The Saurangi Festival May 9, 2005

THE SAURANGI FESTIVAL: A tribute to Ustad Siddique Ahmad Khan

Presented by Dainik Jagran, Saurang Parampara and Red Earth

Supported by Shriram Bhartiya Kala Kendra
Organisational Support: Swar Dharohar

Sarangi, one of the most sophisticated instruments of the Indian musical tradition, is found in both folk and classical musical traditions in North India, under varying names and forms. It derives its name from ?Saurangi?, after which this festival is also named, literally ?one with a hundred colours?. The Sarangi has been the default accompaniment to Hindustani vocal music by virtue of its closeness to the human voice and ability to replicate patterns of vocal music. There has also been an interesting nexus between Sarangi players and vocalists, with several Sarangi players, like Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Ustad Amir Khan, for example, taking to vocal music, vocal musicians learning from Sarangi maestros, and such other multi-directional flows. Of late, the Sarangi has been replaced by the harmonium in vocal music performances and its popularity is on the decline. That, coupled with the fact that it is a very difficult instrument to learn and master, has led to a situation, whereby it is becoming rarer and rarer to hear the Sarangi. The maestros from the older generation can be counted on fingertips; and few music enthusiasts of the new generation want to learn the Sarangi.

Besides accompaniment, it is also an instrument that has vast potentialities as a solo instrument, and it is thanks to the efforts of stalwarts like Ustad Bundu Khan and Pandit Ram Narayan that the Sarangi has found place in the Hindustani music pantheon as a solo instrument. However, the overall state of affairs seems to bleak and there is an urgent need to take steps to ensure the preservation and continuation of this invaluable musical heritage.

The Saurangi Festival is a small step in this direction. It aims to provide a much needed performance platform to the Sarangi. While the focus of the festival is the Sarangi, it also includes vocal and other instrumental performances, and hence is indeed ?one with a hundred colours?, much like the Sarangi. This first of its kind event will feature Sarangi solos by some eminent Sarangi players, as well as young and upcoming Sarangi players. In addition, all other performances in the festival will be accompanied by Sarangi. The grand finale of the festival will be a performance by ?The Saurang Ensemble?, featuring 12 Sarangi players, in musical collaboration with western musicians.

The festival, like the two other concerts organised by Saurang Parampara in the last two years is dedicated to the Sarangi maestro late Ustad Siddique Ahmad Khan (1914-2003).

9 May 2005, 6:30 pm
Shiraz Ahmad & Faraz Ahmad - Hindustani Vocal
Sarwar Hussain - Sarangi Solo
Shubha Mudgal - Hindustani Vocal

10 May 2005, 6:30 pm
Aneesh Pradhan - Tabla Solo
Murad Ali Khan - Sarangi Solo
The Saurang Ensemble - Conducted by Ustad Ghulam Sabir Khan

For details of the Festival, visit www.redearthindia.com or email himanshu@redearthindia.com
Murad Ali, Saurang Parampara: 9810146211; Himanshu Verma, Red Earth: 51764054