My Music Diary

Pt. Arvind Parikh, an important figure of Indian Classical Music, specially in the history of the famous Etawah Gharana, is the eminent musician, musicologist and the senior most disciple of Sitar legend Ustad Vilayat Khan. Early l ife: Arvind parikh was born in Ahmedabad into a Gujrati Business Family with cultural and spiritual influences. His father was a business man and mother was a gifted painter. Parikh inherited business acumen from father and artistic streak from his mother. His primary and secondary education continued in a school which inculcated keen nationalism. In home he was taught Indian music by well known musicians when he used to play several instruments like Dilruba, Violin, Mandolin, Jaltarang and flute. Later he started Sitar, which he found to be the most suitable medium for expressing his musical vision. In 1944, at the age of 17, he moved to Mumbai and started learning Sitar from sitar maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan. It was as per the Ustad'

Kashinath Mukherjee is a Hindustani classical musician and sitar player of Etawah Gharana. Kashinath Mukherjee was born in Kolkata into a aristocratic family having a rich cultural heritage. His father Shital Chandra Mukherjee was a scientist specialized in chemistry, as well as a learned dhrupad singer, a disciple of Pramatha Nath Mukhopadhyay, who himself was disciple of Wazir Khan of Rampur. He is younger brother of world renowned film director Hrishikesh Mukherjee. His whole family comprises of academic super achievers. Inspired by elder brother Hrishikesh Mukherjee (who became world renowned film director later), he started to play sitar of his own, even before starting to learn formally. Pt. Kashinath Mukherjee with Ustad Vilayat Khan   Later he learned Sitar from Srinivas Nag (disciple of Ustad Enayet Khan) for twelve years. After demise of Srinivas Nag, he was under tutelage of   Ustad Vilayat Khan, one of the greatest sitarist. During this period he kept away com

Sri Ram Udar Bhattacharya (Sitar) Born and brought up in a traditional Brahmin family in which Hindu scriptures and classical music were the part of daily life, Ram Udar Bhattacharya was no exception to take up Sitar in his early age. His grandfather being a noted clarinet and Sarangi player, Ram Udar wanted to pursue his music with Clarinet. However, he was deeply pondered over to listen to Ustad Ali Ahmed Khan’s ‘alap’ on Sitar on raga Multani, live at Ustadji’s home. Hence he started learning Sitar under tutelage of UstadJi, which was continued uninterruptedly till Ustad's demise.  Then he was fortunate to have close association with Sitar greats including Ustad Mustaq Ali Khan of Senia Gharana and Pt. Gokul Chandra Nag of Vishnupur gharana. Study under these great musicians helped him to carve his own niche in the field of music.   After demise of these great Gurus,as per the advice of the great Sitarist Pt. Nikhil Banerjee, he continued to study Sitar

------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Malhar Mahotsav Date: 31st  July, 2010. Saturday – 6:30 pm onwards Venue: Brahmin Society Sabhgriha, Syndicate, Murbad Road, Kalyan (W). Near Reliance Fresh Store / Moreshwar Hall. Opp. Ravikiran Hospital. Artists: a) Sitar - Ramprapanna Bhattacharya (Kolkata),    Tabla - Swapnil Bhise (Disciple of Sri Yogesh Samsi) b) Vocal - Yashasvi Sathe Sarpotdar ( mumbai )    Tabla - Pravin Karkare ------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Guru Purnima Mahotsav, Mumbai Date: 1st Aug 2010, Sunday - 5 pm Venue: P L Deshpande auditorium (Ravindra Natya Mandir) Prabhadevi, Mumbai. Artists: Sitar – Ramprapanna Bhattacharya Tabla – Anutosh Degharia. ------------------------------------------------------------

Imdadkhani-Etawah Gharana, also fondly known as Vilayatkhani Gharana, after the name of Ustad Vilayat Khan, is one of the oldest and most illustrious gharanas of Indian Classical Music which has produced the biggest names of Instrumental Music through each generation. This gharana traces its origin back through an unbroken line of celebrated and respected musicians to the golden era of Emperor Akbar the Great. Obviously this is the most influential and most innovative schools stylics of Indian Music. Sarojan Singh Ji of this gharana was an invited singer of Moghal darbar in Delhi. His son Turab Khan (previously known as Baddu Singh) and grand son Sahabdad Khan (previously known as Saheb Singh)were also musicians of great caliber. Sahabdad Khan was brother in law of great vocalist Ustad Haddu Khan of Gowaliyar Gharana and also learnt vocal music from him. He applied his music on vocal music, jaltarang and sarangi. Afterwards he started to play Sitar and he was the inventor

Author with Ustad Vilayat Khan The main focus of this note is to analyze Ustad Vilayat Khan’s sitar style, the way he revolutionized Sitar Baaj and his contribution in Indian Classical Instrumental Music.  This note has been written from my realization on Vilayatkhani baaj which I am achieving with experience of playing Sitar from my childhood, receiving talim on the treasure of ImdadKhani Etawah gharana from two of Vilayat Khan’ most senior and distinguished disciples, Pt. Arvind Parikh and Pt. Kashinath Mukherejee, along with my father, more over, with direct interaction of Ustad Vilayat Khan himself in person.  One of Ustad Vilayat Khan's contemporary musician paid his tribute to Khan Sahib by referring him as ‘A great musician’. How ever this is far from sufficient to describe genius of Ustad Vilayat Khan. In fact, Khan Sahab occupies the pre-eminent place in the world of Hindustani Classical Music being a legend by virtue of his exceptional musicianship, matchless

Ustad Imdad Khan (middle), Ustad Enayet Khan (left), Ustad Wahid Khan (right); Ustad Vilayat Khan ( Sitar), Ustad Imrat Khan (Surbahar) The Vilayatkhani Style or Vilayatkhani baj is a lucid and methodical amalgamation of the lmdadkhani and Enayetkhani baj, added to which, are the new dimensions introduced by Ustad Vilayat Khan. This Gharana has all the unique facets of the great lmdad Khan Saheb, the melodious and introspective Vision of the saintIy Ustad Enayet Khan and of course the great contribution of innovative dimensions of Ustad Vilayat Khan. No discussion on lmdadkhani or Vilayatkhani baj would be complete without dwelling Upon the remarkable contributions made by great Ustads and masters of this gharana viz Ustad Sahabdad Khan (lmdad Khan’s father), Ustad lmdad khan, Ustad Enayet Khan his brother Ustad Wahid Khan and the illustrious Ustad Vilayat Khan. Ustad Imdad Khan with his contemporary musicians and sons. Imdad Khan Saheb followed in the fo