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Kumar Prasad Mukherji
Penguin Books
Pages 354
Rs 395
Music has often been described as ibadat or prayer by devotees of this art. Riyaz (practice with devotion) and talim (learning from a guru) were important parts of this musical tradition, whose flashes can still be seen in the Harivallabh Sammelan every December in Jalandhar. However, in today’s world of quick-fix Indian Idol, this tradition has become pass`E9.
Kumar Prasad Mukherji’s narrative traces the origin and creative intricacies of the old musical tradition of khayal gayaki and its individualistic rendering by exponents of various gharanas, but underlying this narrative runs a vein of sadness and nostalgia for the loss of this tradition of music.
Mukherji laments: "When I was young, I did not know what real music was. When I began to get an inkling of it ... the greats had departed for the other world." Thus, the book becomes a touching farewell to musical greats like Ustad Faiyaz Khan of Agra Gharana, Bade Gulam Ali Khan of Patiala Gharana, Moijuddin Khan of Gwalior Gharana et al.
Mukherji has strung together episodes and anecdotes that give a glimpse of the awe-inspiring utter dedication to music found in the great musical geniuses he revered. Of Bade Gulam Ali Khan Sahib, it is said that he took "nightly sojourns" to practice music in the Hindu burning ghat, returning only in the wee hours of the morning as he could not do full-throated riyaz at night in the congested mohalla where he lived. He staged a comeback after a paralytic stroke only because of his "fanatic riyaz and will-power".
Once Hassu Khan, grandson of Nathan Peer Baksh of the Gwalior Gharana, was singing the Haathi chingar taan (capable of bringing elephants out of the stable) in the durbar of Maharaja Daulat Rao Scindia. In the middle of this extremely difficult taan (notes sung to the beat of the tabla), he stopped and spat blood. Nathan Peer Baksh wiped his grandson’s face with his shawl and said: "Marnaa hai to beta taan poore karke maro". Such was the dedication to music of these great ustads.
Any book on classical music would obviously have to dwell upon the genealogy of gharanas, the different ragas and swar, the complex techniques of layakari, bol-vistaar, etc and the gharana—based rendition of a bandish (musical composition).
Only persons who are well versed in the art of Hindustani classical music can appreciate such complexities. To them, the book offers a rare glimpse into a magical world and yet peppered with interesting vignettes of musical geniuses, their eccentricities and passions, it would still charm all music lovers. The writer’s almost symbiotic relationship with the men of musical genius adds pizzazz to the narrative. I would rate Mukherji’s book as one of the best on classical music in recent times.
All is not lost. Musical greats like Bhimsen Joshi and Kishori Amonkar are still carrying the torch of swar siddhi with great aplomb. The octogenarian Bhimsen Joshi of the Kirana Gharana still "hits the notes in the epicenter and sings with a power that can turn singers half his age sick with envy".
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