In this biography of Ustad Faiyaaz Khan, Smt. Dipali Nag, one of his pupils. Draws upon her own knowledge, as also that of some close associates of the Ustad, to portray the life of one of the most eminent. Hindustani vocalists of our times.
About the Author
Dipali Nag (b. 1922) was trained early by eminent musicians of the Agra Gharana-Ustad Basheer Khan, Tasadduq Hussain Khan, Ustad Faiyaaz Khan himself. She began performing young, and has to her credit some two dozen discs, the earliest issued in 1939.
Performance apart, Ms. Nag has lectured on vocal music and published widely in English, Hindi and Bengali. She has worked on Western voice theory too-at Trinity College, London and on comparative music with Dr. H. Kohlreutter, John Cooper and Prof. Manfred Junius. Her lecture-demonstrations have taken her to the East West Centre, Hawaii, Berkeley University, and the Asiatic Society in London.
A broadcaster of long standing, Ms. Nag has been on the staff of All India Radio, and now heads the Research department of Sangeet Research Academy, Calcutta,
Preface
As a young girl I wanted to be a writer. Fate however intervened. My deep interest in music developed and changed the course of my ambitions and pursuits. As I took to singing, I forgot all about my wanting to become an authoress. It was during the early days of apprenticeship of music that I came across a large number of musicians most of whom performed at our residence in Agra. My father, Late Prof. J.C. Taluqdar, although a historian by profession, was a great enthusiast of classical music and he often arranged concerts at home.
In 1938 I first set my eyes on the great Ustad Faiyaaz Khan and like everybody else, I was swept off my feel within a few months. He had endeared himself by his warmth, kindness and his gentle manners. With years he grew on me. His musicianship alone was enough to make him unique and add to that was his tremendous personality. I had the privilege of being near him for at least 15 years and came to know him well. Much has been written about his music but very little about his personality or him as a man. When Sangeet Natak Akademi invited me to write this book on Faiyaaz Khan, I was happy because he was a subject after my heart.
I have had opportunities to write on subjects relating to music, musicians and their problems. This is my first attempt to write about a musician and his music in detail. I am specially happy because the musician happens to be my guru-it is to his gharana and music that the book is dedicated.
In the beginning I thought writing about my guru should not pose any problems, specially one who has been heard by so many. But things were not exactly as I expected. Much of this book is oral history as records are few. The difficulties were compounded as most of the musicians of his generation have passed away. Some of the music lovers and critics to are no longer with us. Those who do survive are scattered all over India. Some are suffering from age and fading memories, some are on the border of senility and some are seriously ailing. From their talks it was not always easy to construct a history of a great man, sift the relevant from the irrelevant, truth from half truths.
The great Ustad Faiyaaz lived up to the meaning of his name. He exuded warmth and charm and was particularly known for his generosity. I hope the readers who have been privileged to listen to his music would be able to recall a glimpse of his wonderful personality in this book.
I have received unreserved co-operation from all my friends and colleagues. I would specially life to mention my gratitude to Shri R.C. Mehta of Baroda, Shri Sunil Bose (Delhi), Shri Sunil Bose (Calcutta), Shri Jnan Prakash Ghosh, Pt. V.G. Jog and many musicians of Agra gharana, specially Ustad Latafat Hussain Khan and Ghulam Rasool Khan. My husband, Dr. B.D. Nagchaudhuri, has also helped me at various levels. Amongst my students, Sm. Kasturi Banerji and Shri Arun Bhaduri, the musician-scholar of Sangeet Research Academy deserve special mention. However, the man without whose help I could not possibly complete this book is the brilliant musician of Agra gharana-Ustad Yunus Hussain Khan who is presently at Shantiniketan. To him I am most grateful. It is most appropriate thus to dedicate this small book to the Agra gharana which has contributed greatly to the enrichment of Hindustani classical music and of which the great Ustad was the brightest jewel.
Introduction
It is only India that we use the word, 'Gharana' in the context of Music. It is a unique concept. Gharana is an extension of the word, 'Ghar', which means a home. A home where music is taught by the father to the son, son to his son and on to the next generations. The succession of this continuity of musical discipline for three generations or more usually establishes a 'Gharana'. It is difficult to give an exact date, time and year when this system came into being. It has been in vogue ever since the existence of the Hindustani Shastriya Sangeet (that is, particularly, North Indian Classical Music). It is in a sense a part of the guild-craft ethos that exists in India. Each craftsman teaches his son his technical know-how to enable the son to make a living for himself and whenever possible to extend the craft. Although music is an art form, it can be compared with a craft in several aspects such as, the technical knowhow of voice production, which has to be learnt in detail. The only way of preserving such an art is to pass it on from the master to the disciple and thus to the next generation. It can be said that the system of gharana found firm roots in the courts of Kings and Emperors in the late medieval period in India who encouraged music and musicians and considered it prestigious to have a few of the artists on their pay roll.
An important aspect of it, not to be overlooked, is that this concept of 'gharana' is a Muslim idea and has much to do with their concept of the extended family. The family trees of many of these musicians will show that nieces, nephews and relations both distant and near were all raised by 'The Musician' in the family. Not that everybody became a musician but there was this genuine effort to instill in interest in younger generation and inspire them to learn.
This system had two very contrasting effects. On the one hand, a particular gharana did not want any exposure to other styles and guarded its own particular type of singing of the style within themselves. On the other hand, the system encouraged inbreeding which naturally thwarted the development of this style and discouraged innovation.
We can recall for example early instances of royalty who encouraged in the their Durbar, musicians and composers. For example, in the court of Allauddin Khilji (circa AD 1296 to 1346), we know of the famous musician, Hazrat Amir Khusro. The contributions of this great composer-musician occupy a very important chapter in the history of Indian Music, particularly of North Indian Music. We, however, do not hear of a junior Amir Khusro, either a son or a disciple, or of a gharana after him.
It is with the 'Navaratna's or the nine jewels in the court of Akbar (circa 1556-1605) as one of them. He was probably the first great musician of our country whose influence is recognizable and persistent. As one of the 'Navaratna', Mian Tansen attracted disciples and followers. Musical historians, musicologists and leading musicians have tried to trace their genealogies back to Mian Tansen.
Appendices I Composition of Faiyaaz Khan with translations in English.
Appendix II A detailed analysis of one of his recordings-Raga Jaijaiwanti (Alap and Bandish).
Appendices III List of Records of Faiyaaz Khan.
Appendices IV (a) Family Tree of the Agra Gharana.
Appendices V (b) Family Thee of the main Atraulu Gharana.
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