Centennial Tribute to Ali Akbar Khansahib: Khan's legacy lives on through his progeny

Nishaant Singh went up on stage at 7:15 PM. He first introduced his instrument, Pakhawaj, before he began his recital. "The Pakhawaj is an ancient instrument and a precursor to the Tabla. It was made to mimic the sound of rain and thunder," he said before performing Taal Chautaal.

He began with the deeper notes that brought about a sombre fervour to the evening. Many among the audience were listening intently, some with eyes shut. Sharper notes followed. "Listen to the sound of Pakhawaj and imagine rain and thunder in the distance," he said as he played.

Nishaant picked up the beat, the more frequent deeper notes echoed through the hall that, in a way, really felt like it would start pouring any moment now.

The Centennial Tribute to Ali Akbar Khansahib was an homage to the virtuoso centurion. Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan was an Indian Hindustani classical Sarod artist of the Maihar gharana. He trained under the guidance of his father, Allauddin Khan, and went on to compose numerous classical ragas and film scores. He passed away in 2009.

However, his legacy lives on through his protégé and progeny (grandson) Shiraz Ali Khan, another Sarod artist. Shiraz was on the Sarod that evening, accompanied by Pandit Arup Chattopadhyay on the Tabla and Nishaant Singh on the Pakhawaj. 

Khan turned centurion in 2022. The tribute was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As Nishaant stepped down, only to join again later, Moinak Biswas took the stage. Moinak is an 18 year old Tabla artist and was the youngest person in the room. But age had no say on how Moinak swept away the audience with his extremely mature music. 

"Moinak just turned 18. It's his third trip to Bangladesh and he already has a fanbase here. He is a disciple of the Farrukhabad Gharana," said an organiser introducing Moinak. 
The Farrukhabad Gharna is one of six prominent gharanas in Hindustani classical music, deriving its name from Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Moinak's focus was commendable. At every strike on the Bāyā [brass tabla for bass notes], his head swayed to the rhythm of the beats. He was one with his music. Sweat poured down from his face. But he wiped it with one hand and continued playing with the other. 

Shiraz, Arup Chattopadhyay and Nishaant took to the stage next. It was their first time playing together as a trio, but their chemistry and harmony felt seamless. 

"My grandfather (Ali Akbar Khan) was born on 14th April 1922. We're celebrating his centennial anniversary all over the world. Whatever we have learnt, we must pass it on. My Gurus – my father, uncle and aunt – shared whatever they learned with me, that's why I'm able to sit in front of you and perform. I would like to pass on the knowledge to my students and my son," said Shiraz.

The trio began their performance with the Hemant Raga, a raga devoted to peace and Joy. 

For 25 minutes straight Shiraz played without the accompaniment of the Tabla or Pakhawaj. Nishaant began from the second phase and the two went on for another 20 minutes. That was the cue for Pandit Arup to join. 

An hour passed unnoticed as the trio kept the audience spellbound. 

The musicians spoke to each other through their instruments. Shiraz played some notes, Arup mimicked them on the Tabla, followed by Nishant on the Pakhawaj. This went on until all three synced up in perfect harmony, ending the performance on a happy note.