Ustad Vilayat Khan: Interview - 1
This article is a part of the small attempt to consolidate all the interviews of Ustad Vilayat Khan, so that his fans and followers get to know more about his musical views and ideas, in his own words.
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Fifty-seven year old Ustad Vilayat Khan was the first sitarist to perform in the West. He has been giving public performances for the past 47 years and is one of the highest paid artistes. A controversial figure, Ustad Vilayat Khan has turned down awards from organisations like the All-India Sangeet Natak Akademi. He is believed to be arrogant, snubs journalists, does not care for other sitarists and avoids giving public performances as far as he can. The Ustad who is now grooming his 10-year-old-son in the art, recently performed in the Ravindralaya inLucknow
Why do you avoid giving public performances?
Who says this? This is a blatant lie. How can a professional artiste reject offers when his livelihood is derived only out of the performances. Basically I don’t avoid performances, but of course I am very choosy about them. Yes, I don’t accept them blindly just for the sake of money. First, verify about the organizers, the place and the type of audience.
Which horse does not relish grass? Suppose I am not well, how can I accept the offer?
It is said that you are paid less for your performances in comparison with your contemporaries.
This is another lie. I am the highest paid artiste inIndia
Khan Sahib, it is said that you are a self-taught maestro. Is it true that you have had no guru?
No, no, no.. My father Ustad Inayat Khan Sahib, was my initial guru. As my father expired when I was only 10 years old I was further taught by Ustad Bande Hussain Khan, Ustad Zinde Hussain Khan, Faiyaz Khan, Mushtak Khan Saheb, etc, some of whom were my kins also. I gave my first performance on stage at the age of 10. My real guru was my father, Ustad Inayat Khan.
Here, may I venture to open past wounds? Why have you rejected prizes and awards in the past?
Yes, this is the right question to answer (he turns a little grim and specially instructs me to write down the answer). I do not accept awards given by corrupt, biased and foolish persons. At first I rejected an award in 1964 proposed by the Sangeet Natak Akademi whose procedure for the selection of award nominees was based on prejudices. Initially, the criteria for selection of award nominees was based on three qualities of the artiste, the artiste’s contribution in the field of music, his popularity and the number of generations of the artiste who served in the field. Subsequently, these norms were changed to suit the convenience of vested interests, and artistes having 'sources' were selected and awarded. This gave me a rude shock and I declined the offer of the award. At the same time, I wish to make it clear that I am the saddest person after rejecting the Sangeet Natak Akademi award. Though I have been awarded by many countries for my art and performances, I am pained that I could not get due regard in my own country.
The grievous charge against your music is you are orthodox, which means you don’t like innovations?
Really, I don’t like innovations. Music is pious and by and large an eternal discipline. It is horrible to amalgamate it with other cheap ragas. We should first achieve mastery over our 4,84,000 ragas and raginis and only then we should attempt to invent new ones. Our classical music has innumerable ragas and raginis covering our finest thoughts and emotions as well as the exigencies of nature. Those creating new ragas are unwise and are propelled by a sense of cheap popularity. For exampleRavi Shankar....
Yes, yes. I am boldly saying that by his so-called innovations, Ravi Shankar is degrading the field of our classical music.
There has been a tidal craze for classical music in the West, specially for the sitar. Whom does the credit go to?
AfterIndependence USA Ravi is the only sitarist who popularised it in the West.
What are your views about PanditRavi Shankar?
He is a genius indeed. Such matchless artistes are rarely born on earth, and I have deep regard for him, especially since he has had no familiar background in sitar-playing. I very much appreciate his individual style which he has consistently sustained. But the drawback with him is he is always looking for glamour and publicity.
I have no doubt in saying that he is popular in the West, as he has popularised the sitar amongst the laymen there who are not versed in the purpose and content of our classical music. He has been crowned by people who don’t know about the intricacies of an instrument like the sitar. It would have been better if he had popularised it inIndia
It is said that for the sake of publicity you create controversies from time to time.
