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He is the grandson of sitar legend Ustad Vilayat Khan,and is associated with the rich musical lineage of the famous Imdadkhani gharana that boasts of geniuses such as Ustad Enayet Khan and the Grammy-nominated Shujaat Khan. Naturally then,23-year old Azaan Khan developed the penchant for harnessing sweet tones early in life. Our house throbbed with enchanting melodies and the amplified strains of the sitar,and getting influenced was not difficult. I grew up listening to my father singing certain bandishes to teach his students and so,music became an integral element of my life, says Azaan,who did not learn the family instrument that has had a ubiquitous presence in several generations of his illustrious family.
I was always more inclined towards western music. Playing the piano,strumming guitar and writing simple poetry inspired from old bandishes and Sufi poetry by Amir Khusrau and Rumi were an important part of me, says Azaan,who released his contemporary Sufi music album,titled Philo Sufi (Sa Re Ga Ma,Rs 295),in Delhi on Friday.
It was during an apprenticeship under music directors Salim and Sulaiman at their newly-set-up studio,Blue,in the posh lanes of Mumbais Juhu that Azaans songs were heard by the artiste and repertoire managers of Sa Re Ga Ma. They immediately put him in a studio to record eight tracks for the album. An album that is not sitar-based does sound like a break from the tradition. But I was never pressurised by my father,or anybody in the family,to play the instrument. The tradition of the family is to make good music. So I am doing that. I am only expressing myself differently, says Azaan,adding that his father,Shujaat,loves the music.
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