A musical tribute

Yesterday, music lovers from all across the city braved the chill of a crisp December evening to gather at Delhi’s Nehru Park. The occasion – Music at the Park, an event promoted by Spicmacay, which had invited sarod- maestro Amjad Ali Khan.

Dressed in his trademark churidaar-kurta, the sarod master took to the stage with an appeal for world peace and harmony; and thanked the 300-odd audiences who had turned up despite “red alerts” issued across the city post 26/11.

As he strummed the firm chords of the sarod, playing the lilting ‘Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye je’ (gandhiji’s favourite bhajan), a carnatic piece, a newly composed concerto and many more compositions, the crowds listened rapt - enjoying the Ustaad’s every delicate move and nimble manouever on the sarod, as well as the impish challenges he put forward to the tabla players, to match up to his skills.

P.S: music lovers, as I have already mentioned in this write-up had turned up to savour the fine tunes of the sarod. There were those who enjoyed music, those who were connoisseurs, some who wanted to learn more about Indian classical music and others who wanted to catch a glimpse of the Ustaad himself. However there was one cheerful Indian fellow sitting behind me, explaining frantically to his firaang friends about Amjad Ali Khan’s music and his mastery over the “santoor”. …WAIT. Did I hear that correctly – the SANTOOR? Yes, the SANTOOR it was, which he repeated time and again and confidently so, throughout his mini-lesson on Indian music to credulous foreign guests!!