As SM loyalist (if a mutiny can have loyalists, that is) Janeofalltrades spotted, I was part of a conversation on the radio yesterday about Gandhi-giri, the trend of “Gandhi-ness” that’s developed in India this year and that Amardeep blogged a couple of weeks ago.
We were discussing Gandhi’s legacy and the music that celebrates it with Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, who as many of you know is perhaps second only to Ali Akbar Khan among living practitioners of the sarod. The connection? Khansaheb has been taking part in the centenary commemoration, this year, of Gandhi’s satyagraha movement of non-violent resistance, which he launched in South Africa in 1906 and brought back to India on the eve of World war I.
A few weeks ago, Amjad Ali Khan traveled with prime minister Manmohan Singh to a commemoration in South Africa and gave two concerts in Durban. Like Ravi Shankar before him, Khansaheb has composed ragas dedicated to Gandhi and has also adapted some of Gandhiji’s favorite folk and light classical songs.
This Saturday, October 28, Amjad Ali Khan gives a similar concert honoring Gandhi’s legacy at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The concert begins at 8 P.M. Tickets range from $25 to $90. Sepia Mutiny readers may purchase tickets at half price: charge by phone at 212-247-7800 or in person at the Carnegie Hall box office mentioning the promotion code “PrimeArts.” The discount applies to all tickets in all seating categories; it is not available through online booking.
I should also mention that performing with Khansaheb will be his two sons Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan. The two are in their late twenties and I can report that not only are they excellent sarod players in their own right but they are also rather easy on the eyes. In fact they were jointly named “Most Stylish Person in Music” at MTV India’s 2006 Style Awards. They have their own non-classical recordings that I hope to report on shortly once I get hold of the CD. In the meantime, I hope to see many of you on Saturday. [Photo credit]
these are the times i wish i lived in the big apple instead of the fuzzy peach…enjoy the concert for those folks attending…
ustad shahid parvez is performing at gatech student center on oct.29
http://www.icmsatlanta.org/
i second chick pea… missing the apple… i’m a big sarod (and amjad ali khan) fan.
wasssupppp… THANK YOU.. i think i’ll go!
Thank you Siddhartha for the heads up, the discount and the exquisite posts you put up.
Sweet Siddhartha. I wish I was in town this weekend. I would have loved to go see it. I loved how he could belt just about anything on the radio sans any instruments to help him. It was really nice. NPR has been really good about featuring so many desi musicians lately it’s really nice.
Wish I were in NYC for this!
Amjad Ali Khan & his sons in concert are a great family event – you get to swoon over the sons and mom gets to relive her college days swooning over AAK. Under the cover of we’re-so-cultured smugness 😉
ahhhh, i bought 4 tickets yesterday, little did i know about the half off offer. oh well, i’ll have to enjoy it twice as much as usual now. (2xbong hits)
I went to a concert in Ahmedabad (Jan. 2001) in the wee morning hours at 2:00am when Amjad Ali Khan (accompanied with Zakir Hussain on Tabla) totally mesmerized the 800 + folks at a venue (which had to bring in 200 + extra chairs so folks outside the hall can just listen to him) with his marvelous rendition of Hindustani Ragas. His two sons had a brief stint on “SAREGAMAPA”. I strongly recommend those who can attend go for it. Besides being great artist Khansahib is a one fine individual – very modest – as all great artists are.
Nice interview, Siddhartha. I loved it when AAK started singing “We Shall Overcome” out of the blue!
Incidentally, Radio Open Source is also considering a show on the Gandhi-giri trend.
Enjoyed the interview. (Is Siddhartha Mitter the Sanjay Dutt to Amjad Ali Khan’s Gandhi?) Wish SM had broken out into song as many times as AAK does.
In other NYC desi music scene news, the electrifying Falu is playing tonight at 7:30pm at Mercury Lounge (217 E. Houston @ Ave A). Her music is fabulous, and I haven’t seen anyone coming close to the apparently unbounded onstage energy and enthusiasm that she exhibits when she performs — one of the reporters for New York Press apparently had a similar reaction:
Should be a fun evening of “rock ‘n’ ragas” — or is it “raag ‘n’ roll“? Whatever. Either way, it should be great. MySpace page (with music clips) here.
Amitava —
Excellent. 🙂 Great interview, Siddhartha.
Why is Sidhartha so cool? He does radio conversations about Gandhi-giri AND gets half price discount for SM readers. THAT IS SO COOL!
Amjad Ali Khan rocks
Any chances of them coming to SF?
AIY! My pupils are dilating with awe and envy for also being too far away to partake of this blessing that SM has bestowed upon us!
Word, Yo Dad, my impression of AAK is much the same. Same for the many other musically inclined Khans, and as you said, all great artists. There be a fine line between immodest and imposter. Down with divas!
I’ve long had a thing for AAK, to the point where I fear that a real life encounter would resemble Abominable-Snowman-meets-Bugs-Bunny. So I’ll obey the restraining order…for now. But thank you Siddhartha for the 411 on the sons. Now I have new generation upon which to inflict my affections. I will love them and hug them and pet them and squeeze them and I will call them George, goddamnit!
I’m currently feeling very jealous of all you NYC peeps who have the chance to go. Boo.
Great post and interview.
I loved the pace at which AAK did the interview – taking his time to get to the point . Very refreshing. And the way Siddarth did comparisons, where fit, with American music/culture.
Did KCRW or KPCC carry this in L.A. In short, Siddarth, in the case of such specific topics does listener demographics play a part in NPR programming?
Neale – The show is on WNYC, the New York public radio station. It may be syndicated to public radio stations in some other cities; I’m not sure. But it’s not an NPR show. In general what you hear on your local public radio station can come from different sources: – NPR content, syndicated to member stations – local content by your local station – shows from other member stations – content from other producers like PRI, American Public Media, BBC, etc.
As a result the only tailoring to demographics is in the choices local stations make about which content they pick up from what source, as well as in their own production decisions…
Thankfully the internet allows for a la carte listening from all over the country, but you have to know what you’re looking for, which is the downside.
Exactly….works for what to avoid though, for eg, I read the glowing review My Chemical Romance on NYT and then listened to the track excerpts , which did not turn out to be my thing. And , thanx for the giving us MC Solar – i have one of his early albums where he sings about John Wayne. I bought it after readinng a IHT article (good ole days of frites and pression on different Rues) about “rap en Francais.”
8 NPR stations, sorted by the strength of their signal in Los Angeles, CA: KCRW-FM: 89.9’s signal is strong in Los Angeles, CA.
KCSN-FM: 88.5 California State Univ., Northridge KCSN-FM: 88.5’s signal is strong in Los Angeles, CA.
KUSC-FM: 91.5’s signal is strong in Los Angeles, CA.
KPCC-FM: 89.3’s signal is strong in Los Angeles, CA.
KCSN-FM: 88.5’s signal is strong in Los Angeles, CA.
KKJZ-FM: 88.1’s signal is strong in Los Angeles, CA.
KUSC-FM: 91.5’s signal is moderate in Los Angeles, CA.
KVCR-FM: 91.9’s signal is weak in Los Angeles, CA.
From a search on NPR. We have 93.9FM & 820AM that are the strongest in the city and they have slightly different programming on both based on demographics and I can only catch FM at work and AM at home and in the car. You can also get podcasts for most of the popular programming which I’m a big fan of, especially because I call into the Brian Lehrer show a lot 🙂
My favs are Car Talk, Wait Wait Don’t tell me, This American Life & A Prairie Home Companion. (No I don’t actually listen to real music anymore) And Siddhartha is quite the regular on Sound Check if he’s actually not hosting it himself.
Ummm did someone just say MC Solaar? As in Bouge de la?
Thanks JOAT, I always will keep that list handy on my drives to LV or SLO.
KCRW’s late night DJ’s my fix – the best being Raul Campos. And Car talk makes everything seem so warm and fuzzy – even when you are rueing the big oil stain in the car port 🙂
Perhaps your interview could be re-edited for a submission to NPR to be used on ME or ATC???
Yo Uncle, there’s something very special about being in the presence of a great artist who is a genuinely humble person, but I’d say there are more great artists who are downright unpleasant snobs (and I’m talking about Indian classical because my exposure to high-profile artists has only been in Indian classical).
Because he is. But how did Siddhartha get such a cool job? You seen his other stuff? He gets to meet hella cool people all the time! Day in the life, man, must be nice…
sigh I wish I lived in NY.
All the other shows, I can understand why someone likes it. But Car Talk – Everyone loves it but I just cannot see where the humor is. It might have some value as a Q&A show about cars, but funny? It’s two Uncles (of pallor) heehawing away, using nothing but the natural human tendency to laugh or smile when others do. I’m yet to hear ONE funny thing on that show. If you can think of something, please post it here or send by email. Someone PLEASE help!!!
OK, I realize humor is subjective. So, just let me know if it appealed to you. Don’t even tell me the joke. When you listen to Car Talk next time, if you aren’t just laughing along with them and there’s even one time you think “THAT was funny”, just let me know.
OMG I’m a girly girl and I loveeeeeeee them. They are just funny. It’s silly humor but there is no practice. These guys are MIT and Harvard guys and brilliant with cars but the penchant for drop zone comedy is fantastic. For example they had a guy call in, desi who said he was finally bringing his bride to America from India. She was his love for 8 years and she waited for him. He said he had a car that looked crappy on the outside but was fantastic on the inside and loved it and was a little embarrassed about going to the airport to pick her up. The guys were hysterical. They were giving him all these ideas about the excuses he should give her about why the car looks the way it does. I was in stitches. In the end they said “She waited for you for 8 years and she’s moving across the world for you, she doesn’t care about your car…if you love it so will she”. Underneath the funny they are just heartwarming guys who are regular guys that say shit to eachother back and forth.
