A Divine Meeting

Birju Maharaj: Ta is the Parampurush, Thai his divine consort and shakti, while Tath is Ultimate Truth. The very bols are full of deep philosophical meaning in our culture.

Zakir Hussain (Even while he continues to spin magic over the tabla): That is the greatness of our culture. Even Abbaji (the late Ustad Allahrakha Khan Saheb) would often say that our music is entirely ruhani (spiritual).

BM: May his soul rest in peace. Not only has he taught you well but you have imbibed and retained all of it.

ZH (In salutation): These are all the blessings of the gunijan (seers) like you.While Maharaj quickly went over the sequences for the concert, the unstoppable Zakir Hussain’s nimble fingers moved from a slow na-dhin-dhin… to a quick-paced teentaal.

ZH: I have often wondered how you tackle the alaap since the sound of the ghungroos is momentary and the alaap can be an extended one.

BM: Dance particularly Kathak is not only nritya (dance per se) but nritta (emotive expression), too. And the dancer uses his entire body to express the feeling. What the ghungroos leave out, the hand and body movements, the eyes, eye-lashes and eye-brows more than make up for.

ZH: Is that why one gets the feeling that time stands still while watching a sequence?

BM: Precisely. We get to the real bhava of the composition only after creating an atmosphere… and once that is reached, there is no audience and no performer. It’s all part of the naadbrahma and the cosmic dance.

Birju Maharaj stops to watch the table maestro play and breaks into waahs

BM: In a way I feel guilty to make you sit at one side, while I take to the centrestage. I also wonder whether my footwork can keep pace with your brilliant tabla playing. These days, everyone wants such fast music andinstant effects.

ZH: It’s your love for me that speaks. Otherwise, I’m still a student in front of greats like you. Your observation about the audience preferring fast music is right.

BM: They need to be taught that anybody can impress you with fast footwork and chakkars, with riyaz. But it’s the slow graceful moves which require a lot more. Besides (laughing) this is no age for me to try and impress people with mere speed.

ZH: I go more by what my audience is like. For true connoisseurs of classicalmusic I stick to tradition. However, with the ‘Westward Ho’ types I don’t mind experimenting with fusion. There is the third kind who are quite easy to please. They come only to hear kitsch. What do you do then?

BM: It’s indeed sad that the audiences are moving away from our own music and dace styles. I for one don’t believe in fusion. Maybe jugulbandi, but in fusing you kill both styles and I have my doubts about how many people really enjoy that.

Both Birju Maharaj and Pandit Zakir Hussain seem to agree on the need to stop the exploitation of artistes by recording companies who illegally record performances.

BM: I’m glad artistes in Mumbai have mobilised against this exploitation. You know I hardly dance the traditional sequences I learnt from my father and my uncle any more. People get these small cameras and record the sequences and it is with horror that I learn of people who don’t know even the basics copying the same.

The worst thing is when they actually credit me for having taught them these sequences myself.

ZH: The problem is the same with music. Only here it is on a much larger scale. It is only now that artistes are even getting sensitised to the issue. But I’m glad that beginning has been made in the first place.