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Journalism of Courage
The maestro’s shehnai has fallen silent but Lucknow Doordarshan will keep his strains alive — in an exclusive archival two-volume audio and video CD issued by the Doordarshan Kendra.
Compiling some of the finest recordings of the late Ustad with two live performances — both on audio and video — the collection is a collector’s item for all classical music connoisseurs. “We can’t even recall the number of recordings Khan-saheb did for us. Whenever Lucknow Doordarshan Kendra called him for a recording, he agreed readily,” DD-Lucknow deputy director-general Dr SK Grover said on Monday.
One of the few video CD collections of Bismillah Khan — the collection is titled Bharat Ratna Collection — Naad Shikhar Ustad Bismillah Khan — it comprises two volumes each of audio and video CDs. The collection has Raag Ahir Bhairav, Raag Purya Dhanashree, Malkauns, a kajri and Raag Yaman — all rendered by the late Ustad on his shehnai. The collection also has a live recording of the Varanasi Ganga Mahotsav and a rare jugalbandi of Bismillah Khan (on shehnai), N Rajam (violin) and Kishan Maharaj (tabla).
Anil Srivasatav, assistant director of DD-Lucknow, recalled: “Khansaheb was very finicky about his recordings. He wanted everything to be perfect. So, his live recordings had to be flawless, just as his recitals were flawless.”
Khan’s last recording here was at Ganna Kisan Sansthan auditorium in 2002. He had to be brought on a wheelchair. “We were planning another recording with him. That would have been a lifetime achievement but now…” the Kendra’s assistant director trailed off.