Kavita: I am glad to hear that your views on AAK are in sync. with mine.
Shruti: You may have a point there. I have met many Indian Classical (Hindustani) Music stalwart in my lifetime. To name a few Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, (Late)Ustad Bismillah Khan, (Late) Pandit Omkarmath Thakur, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Jasraj, Lakshmishanker, Ustad Zakir Hussain, etc. Few of them may have appeared to be (in public) “downright unpleasant” or “snobs” to you. All “GREAT” artists are, to some degree, “Eccentric”. However, deep down in their heart of hearts – especially if you meet them in private – they are very sober and modest. On a semi-classical note, it has been said that great singer of Bollywood bygone era K. L. Saigal could, or would not sing at his best unless he consumed fair amount of alchohol prior to public appearance. But once he was on stage it was hard to tell whether he was “under the influence” or the shear pleasure of singing in front of audience intoxicated him. The unpleasantness and snobiness eventually will melt away – if the artist is truly great! My nickel’s worth of opinion.
Yo Dad,
I quite agree with the assessment and the caveats. I meet a lot of musicians all the time, and also do lots of telephone interviews, and those in particular can get quite tedious for an artist and tempt them to show their impatient or snappy side. (Quite understandably, when you have a whole afternoon of half-hour phone calls booked by a publicist and where 75% of the questions will be identical across interviews). Almost everyone is professional, many of those are gracious, and some of those are warm and enthusiastic.
The Indian artists I’ve interviewed have been unfailingly gracious and usually more. I think part of it is that I have enough background to make it a slightly more interesting interview. More important perhaps is that I have enough background to recognize their very desi, Ustad/Pandit-ish eccentricities and go with their flow.
Ah, the multiple paths to bhakti…
As ever, much respect to you.
Thanks, Jane. Maybe girliness is the answer, then? I bet the excuses they suggested must have been funny. There’s definitely an opportunity for humor there. That caller’s question would have made me groan, though. You don’t have to call in to find the obvious answer to that one.
???!!
a;slkdfj The internets ate my original comment!
Annnnyway…
Siddhartha and Yo Dad: I can definitely believe what you two are saying. I should have mentioned that my experience with Indian classical artists has usually involved me being, for all practical purposes, in a “go-for” position. It makes life a little easier for my grandfather, who runs a kathak foundation. I think it has a lot to do with the combination of my young age, gender and traditional desiness. IÂ’m always a “good Indian girl” around the fam 😉 and thatÂ’s how I get treated – you get my drift. ItÂ’s just the role I play, and IÂ’m usually around them when theyÂ’re in the middle of sorting out some nitty gritty logistical stuff, not when theyÂ’re in form for a public appearance. No one, including myself, thinks itÂ’s a big deal when they say “Go get this…” Go do that…” “Bring me this…” “Where is the chai-paani?” without even looking at me. (btw, my mom and grandmother and other women in my family were formally educated in classical dance/music/singing, and from their stories, I know there is a LOT to be said about the gender dynamics in those genres at every level of the industry – itÂ’s really interesting.)
Although gender, age and desiness have a lot to do with it, I think the bottom line is how important you make yourself to them (I guess you could say the same for anything). I know it would be different if I were a dignified uncle like Yo Dad or an informed writer for the Boston Globe (male or female, I suppose wouldnÂ’t matter). But sometimes, when I least expect it, they look up and they finally “see” me. All of the sudden, theyÂ’re the most gracious people ever, making me feel like IÂ’m some kind of princess, and I like to think thatÂ’s the “real” person in them. The first time my grandfather introduced me as a actual person, the musician received me so very warmly – looked right at me, clasped his hands over mine, called me “Beti” – and even asked me to play a number with him without even knowing or caring how (not) well I could play! Granted it was only a house party, but still the gesture almost made me cry.
As for this:
YES. Yes. This is true for many other singers and even some musicians and dancers. Every time theyÂ’re over, they CLEAR OUT my grandfatherÂ’s (rather extensive) liquor collection and sing and play and dance all night. It gets crazy! That stuff lubricates genius (and breaks down the gender barrier in some cases).
And this:
Clever, clever, Siddhartha… 😉
Dammit. That didn’t come out right. By “role” I meant desi-style servitude, not that I’m a “bad Indian girl” playing the role of a “good Indian girl” or whatever. I’m not cool enough to be a “bad Indian girl” 🙂
siddhartha: would like a recap of the evening..if you can add music clips, you will receive an extra bonus bowl of hummus..from what my meager beanie powers possess.. i hear that pied piper, mr. kobayashi and a few others were in attendance.. ;)…sounds like a great time.. as you were enjoying a musical escapade, i was fighing against those evil doers (aka those who try to pull polamalu’s divine sampson like fro ;))… good times around..
here is the review, you apple lovers
Thanks for using the picture from my site – would have been great if you had acknowledged the source as http://tariquesani.net/