“You Have To Grow As A Musician And Keep On Reinventing Yourself Every Day”- Ayaan Ali Bangash

Jyothi Venkatesh

In a telephonic talk, orchestrated by PR person Vaibhav Patil, Ayaan Ali Bangash son of the veteran Sarod player Amjad Ali Khan and brother of Amaan Ali Bangash , asserts that experimental genres do not have a rule book and classical music is not instant coffee.

You are trying fusion for the first time. What were your expectations from this genre of music?

Frankly speaking, it is not exactly for the first time that I am trying my hand at fusion music but definitely it is what I’d call an experimental concert that my brother Amaan Ali and I are doing in Mumbai after a long time where a lot of instruments are also involved. Recently we both performed in Mumbai at the Royal Opera House

How did you decide to do fusion music after being in the music industry for so many years?

We had done a concert with Britain Symphony earlier with Gino Banks, Sangeet Haldipur, Ojasbhai and Navinbhai.

How was your experience of collaborating with Gino, Ojas, Navin and Sangeet?

It was a wonderful musical experience as far as I was concerned. All of us performed after a long period of time and the best part of it was that we did not put in any 13^th note. I’d say that it was a tribute to the twelve notes of music at the end of the day

Do you think fusion is a good way to keep new audiences still engrossed and tuned in to classical music?

I’d like to call it experimental music not fusion music, as I said earlier. Experimental genres do not have a rule book. You are not traditionally answerable to anyone but you try to make a bouquet of flowers and collectively it is important to land together. I’d say that at the end of the day, it has to be appealing to connect music lovers be it in the same space.

 How do you think fusion as a genre has changed over the years?

The mantra is to connect to music lovers be it jazz, or for that matter any kind of music. If the audience enjoys what you do, I’d say that content become secondary.

Do you think it is necessary to keep reinventing classical music to keep it relevant?

You have to grow as a musician and keep on reinventing yourself every day.

What do you think of the current status of classical music in India? Is it getting its due?

What was in the 60’s and what is now are different and poles apart from one another. Classical music has an innate ability to re-invent itself from time to time. Most of the classical musicians are extremely busy now and there is no reference book as to how classical music is to be preserved. The youth today is a lot into classical music and we have a lot of performers who are actually brilliant. Classical music isn’t like instant coffee. It is important to seek the blessings of your elders and teachers and parents. It is a long journey

Go ahead!

For Maharashtra, Bengal, South etc classical music is a way of life. I’d say that it has always been wonderful to perform in a musically attuned city like Mumbai

A lot of youth is said to be interested in listening to classical music but there is no one who can be called the next big thing. Why do you think that is the case?

Do you listen to contemporary music and would you ever try your hand at it?

I do listen to contemporary music even of different genres today but unfortunately there is not much appealing work, especially in India

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