Wednesday, Sep 11, 2013
Ustad Rashid Khan is no stranger to the UAE and he’s returning this Friday to perform in Dubai.
However, he refused to reveal anything about the show when tabloid! called him.
“If I say what the show will have, it will lose its charm,” said Khan.
Though known for his melodious rendering of songs such as Aaoge jab tum O saajna (Jab We Met), Allah Hi Reham (My Name Is Khan), Khan maintains singing in films is just a hobby and he has no wish to compose film music. His passion lies in classical music, which has earned him the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India.
“When I was very young — about five or six years old — I came to Kolkata to meet my Nana [maternal grandfather] and had the opportunity to sit with some immensely talented ustads [maestro] and gurus. That’s when I was inspired to learn music. My aim is to take my gharana [sub-genre] to new heights.”
He started performing at the tender age of 10 and belongs to the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, which was founded by his maternal great grandfather Inayat Hussain Khan.
“A lot of film music directors are basing their songs on ragas now. I’ve sung for several films. However, when a music director approaches me, he knows what kind of songs I would like to sing so I’m offered only ones with the classical touch. Initially, I’d refused to sing Aaoge jab tum O saajna, but then Sandesh [Shandilya, music director] visited me at home. So, we revised and embellished the music to what you hear in the film.”
Khan has also judged singing reality shows on popular channels Zee and Star Plus, but he feels thorough training is still lacking.
“Reality shows are a good platform for new talent with lots of kids who sing beautifully, but, sadly disappear after sometime. Why? First and most important is they should be mentored the right way in classical music. On one show, I sang Aaoge and Albela sajan aayo (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) — which is actually a composition based on our gharana — with the kids, and I insisted that riyaaz [practice] is most important. Just like you cannot be a doctor or an engineer without first learning a, b, c and 1, 2, 3, you cannot be a singer without learning classical music.”
Don’t miss it:
Emirates NBD Classics II: Ustad Rashid Khan live in concert will take place at Centrepoint Theatre, Ductac, Mall of the Emirates, on Friday, September 13 at 8pm, doors open 7pm. Tickets are priced at Dh100, Dh150 and Dh200. Call 04-3414777.
By Manjari Saxena Deputy Editor The weekend tabloid!
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