The seasoned taal

In the centre sat tabla maestro Fazal Qureshi. His hands moved rapidly,and then slowed down to rhythmic taps. The taal of his beloved tabla waxed and waned,teasing the air with a warbling bass. Applause couldn’t wait till the end. Hearty claps kept interrupting the musical sessions. “This is the first time that I have performed to encourage an environmental cause. Needless to say,I am very happy to be here and be a part of this initiative,” Qureshi began.

Son of the legendary Ustad Alla Rakha Khan and brother of tabla sensation Ustad Zakir Hussain,Qureshi has created his own versatile style of playing. His solo sojourns have been punctuated with performances with some of the biggest names of classical music. “I feel it is important to connect with the audience. It’s a misconception that classical music requires the knowledge of technical nitty-gritty. One can enjoy music without knowing its details. I believe in coming down to my audience’s level,explaining and educating. That’s the only way we can pull in a young audience,” he said. Qureshi has recently made forays into film music too. “Film songs take in a lot of inspiration from classical music. If you listen closely,you will find a particular raag playing in a movie song. What matters is the enjoyment of music,the overall experience of it.”

The NGO launch had triggered a lot of talk about protecting the environment and reducing our carbon footprint. “Music has such a strong association with nature,inspiring each other,” Qureshi opined.

Qureshi has travelled the world with his other branch of musical interest,the Sweden-based Mynta,which has six albums to its name so far and performs all across the globe. And he is no stranger to Pune either,readily acknowledging its transformation into a hub of classical music fests and individual concerts. “Pune has truly established itself as the cultural capital of Maharashtra. An artiste can perform only when the listeners respond,and an audience will listen to an artiste only when the artiste is aware of them and connects to them. The more seasoned audiences understand the fine print,the younger people come in for the experience,to learn and absorb. Pune offers both,” he smiled.