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Journalism of Courage
Celebrated sarod players Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, who refused to receive the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2017 in the field of in the field of Hindustani Instrumental Music, say not taking consent of artistes before announcing an award, breaks the set rules and offends them. On Wednesday, Ayaan tweeted about the brothers’ decision not to accepting the award, which was announced without their consent by the Sangeet Natak Academi “at this stage of our lives after serving the world of music for over 25 years”.
What was the actual reason behind the response — because the announcement happened without their consent, or whether they were being given the award too late?
Ayaan said, “Before we say anything, we would like to mention that we were very blessed to know Ustad Bismillah Khan Saheb personally and received his blessings on numerous occasions. The reason is both — without consent and too late in the day! It is an international rule to take consent from an artist before an award is bestowed”.
“An award cannot be imposed upon an artist if it is an honour. It is the height of insensitivity and humiliation from Sangeet Natak Akademi, especially to announce our names in this category without our consent,” he said.
Amaan added: “We are also very surprised with the members of the General Council of the Sangeet Natak Akademi at their thought of nominating us for this award at this stage of our life, especially since we have been sharing the same music festivals for over fifteen years with them! I wish they took our consent officially before making a public announcement.
Being the son of iconic Indian classical musician Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, both the artists learnt the stringed instrument from a young age and started performing across the globe. They said the love and appreciation from the audience matters to them the most than an award.
“For me, awards are all manmade. For me, the love and reward by the Almighty mean a lot… Getting the love of people and having a full house is an award,” said Amaan. Ayaan added: “We thank God that we have always received rewards in the from music lovers.”
Both of them are touring in the US. “For us, every day is World Music Day as it’s a way of life for us. It’s not a profession, but a passion and an extension of who we are. However, above musical fireworks is humility and grace. These make you a complete musician.”
