That is how my Saturday evening was spent.Under the massive roof called the sky,with lights from the heaven above and the Usatad with his young sons.
Hyderabad Times is on festive mood for the month of April.Summer has begun with the right note for us here.
A friend and I were at Chowmahala palace(see the pic) sitting down in the traditional way on a gadda,with hyderabadis around and listening to Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his young sons Aman and Ayaan Ali Khan.What would one expect from this amazing combo.
The evening began with a tense traffic and non stop jams.Friend and I were getting tensed about missing the show.We were in what you called the human traffic torture cell for like 45 min.Thank god the vehicles decided to move(more like pedestrians decided not to walk in the middle of the road) and we reached the Palace.Waited outside for another friend who was getting us the passes.She missed the whole show cause she was stuck in the jam for like one hour.So she called it quits.So,what happens? a kind soul approaches us and sez"aap show miss hore,chalo andar chalo"(means u missing the show so go in) and we jumped and ran....
We were just in time to get out and parked right in front of the sound area.Just than began one of the many hypnotic moods in my life.I always have this smile on ma face when I sit for a recital.Let it be Ustad Amjad Ali,Sree Gangu Bai hangal Guru or Gundecha Bandu brothers.I was lucky to have my friend who shared the same taste.He began enticing the audience with three raagas.I loved the raag Ganesh Kalyani. He composed this in the memory of the Late Rajeev Gandhi.If you get this online download it.
The younger generation took the stage for the second hour.They played,however to get to where the Ustad is they would take some more time.
It was then that we were feasted with a perfect blend of music.
The father and sons played in symphony.Rabindranath provided them with inspiration from the era that indulged India and pampered the mother with rabindra sangeet.He played Ekla Chalo a pure bangali song.(I am going to learn this from my friend)
They then played Raag Kiranvani and the old lady next to me was hummin a traditional song along with Ustad.It was more like he was playing and she was singing for me!!!!
The best part of the evening was that my friend and I were extremely lucky to be surrounded by the generation of woman who were there to show the future what music meant.Like the technical manager who knew everything about raagas and was there with her family.She was telling her kids about arohan and avrohan,about the tabla and the sarood.She was excited for every chord that was played and she made our day by sitting next to us.Like the old lady next to me who was in her world of music,who sang for herself and for her soul....
Finale got over and it was then that I realised and always do, that India is a country of rich culture and we the future generation have to take a vow to protect it.We should not forget the old for the new and the hindustani/carnatic for hip hop or trance.Let us join hands and store the wealth and grow it and respect it like a "Grand Old Lady"