My answer lies in your question itself. That is all I want to say about this question.
And that you snub journalists and are arrogant?
(Firmly) If I am arrogant, you judge it better than me. But I don’t think so. I would certainly say that I don’t leave those journalists who, without knowing the head and tail of music, come to criticise us.
What do you make of music critics?
In my opinion, snakes and critics are alike. You can hardly escape from their bite: Critics should not take their views as ‘laws’. It is amusing that they generally pose to be better than the musicians.
What about the foreigners’ interest in our classical music?
They regard it warmly and pay handsomely for our programmes.
Were you invited to the Festival ofIndia
Yes. Their representative did come to me and stayed at my residence. But perhaps they couldn’t agree to my charges and thus I rejected the offer.
Do you think the government is treating the artistes properly?
No. Rather most of our artistes are starving for want of requisite programmes, specially the young ones.
As a veteran, what are you doing for them?
Every year I give two concerts free of cost and get the amount thus collected distributed to poor artistes in my presence. Secondly, I don’t accept a single paisa from my shagirds (disciples) all over the world. I think this is something which every master-ustad or guru-should do for his disciples.
How much time do you devote to riaz?
Hardly two to three hours a day in the morning.
Future plans?
To teach shagirds only. However, I will never write a book or open any music institutions. I don’t think myself capable of writing a book.
Would you like to compose music for films?
Although I have composed in films like Kadambari, Munna Madhosh, Malhar etc and have got an award also for Manik Da’s (Satyajit Ray’s) movie, Jalsaghar, in future I do not intend composing for films. I believe in ‘high thinking and simple living’.
As a veteran, how do you rate the young and upcoming artistes?
Our younger generation is really intelligent, hard working and susceptible. But the drawback with them is that they don’t respect their gurus and ustads. After learning the basics, they aspire to compete with their masters. Their greatest drawback is that they want to become media celebrities without the requisite exercise.
Fifty-seven year old Ustad Vilayat Khan was the first sitarist to perform in the West. He has been giving public performances for the past 47 years and is one of the highest paid artistes. A controversial figure, Ustad Vilayat Khan has turned down awards from organisations like the All-India Sangeet Natak Akademi. He is believed to be arrogant, snubs journalists, does not care for other sitarists and avoids giving public performances as far as he can. The Ustad who is now grooming his 10-year-old-son in the art, recently performed in the Ravindralaya in
Why do you avoid giving public performances?
Who says this? This is a blatant lie. How can a professional artiste reject offers when his livelihood is derived only out of the performances. Basically I don’t avoid performances, but of course I am very choosy about them. Yes, I don’t accept them blindly just for the sake of money. First, verify about the organizers, the place and the type of audience.
Which horse does not relish grass? Suppose I am not well, how can I accept the offer?
It is said that you are paid less for your performances in comparison with your contemporaries.
This is another lie. I am the highest paid artiste in
Khan Sahib, it is said that you are a self-taught maestro. Is it true that you have had no guru?
No, no, no.. My father Ustad Inayat Khan Sahib, was my initial guru. As my father expired when I was only 10 years old I was further taught by Ustad Bande Hussain Khan, Ustad Zinde Hussain Khan, Faiyaz Khan, Mushtak Khan Saheb, etc, some of whom were my kins also. I gave my first performance on stage at the age of 10. My real guru was my father, Ustad Inayat Khan.
Here, may I venture to open past wounds? Why have you rejected prizes and awards in the past?
Yes, this is the right question to answer (he turns a little grim and specially instructs me to write down the answer). I do not accept awards given by corrupt, biased and foolish persons. At first I rejected an award in 1964 proposed by the Sangeet Natak Akademi whose procedure for the selection of award nominees was based on prejudices. Initially, the criteria for selection of award nominees was based on three qualities of the artiste, the artiste’s contribution in the field of music, his popularity and the number of generations of the artiste who served in the field. Subsequently, these norms were changed to suit the convenience of vested interests, and artistes having 'sources' were selected and awarded. This gave me a rude shock and I declined the offer of the award. At the same time, I wish to make it clear that I am the saddest person after rejecting the Sangeet Natak Akademi award. Though I have been awarded by many countries for my art and performances, I am pained that I could not get due regard in my own country.
