MUMBAI: The momentous occasion of acclaimed Sarod maestro, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan’s birthday this year marks the musical debut of his grandchildren, Zohaan Ali Bangash and Abeer Ali Bangash, the eight-year-old twin sons of the accomplished sarod legatee Ayaan Ali Bangash.
The promising descendants who hail from an unparalleled lineage in classical music will be gifting a special presentation to their illustrious grandfather by releasing their maiden single titled ‘Our Love’ that was produced during the lockdown.
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Zohaan Ali Bangash and Abeer Ali Bangash represent the eight generation of a musical lineage known as the Senia Bangash School. Incidentally their father and the younger son of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ayaan also stepped into the world of music at a very early age and gave his solo debut when he was eight years old.
Based on the traditional Raga Tilak Kamod, the twin brother-duo will perform a soulful arrangement that was originally composed by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and arranged by Sai Shravanam. A popular raga in the classical school of music, the delicacy of the performance coupled with the multi-layered melody provides a visual delight to viewers and establishes the impeccable ancestry of the future musical prodigies.
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan states “I have received the best birthday gift ever from Abeer and Zohaan. This was such a pleasant surprise. I am so moved and touched that they were able to do this during such trying times in the planet. Please bless them in thier musical journey. The learning never stops for an artist. I feel that I am still a student and have so much more to learn.”
Ayaan Ali Bangash states, “Ayaan Ali Bangash states, “Abeer and Zohaan have been working hard and have been delightful disciples inspite of their online educational commitments to present this humble offering to their grandfather.The current times have been very challenging and it’s amazing to see how children have adapted to the new normal. When the planet heals and the human race recovers from the pandemic, I look forward to creating more music with my children just like I did when I and my brother were of their age. Infact they have taken very well towards music and it would make me a very proud father to see them perform on the same stage as us one day. They need all the blessings.”
A three-volume album titled ‘Simply Amjad Ali Khan’ will also be launched on the occasion of the maestro’s birthday. These are live recordings from between 1999 to 2004 recorded across cities like Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi and will be available on all major digital music streaming services.
Over the course of a distinguished career spanning more than six decades, Amjad Ali Khan embodies a vast repertoire of sarod compositions of impeccable provenance and an unusually deep perspective on the ragas of Hindustani music. Having won numerous accolades including the Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum, Unicef’s National Ambassadorship and the Fukuoka Cultural Grand Prize, he recently performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert Oslo and The UN Day Concert in New York. His contribution in making the Sarod a cross-over instrument in a variety of genres has established him as a founding member of the classical music fraternity.
