Bhopal: Classical music entails peace, harmony, spirituality, says Amaan

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Classical music entails peace, meditation and spirituality; it cannot be compared with Bollywood songs or rap music, says Aman Ali Bangash, son of Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan.

Amaan who was in Bhopal on Saturday to perform at Hriday Drishyam, a two-day music festival being held in the city.

Amaan is a chip off the old block. Though in his spring, he takes the audience to the pinnacle of ultimate joy.

He says to media persons that the Bollywood numbers and rap music have their own market. People like them. Still, if the youngsters do not like classical music, it is the fault of the social media, as well as that of the musicians who want more practice.

Such musicians need to take their audience to the acme of joy where senses stop and a listener mingles with the Muse and, only then, they will be able to attract the youth, he says. Yet again, people of all ages love Ghazals, especially those of Jagjit Singh.

He says he has not created any new Raga in Sarod. Nor has he connected his way of playing this instrument with any Gharana. Gharana does not matter. What matters is the instrument one plays. An instrument itself is a Gharana, he says.

According to Amaan, since he plays Sarod, it is his Gharana. Because, if a particular style of playing a musical instrument or singing a song is confined to any Gharana, that limits its scope.

All musical instruments are fantastic; they take a listener to a different world where peace and harmony prevail, he says.

According to Amaan, as far as controversy during the Tansen music festival in Gwalior goes, one organisation may like a particular musician, others may like someone else, but that should not matter much.

There has not been any change in classical music which gives off sense and sensibility but, to create that, what is necessary is practice, he says.

If a musician practises more and more, he polishes his skills which bring about that feeling. Yet, if a musician only speaks about finer feelings and abstains from practice, he is unable to create that kind of merriment which holds the audience spellbound, Amaan says.