Columnist
Amjad Ali in Chennai

As I read through the interesting
article on sarod maestro Amjad Ali
Khan in the July issue of Sruti, I
was reminded of his scintillating
performance for the Music Academy,
probably in the late 1960s or early
1970s to a packed hall. On that
evening, I vividly remember the artist
being led to the dais by my father
Dr. V. Raghavan (then the secretary),
to thunderous applause. The artist
mesmerised the rasikas with his
handsome, charismatic appearance
and exquisite artistry. Before the start
of the programme, my father gave a
brief welcome speech, in response to
which the sarod exponent not only
expressed his great joy at performing
for the august organisation but also
expressed his deep admiration and
respect for Dr. Raghavan. That was a
touching moment.