Culture binds countries together: Zila Khan

Afirm believer that culture connects countries and people across continents, India’s well-known Sufi singer Zila Khan wants to leave a legacy of 15-20 musicians of at least her calibre who will perform globally, showcasing India’s soft power.

“Culture is such an important bridge for every kind of country to be tied together. We all feel that politics and economy can change, but culture is one thing that remains the same. It is built on a very, very solid foundation, which stays and sustains itself,” she says. Daughter of sitar maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan, Kolkataborn Zila, who has performed with musicians from across the world — the US, Egypt, Africa, and European nations — adds that “it is important to feel that (culture) in your music”.

Zila attributes her success to her father, late Ustad Vilayat Khan, for not only training her, but also changing the family tradition that did not allow women to perform. “He honed my skills. He made me do riyaz for 12, 14, 16 hours a day sometimes. He changed with the times and realised that this kind of brilliance should not go waste because of the orthodoxy of a purana zamana (old times) of not letting girls perform outside,” says Zila, who is now known for her wide repertoire and command over various music styles, whether it is Indian classical, world music, Indo-jazz fusion, traditional ghazal, and Sufi.

Being a representative of Indian heritage and culture, Zila regularly performs at major Indian and international music festivals and venues such as the Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Symphony Space, Broadway and Trafalgar Square. She wants to leave a legacy of musicians like her, performing and spreading Indian cultural heritage globally. “If I can leave 15-20 students, singers, performers, and instrumentalists like me and better, my life would be quite complete.”

PHOTO: AJAY AGGARWAL /HT