MUMBAI: Ustaad Shakoor Khan, a disciple of the great Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan and a remarkable Sarangi player himself, was asked to audition as part of the state-run radio service's new policy that spanned 400 musicians. What's worse, he ostensibly failed.
Within months, protests against the procedure spread across the country as musicians felt slighted. Maestros such as sitarist Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan, his disciple Pandit Arvind Parikh and Jaipur Atrauli Gharana vocalist Vidushi Kausalya Manjeshwar, formed the Bharatiya Sangit Kalakar Mandal to coordinate with other musicians. Many decided to stop broadcasting on the radio. "[For many days] some 15-20 of us including Kishoritai Amonkar and Bade Ghulam Ali Khansahib, sat in our cars outside the gate of the AIR building on Queen's Road (now, New Marine Lines in Mumbai) and requested the musicians walking out to stop working for Akashvani," recalled Parikh, now 97.
"The agitation ended in 1955 and a settlement was reached. The audition policy was altered to incorporate a screening process, which was not demeaning to performers," wrote music scholar and tabla player Aneesh Pradhan in his book, Chasing the Raag Dream.
This story, parts of which are likely apocryphal, showcases how Mumbai functioned as the beating heart of classical music in the country - since the 19th century. Among the brightest stars of that tradition, Ustad Zakir Hussain, died earlier this week. Hussain, born in Mumbai's Mahim, was the son of Ustad Alla Rakha Khan, a tabla virtuoso, who accompanied sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar. Simla House, Hussain's home in Mumbai, was witness to over 50 years of this history.
This story is from the December 21, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times Haryana.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 21, 2024 edition of Hindustan Times Haryana.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Not done yet, lot of cricket left in me, says Ashwin
The game gave me so much to a point where it allowed me to be creative and explore the best inside me R ASHWIN, ex-India spinner
Fit-again Renuka Thakur back to spearheading India's pace attack
Renuka Thakur knew that to achieve the breakthrough performance she was aiming for, a conversation with the legendary Jhulan Goswami was necessary.
Ex-India batter Kambli stable in hospital
ON SATURDAY, KAMBLI WAS ADMITTED IN AAKRUTI HOSPITAL IN THANE BY HIS WELL-WISHER SAILESH THAKUR, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOSPITAL
Khel Ratna list not finalised, says ministry on Manu 'snub'
Ministry says shooter did not apply for the award, even as family asks why the process must be so stringent given her Paris feat
Record chase in women's 50-over game
ruled out of Australia series
GMR SPORTS TO LAUNCH RUGBY 7S FRANCHISE-BASED LEAGUE NEXT YEAR
GMR Sport announced the launch of a franchise-based Rugby 7s league in a 10-year strategic partnership with Rugby India, the national governing body for the game.
India wait for Shubman to sort out scoring issues in away Tests
The No.3 batter has a range of shots, but hasn't shown patience early on and has struggled on this tour of Australia
Good bowlers are excited to come to MCG, says curator
The weather in Melbourne has already dropped from a high of 37°C a day after the team landed here to a max of 18°C on Monday.
Sales ratio shows growing e-mobility ecosystem in 2024
The number of fossil fuel-based vehicles sold for every electric vehicle (EV) in the two-wheeler and light motor vehicle categories has fallen in 2024, compared with last year, a positive indicator for the EV ecosystem in the country.
Honda, Nissan to fuse into automobile giant
Honda and Nissan are in talks to merge by 2026, they said on Monday, a historic pivot for Japan's auto industry that underlines the threat Chinese EV makers now pose to the world's long-dominant legacy car makers.