ISLAMABAD, July 13: The classical music, often referred to as the jewel among our intangible heritage, enriches the listener and the artiste tries to reach greater flamboyance every time he performs.
Thus Ustad Sharafat Ali Khan proved to be in excellent form at a concert he gave at the National Arts Gallery on Monday evening. Here, he aired the rainy season raga Mian ki Malhar in soft near perfect vocalization, which delighted the audience no end.
Musicologist Adam Nayyer, who was among the small but admiring crowd sat mesmerized at Ustad Sharafat Ali's interpretation of murkis (short upscale notes) and he was noticed making approving gestures.
Adam Nayyer was certain that Sharafat has the same magic and his voice is as rich in melody as his father (Ustad Salamat Ali Khan) had. He said the Ustad Sharafat Ali had been overshadowed by his father's powerful voice. Now he had come into his own. "The musician is on the way up," he remarked.
Nayyer was so excited in the concert that he would be the first to chant "Vah" (well done!) every time Ustad Sharafat begun his alap (incantation). This would earn a response from the master musician who would stop a while to explain some fine points while chanting the raga.
Earlier, the 15-year-old Shujaat, son of Ustad Sharafat, sang snatches from Kirpa karo mujhe/ Tum hi palan haar sung in Rajeshri. The young master has not yet gained the same melody in his voice since, according to musical tradition, a mellowed voice comes after a number of practice (reyaz) and passage of time.
It would be unfair to exclude Muhammad Ajmal tabla (percussion instrument) from this discussion. The great maestro performs in exquisite tone and achieves wonderful fusion in accompaniment to the melodious voice of classical artistes. One could not discern a jarring strike on the tabla played by Ustad Ajmal.
However, one noted a deficiency in the missing sarangi musical instrument, which is regarded almost as sine qua non at such concerts. Instead Ustad Umeed joined the accompanist musicians at harmonium.
Arif Jafarey the arts director of PNCA and a virtuoso flute player as well, had arranged the concert to demonstrate rich melody of Sham Chaurasi dhurpad gharana (school of music) of Hoshiarpur (now in East Punjab).
He informed this correspondent that five great musicians of the sub-continent belonged to this gharana and they were: Ustad Vilayat Ali Khan, Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, Ustad Bare Ghulam Ali Khan, Raushan Ara Begum and Ustad Amir Khan of Indore.
This school of music expresses moods of devotion, love, epic, peace, tranquillity and beauty in such an exquisite manner so as to be able to cast a disbelief that the melody was rendered by angels on high heaven, and not by a human voice.
Jafarey felt sad at the withdrawal of patronage for classical music and tributes were paid to classical at seminars and discussion forums. Instead we should have more concerts to restore the pride and confidence of classical musicians in his art, since he was getting disenchanted with the way the society was ignoring him as well as his music.
