Section Synopsis (APRIL 2007)

COVER STORY

Rashid Khan
The prince of modernism -DEEPAK S. RAJA


No vocalist in the post-independence era has had as meteoric a rise as Rashid Khan (born: 1966). He made a stunning debut at the age of 11, and became a darling of music lovers all over the world before 25. Before he was 30, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (born: 1922), the reigning monarch of khayal vocalism, had pronounced him the “Great Hope” of Hindustani music. And, as he enters his forties, he is reportedly the busiest Hindustani vocalist. Rashid Khan is one of the recipients of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi awards for Hindustani vocal music presented this year.

In early childhood, Rashid was trained at his ancestral home by his grand-uncle, Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan (1909-1993) of the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana. When the stalwart was invited to join the teaching faculty of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy (SRA), Kolkata, Rashid moved with him, and stayed for twenty years. During this period, he absorbed the diverse stylistic resources made accessible by a catholic pedagogical environment, along with his study of Rampur-Sahaswan stylistics. The result is a vocalist who poses a challenge to the critic attempting to place him in the cultural process. Even though with great caution, and tentatively, the present author is inclined to place him in the Ameer Khan-inspired region of Neo-Kirana vocalism.

Gharana pedigree

Rashid Khan is a scion of a distinguished lineage of vocalists known as the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana. The Rampur prefix links it to the patronage of Nawab Hamid Ali Shah of Rampur (ascended: 1896), himself a competent exponent of vocal music as well as Kathak dance. Aspiring to make his principality the cultural capital of Northern India, he made his court host to some of the most celebrated performing artists of his times. Amongst them was a formidable vocalist, Enayet Hussain Khan (1849-1919), who migrated from Sahaswan. Hence the nomenclature for the style he evolved.

Enayet Hussain Khan married the daughter of Haddu Khan, one of the co-founders of the Gwalior gharana, and also received training with him. Through this connection, Gwalior stylistics came to have a significant presence in the Rampur-Sahaswan style. Enayet Hussain, his brother-in-law, Haider Khan (1857-1927), and Mushtaq Hussain Khan (died: 1964), a son in-law to both the founders, are credited with forging the Rampur-Sahaswan style of vocalism. The gharana has remained a network of kinship, producing no distinguished musicians beyond the clan’s orbit. Rashid’s mentor, Nissar Hussain Khan, was the grandson of Enayet Hussain Khan, the founder of this lineage.

Rashid’s repertoire

Rashid’s published recordings up to 2002 provide some clues to his inclinations up to the age of 35. A listing, graciously provided by the archivist, Kishor Merchant, may be considered indicative rather than exhaustive. Yaman, Syam Kalyan, Jhinjhoti, Bahar, Bhatiyar Madhuwanti, Marwa, Suddha Kalyan, Sankara, Maru Behag, Keeravani, Kedar, Sahana, Abhogi, Kaunsi Kanada, Charukesi, Barwa, Desh, Pooria Dhanasree, Nat Bhairav, Patdeep, Hamsadhwani, Sohini (thumri), Malkauns, Saraswati, Hamir, Jog, and Darbari. rious kalapramanas and pallavis.

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MAIN FEATURE

Palghat T.S. Mani Iyer - II (1912-1981) -SRIRAM.V

The 1940s were when the Mani Iyer style of playing for the song really crystallised. As he was a man of few words he never explained what made him perfect and evolve his own style of percussion. But this he did and created a unique Mani Iyer bani out of it. To him the success of a concert was paramount, and with that end in mind, he devoted hours of study to every aspect of the mridanga (see article titled R&D on a mammoth scale) and also the playing styles. He realised that the days of elaborate kanakku-s and rhythmic patterns were fast fading away and that the audience, largely influenced by the Ariyakudi format, had come to see melody as supreme. He fashioned his style of percussion accordingly, aiding and abetting the main performer without losing his individual identity. 

Perhaps he inadvertently created a larger than life identity for himself. For, soon it became apparent to all the leading musicians that the presence of Mani Iyer could make all the difference to their concerts. The master of the pause, he knew when to be silent, when to embellish with a few strokes and when to let loose a shower of rhythm. To him, alignment to pitch was paramount (meettu chaapu suddham) and this greatly enhanced performances. Sensitivity to the presentation of songs was yet another feature and with his knowledge of vocal music as well, he was able to support the main artist sangati by sangati, swara for swara, creating the illusion of the mridanga singing. Ariyakudi once remarked that Mani Iyer was not playing for him but singing along with him. Numerous anecdotes abound as to how he lifted the performances of several vocalists from the ordinary to the superlative through his support. Complete concentration on stage with no recognition of ambient activity was yet another Mani Iyer feature. He once claimed, in a rare conversational mood, that when he sat on the stage, it was as though a cinema screen opened in his mind and there he could see what sangati, niraval phrase or swara the main performer was going to attempt next. He was always able to anticipate and provide the necessary support. No wonder a co-professional compared him to Vali, the legendary ruler of Kishkinda who had the power to usurp half the strength of his opponent in battle.

Mani Iyer the professional crystallized at the same time. He had certain principles from which he never budged throughout his career. Once he accepted an engagement, he would never cancel it, no matter what pressure was brought to bear on him to accompany another artist on the same day. This would hold good even if the second party offered a higher remuneration. Secondly, he always firmly believed that concert remuneration ought to be received on stage immediately after the performance, while the hands were still perspiring. He disliked speeches during concerts and never understood it when people came up to him and insisted on holding his hands and proclaiming his wizardry. To him it was just a God-given talent which he had assiduously cultivated. In public he preferred to let his mridanga do all the speaking.

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MUSICSCAPE OF KERALA - A Music-lover’s view. By S.P. Nayar. English. [Progressive Printers & Publishers, P.O. Box 11, Guruvayoor 680101. Pp. 280. Rs. 90]. -ANNAM

In our tradition, music has been viewed as an integral part of the way of life and a means to higher purposes like God realisation. Even as a discipline, it has been pursued at various levels— intellectual, professional and the like. Hence the activity relating to music has been widespread and continuous, though the intensity has varied during different periods and in different regions. A region-specific study indeed has interesting dimensions.

At the same time, there could be pitfalls caused by the juxtaposition of history and geography retrospectively. These factors have been shifting in our case, along with aspects like migration, particularly relevant in the case of the artist community, interactions and emergence of composite patterns at various stages. Reliance on oral transmission and the lack of documentation have resulted in chronology complications, unverifiable claims, doubtful assignment of credits, and double accounting.

Kerala has been among the high-density areas in the field of performing arts, both as the Chera territory of the Tamil country and as a separate entity, relatively more prolific in theatre forms. (Music/ ‘isai’ was more prominent in the Chola territory, literature/ ‘eyal’ in the Pandya territory.) The academic side has also been vibrant. Hence there would be plenty to write about; the problem is one of selection relating to the area and period of coverage.

The book under review is a labour of love by an insider, steeped in the culture of Kerala and passionately involved with the music scene. It aims to cover the ‘musicscape’, over a period of about two centuries since the times of Maharaja Swati Tirunal.

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