'We aren't taking sarod to nightclubs': Amaan Ali and Ayaan Ali Khan

Amaan Ali and Ayaan Ali Khan represent the seventh generation of a musical lineage known as the Senia Bangash School. The duo in conversation with Sreya Basu after their performance at Chivas Studio in Kolkata Your performance at Chivas Studio was more of a fusion than traditional classical music...
Amaan: Actually it was not fusion, but we tried jamming sarod with Gino Banks's drums and The Maske Electric String Trio's violins.
Ayaan: In fact, we were playing classical music only...it was a jamming of Indian and western classical.

So this is your way of making today's generation listen to traditional classical music?
Amaan: You may say that. And we started the process back in 2006 with 'Reincarnation'.

Now you are reincarnating classical music?
Amaan: Yes. We Indians believe in reincarnation. Whenever a child is born, we start comparing him with his family members...that his face is like his grandfather, his hands like his mother, et cetera. It's a belief that what was gone, has come back again.

Ayaan: Similarly, it's a reincarnation of our music. We are trying to give back the same classical music in today's form.

Is jamming of western instruments must for reincarnating classical music?
Amaan: If we take Chivas Studio, then we played with Gino Banks, who is a versatile drummer and he plays with all genres of music. He endoreses Tama drums. As for The Maske Trio, the three musicians play classical-pop. We have also worked with other western musicians in the past and if God wishes, then will continue to work with them in future. We are not taking sarod to nightclubs, pubs and jamming...that is not what we believe in.

Ayaan: All the western musicians we work with are classical musicians. If we have to do fusion, then there is a different generation of musicians. But because we play in India and internationally, when we have to play with a western musician, we want to play our music, not his. Had we been doing fusion, then we would have been playing his music...I am copying them.

Amaan: In India, when you do that kind of fusion once or twice for fun, that's all right. But when we are inviting them to play with us, then, we have to show them, from where we come from, and which tradition we belong to.

Unlike other classical musicians, you two have your fingers in all possible pies...you are playing sarod, cutting albums, doing ads, walking the ramp, there are news about your debut in films...and also you two are style icons of today's youths. Was this a conscious endeavor?
Amaan: It is the love and blessing of the people that they have accepted us in whatever we do. Both Ayaan and Amaan consider ourselves lucky that we get so much love and support from people.

You are being modest...
Amaan: No...no, we are being honest. You know, when we perform classical music, lots of people have criticized us, for things that has nothing to do with music. But at the end of the day, they have loved and supported us.

Ayaan: We wear kurtas that our mother designs. She has great designing skills and also designs Abba's (Ustad Amjad Ali Khan) kurtas. Plus, we have been associated with the fashion industry as a lot of our friends are fashion designers. And when they ask us to walk for them, we can't say 'no'. I think, all these factors taken together, have made people believe we have 'fingers in all pies'.

Don't you think over exposure will mar your image as the seventh generation of Senia Bangash School?
Amaan: I don't think so.

Does Ustadji (Amjad Ali Khan) approve of you doing other things beside music?
Ayaan: Abba has never put any pressure on us. He trusts us and knows we will never do anything that will hurt our family and musical lineage.

Once Amaan said he wants to popularize sarod among youngsters. How will you do that?
Amaan: I just want to tell the youngsters that sarod is the easiest and the most beautiful of all instruments around. If one really wants to learn playing an instrument, then, sarod is the one for you. And if you have any problem playing sarod, come to us and we will give you all the tips (smiles).

Ayaan: When you listen to sarod, there's nothing to understand...just appreciate and enjoy it...it refreshes your mind, body and soul.

And, finally, how did you react to the recent sarod-breaking incident of your father on a flight?
Amaan: The first thought that came to our mind was- 'Is Abba all right?' His sarods are his heart.

Ayaan: I was speechless for sometime. How can it happen? How can people (Air India) be so irresponsible?