Hindustani Sarangi Recital By Sultan Khan: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR HINDUSTANI SARANGI RECITAL BY...

At 60, he sang for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. He has since become one of the highest paid background singers. Today, he's free. Yes, there's little choice.

ITC Limited, in association with the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, is organising a Hindustani sarangi recital by Sultan Khan, on 19th November, at Ravindra Bharathi. Khan will be accompanied by Kumar Bose on the tabla.

One of India's most celebrated musicians, Sultan Khan has played a key role in raising the status of the sarangi from a peripheral accompanying instrument to one for solo performance. He belongs to the eighth generation of a family of accomplished sarangi players, being the grandson of Ustad Azim Khan and the son of Ustad Gulab Khan.

Though his father and grandfather were noted sarangiyas and vocalists of their time, Sultan Khan remained primarily an instrumentalist till a few years ago, when filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali changed his life forever by giving him a chance to sing in the film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. The Ustad was almost 60 by then.

Not many thought he would go beyond being a one-film wonder. Today he is one of the highest paid background singers - which explains why at an age when most people call it a day, Ustad Sultan Khan is busy creating magic both with his sarangi and his singing.

Although he never directly learned from Ustad Amir Khan, Sultan Khan's style is greatly inspired by his gayaki. A recipient of numerous musical awards, including a two-time Sangeet Natya Academy Award and the Gold Medal from the Maharashtra government, he has also received the 1998 American Academy of Artists Awards.

Kumar Bose was born in a well-known musical family of Kolkata, and has carved a special niche for himself in the world of tabla, both as a soloist as well as an accompanist. After rigorous training under his father, Pandit Biswanath Bose and subsequently under the legendary Pandit Kishen Maharaj, he has emerged as one of the most sought after percussionists of his generation and a role model for a host of younger tabla players.

He has been able to evolve a style of his own, adding a fresh dimension to the traditional Benaras baaj, and has taken it to new heights through his distinctive sound production, immaculate knowledge and enviable stage craftsmanship