Indian Classical musicians seem to be creating a new sound by blending Hindustani music with the popular genre, which the dot.com generation can relate to.
After Shiv Kumar Sharma and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, it was the turn of veteran sarangi player Ustad Sultan Khan to open a new phase in his career. The Ustad has made his debut as a singer with his recently released album ‘Piya Basanti’.
The album is a unique blend of sounds that are a delectable fusion between folk music, Rajasthani folk, Western Pop and Jazz. The music has been composed by none other than the Ustad’s disciple Sandesh Sandilya.
Accompanying the Ustad on the microphone is the female singer from South, Chitra, whose soft and tremulous vocals go well with the Ustad’s rich baritone.
Although the Ustad’s genius with sarangi is widely known, few know he is a trained classical singer too. His stint with the mike in ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ song ‘Albela Sajan Aayo Re’ went well with the masses, encouraging him to cut an album of his own as a singer.
Hailing from a family of musicians, Ustad Sultan Khan is ninth in the lineage of sarangi-players in his family. He learned sarangi under the tutelage of his father and, later on, under maestros like Pt. Omkar Nath Thakur and legendary Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Side by side Ustad also kept honing his vocal skills.
In his 55-year association with sarangi the Ustad has cut more than 30 albums and worked with international artists (The Beatles, Duran Duran, Deff Leppard and Madonna) and Indian musicians like S.D. Burman, Naushad, Khayyam and Laxmikant Pyarelal, among others.
Despite being a classical musician the Ustad is open to other genres of music as well. “We have to be in tune with the times. We have to cater to the tastes of different music lovers without compromising on the dignity of classical Indian Music,” asserts the soft-spoken maestro.
Listening to ‘Piya Basanti’, it seems Ustad has measured up to the task he has taken upon himself. The album has a rustic sound and a scent of melody. But, above all, it is comprehensible to the masses.
