I received this interesting post from Dr. Hassan Azad from Pakistan. I am grateful for the appreciation after getting bashed up (unfairly I believe) on my previous post on the recently published biography of Gauhar Jaan. I hope Komolika responds to the last points I raised there directed to her. I am sorry Ally Adnan is gone too. He had some interesting comments on Mallika Pukhraj and I would have liked to have heard more. Here is what Dr. Azad wrote:
> Just browsed through your blog. Needless to say, it is excellent.
> Regarding Rajeev Taranth, here is a sample of his playing:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__JRNoti5u0
>
> I myself didn’t know him.
>
> I hope the editors of HT give serious thought to your offer of writing
> reviews on music. In the 60s, HT and other Indian newspapers had
> regular high quality reviews of music.
>
> As a Pakistani, I was disappointed to read the plight of young
> musicians. I had always assumed that things were much better for
> classical music in India. The most important problem – IMHO- is to have
> a mechanism that identifies and sustains talent , as well as provides
> social security to former top-rated artists . With India’s enormous
> corporate wealth, is it too difficult to solve this problem. Do you
> know El Sistema and ANIM?
>
> http://www.el-sistema-film.com/el_Sistema_The_Project.html
> http://www.afghanistannationalinstituteofmusic.org
>
> Best wishes,
> Just browsed through your blog. Needless to say, it is excellent.
> Regarding Rajeev Taranth, here is a sample of his playing:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__JRNoti5u0
>
> I myself didn’t know him.
>
> I hope the editors of HT give serious thought to your offer of writing
> reviews on music. In the 60s, HT and other Indian newspapers had
> regular high quality reviews of music.
>
> As a Pakistani, I was disappointed to read the plight of young
> musicians. I had always assumed that things were much better for
> classical music in India. The most important problem – IMHO- is to have
> a mechanism that identifies and sustains talent , as well as provides
> social security to former top-rated artists . With India’s enormous
> corporate wealth, is it too difficult to solve this problem. Do you
> know El Sistema and ANIM?
>
> http://www.el-sistema-film.com/el_Sistema_The_Project.html
> http://www.afghanistannationalinstituteofmusic.org
>
> Best wishes,
> Just browsed through your blog. Needless to say, it is excellent.
> Regarding Rajeev Taranth, here is a sample of his playing:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__JRNoti5u0
>
> I myself didn’t know him.
>
> I hope the editors of HT give serious thought to your offer of writing
> reviews on music. In the 60s, HT and other Indian newspapers had
> regular high quality reviews of music.
>
> As a Pakistani, I was disappointed to read the plight of young
> musicians. I had always assumed that things were much better for
> classical music in India. The most important problem – IMHO- is to have
> a mechanism that identifies and sustains talent , as well as provides
> social security to former top-rated artists . With India’s enormous
> corporate wealth, is it too difficult to solve this problem. Do you
> know El Sistema and ANIM?
>
> http://www.el-sistema-film.com/el_Sistema_The_Project.html
> http://www.afghanistannationalinstituteofmusic.or
This is my email back to him:
Dear Mr. Azad, Thank you for the appreciation. I enjoyed that youtube piece too. that is excellent playing! Where does he live? Have you heard Zarine Daruwalla Sharma sarod player? I think she is excellent too and doesn’t get many programs. She lives here and plays often in films. Another discovery was tarun bhattacharya santoor player. i really never expected much, being not much of a fan of the instrument, but wow when i heard him i thought it was wonderful. when i was in pakistan some years ago i was befriended by Mohammed Sheikh at radio pakistan lahore. He is (or was?) an exceptional man. I heard very good music in Pakistan and really did like your country very much. Regarding what you mention about finding talent. It may not be a popular opinion, but I think the most successful forum is the tv singing talent shows, sa re ga ma pa, indian idol, etc. If those kids who always have some classical training and through their talent make it through to the finals of these shows were ever welcomed into the snooty classical community things would change. Sonu Nigam, Rahat Fateh ali, shankar mahadevan and some others sometimes get in the in-between space but it is a difficult divide to negotiate. The filmi community has been just as cloistered. Did Lata, Asha or anyone else patronise any classical musicians? very rarely. I have been astounded by some of the singers from these programs- some very good Pakistanis too, including I believe it was Salamat ali khans grandson? who, a couple of years ago sang a straight classical bandish that was simply outstanding. His subsequent performances were not as wonderful and he was elimanated before the finals that year. As I wrote in my blog, the winner of this seasons Indian Idol, Sreeram from Hyderabad was extraordinary. Do you mind if I put your comments on my blog?
And again his response:
