’s all about passing the heritage of the sarod to future generations. The sarod originates from the ancient instrument rahab, which he says was brought to India from Afghanistan 300 years ago by his great-great grandfather Ghulam Bandagi Khan Bangash. Now seven generations later, the sarod is still making beautiful music, thanks to Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan.
The Ustad was recently in New York and performed at New India House to a packed audience of music lovers. Amjad Ali Khan has created many new ragas and he performed Raga Subhalakshmi, inspired by his lovely wife. Seeing them both in the ballroom brought back memories for this reporter for I had first interviewed the Ustad there almost 20 years ago. At that time he had said about his wife: “Like other couples we have our differences but never on the question of religion. She remains Hindu and I remain Muslim. We feel close to Christ, to Gautam Buddha, to Guru Nanakji, to the Prophet and all the great devi devtas.”
Indeed this oneness of the supreme being comes through in his music which sweeps one along in an ocean of harmony. Now he repeated a story he had told me then, about his great father Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan, who was honored at the Rashtrapati Bhavan when he received the Padma Bhushan in 1960. “The president Dr. Rajendra Prasad told him, ‘Khan Saab mein aap ke liya kya kar sakta hoon? – what can I do for you?’”
Recalls Amjad Ali Khan, “We needed everything but my father said, ‘Thank you sir, by the grace of god I have everything – but please protect the sanctity of Raag Darbari.’ Very innocent demand, that being the president, you have to look after everything but you have to preserve and protect the purity of Raag Darbari! The President replied, ‘Yes, Yes, I will definitely’ – as if he was going to pass a resolution! So my father was very happy and told my mother, like an innocent child, that the president has promised that he will protect Raag Darbari!”
Amjad Ali khan brings the same prayer-like devotion to his music, and has passed the legacy on to his children.