The grievous charge against your music is you are orthodox, which means you don’t like innovations?
Really, I don’t like innovations. Music is pious and by and large an eternal discipline. It is horrible to amalgamate it with other cheap ragas. We should first achieve mastery over our 4,84,000 ragas and raginis and only then we should attempt to invent new ones. Our classical music has innumerable ragas and raginis covering our finest thoughts and emotions as well as the exigencies of nature. Those creating new ragas are unwise and are propelled by a sense of cheap popularity. For example
Yes, yes. I am boldly saying that by his so-called innovations, Ravi Shankar is degrading the field of our classical music.
There has been a tidal craze for classical music in the West, specially for the sitar. Whom does the credit go to?
After
What are your views about Pandit
He is a genius indeed. Such matchless artistes are rarely born on earth, and I have deep regard for him, especially since he has had no familiar background in sitar-playing. I very much appreciate his individual style which he has consistently sustained. But the drawback with him is he is always looking for glamour and publicity.
I have no doubt in saying that he is popular in the West, as he has popularised the sitar amongst the laymen there who are not versed in the purpose and content of our classical music. He has been crowned by people who don’t know about the intricacies of an instrument like the sitar. It would have been better if he had popularised it in
It is said that for the sake of publicity you create controversies from time to time.
My answer lies in your question itself. That is all I want to say about this question.
And that you snub journalists and are arrogant?
(Firmly) If I am arrogant, you judge it better than me. But I don’t think so. I would certainly say that I don’t leave those journalists who, without knowing the head and tail of music, come to criticise us.
What do you make of music critics?
In my opinion, snakes and critics are alike. You can hardly escape from their bite: Critics should not take their views as ‘laws’. It is amusing that they generally pose to be better than the musicians.
What about the foreigners’ interest in our classical music?
They regard it warmly and pay handsomely for our programmes.
Were you invited to the Festival of
Yes. Their representative did come to me and stayed at my residence. But perhaps they couldn’t agree to my charges and thus I rejected the offer.
Do you think the government is treating the artistes properly?
No. Rather most of our artistes are starving for want of requisite programmes, specially the young ones.
As a veteran, what are you doing for them?
Every year I give two concerts free of cost and get the amount thus collected distributed to poor artistes in my presence. Secondly, I don’t accept a single paisa from my shagirds (disciples) all over the world. I think this is something which every master-ustad or guru-should do for his disciples.
How much time do you devote to riaz?
Hardly two to three hours a day in the morning.
Future plans?
To teach shagirds only. However, I will never write a book or open any music institutions. I don’t think myself capable of writing a book.
Would you like to compose music for films?
Although I have composed in films like Kadambari, Munna Madhosh, Malhar etc and have got an award also for Manik Da’s (Satyajit Ray’s) movie, Jalsaghar, in future I do not intend composing for films. I believe in ‘high thinking and simple living’.
As a veteran, how do you rate the young and upcoming artistes?
Our younger generation is really intelligent, hard working and susceptible. But the drawback with them is that they don’t respect their gurus and ustads. After learning the basics, they aspire to compete with their masters. Their greatest drawback is that they want to become media celebrities without the requisite exercise.
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Audio recording of Ustad Vilayat Khan's BBC Interview, recorded by Ramprapanna Bhattacharya :
http://www.esnips.com/doc/bbc7b5cb-0799-48f7-976e-0c822e515266
Youtube Video recordings of Ustad Vilayat Khan interview, originally recorded from TV by Ramprapanna Bhattacharya:
Part1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inElNJh6at0
Part2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MBcDnEJS_g
Part3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD6Ns79mOyw
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