‘Our mission is to make the sarod as popular as the guitar’

Amjad Ali Khan, the sarod sensation of India, speaks to Preeti Singh about his family’s musical legacy, his explorations of Western classical traditions, and the future of sarod-playing in the country.

Q. You play the sarod with your finger nails instead of the fingertips. This is a most difficult technique to master. How do you manage to do it? A. The original sarod used to have ten strings. Today, we have 19 strings on the sarod. Unlike the guitar, violin or cello, we don’t play with our figuretips but with the edge of our nails. Therefore, we have to keep filing our nails on stage. Q. Tell us about your “Music for Vision” concert, a global campaign aimed at eradicating blindness caused by cataract. A. As we know with other global health problems, the numbers are enormous and painful. In India alone there are nearly 15 million women, men and children suffering from cataract-related vision impairment and blindness. Cataract blindness is the most easily treated form of blindness. Yet there is a backlog of millions. This is utterly unnecessary suffering which is often made permanent by the twin curses of poverty and lack of access. We have the ability to transform that situation. We play our role through what music we hear. That role is to become witnesses for all those affected by cataract blindness, and for each one of us to take ac- tion in our own way to bring light and indeed, new life to those who would otherwise remain in the darkness. Our “Music for Vision” concert is a metaphor for the possibilities that can blossom when a community comes together to create action through the power of the many working together. It is the first time I worked with Conductor George Matthew and it has been mind blowing. I am confident that HelpMeSee’s intervention to address cataract blindness through training with the help of technology and leaving a sustainable and scalable system to address cataract blindness globally starting from India Campaign will be very beneficial. Q. How does music help in resolving one’s problems? A. Musical vibrations can convey moods and emotions and have the ability to mold and shape our consciousness. Different types of music can have different effects on the mind — both positive and negative. Our mind is like any living organism. It must be nurtured and needs stimulation to develop and grow. Music is like one of the most important “diets” for the intellect. Each musical note is connected to this most important part of our mind. Music has many faces like conversation, recitation, chanting and singing which is all part of music. Music can be either vocal or instrumental. Vocal music appeals to most of us because of its poetical or lyrical content. Instrumental music on the other hand, such as what I play on the sarod, is pure sound. It needs to be experienced and felt. Since there are no lyrics, there is no language barrier between the performer and the listener, and that is why instrumental music transcends all barriers. Q. Your sons Amaan and Ayaan are carrying your musical legacy forward. Do you keep giving them suggestions? A. For a lot of young people in India, Amaan and Ayaan have become role models. In fact, I have learnt a lot while teaching them. Fortunately from the very beginning their way and approach to music was very different. Ayaan has had his own way of expression, whereas Amaan has all the ingredients and qualities of being the elder brother. I never wanted to create another couple of Amjad Ali Khans! That was never my intention. I feel blessed that as soloists or as a duo, they have both carved out a niche for themselves in a rather deep-rooted fashion. By the grace of God, Amaan and Ayaan have become multi-dimensional and multi-faceted. I am sure that by the blessings, love and encouragement of music lovers, they will definitely achieve their goal of life and I hope they do achieve everything that they deserve and desire.

“Vocal music appeals to most of us because of its poetical or lyrical content. Instrumental music on the other hand, such as what I play on the sarod, is pure sound. It needs to be experienced and felt. Since there are no lyrics, there is no language barrier between the performer and the listener, and that is why instrumental music transcends all barriers.”

Q. You do international concerts. And you listen to European symphonies too. How do you think European music has influenced your work? A. Right from my childhood, I understood the vastness and the oceanic depths of music. I felt that the twelve musical notes are so very powerful and vibrant, perhaps just like the sun and all the harmony around it are like its rays. I always had a great desire to create a sarod concerto for the longest time. I have always admired the richness of European classical music. Be it Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky. I was very happy and honoured when the Scottish Chamber Orchestra approached me to write a sarod concerto for them. David Murphy, a noted conductor from the UK was to conduct the entire concerto and also put my thoughts together. David has great regards for Indian Classical music so he could understand and read my vision. After nearly a year’s work, I decided to name this project Samagam: A Concerto for Sarod. The idea was to bring the spirit of sharing the great unique treasures of our own artistic traditions, as well as finding common ground in ragas and medieval modes. By god’s grace, we have, I think, achieved a cross-fertilisation, at both the cellular and cosmic levels, between the two classical traditions, which are often held to be radically different — too different to meet without a bridge of some sort.