By: V. C. Bhutani

V. C. Bhutani — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 13:51:36 +0000

Ustad Rais Khan is great in his own right. We in India were fortunate to have heard his music at numerous music conferences an festivals. We miss him. Our best wishes to him.
I had occasion to spend a few days at the feet of Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb. I heard about a few things which I would like to share.
Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb learnt from his father Ustad Inayat Khan Saheb but lost his guidance rather early with his untimely death. I have heard that Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb’s mother, whom also I met briefly in Calcutta, used to hear her husband’s music and wrote down that music in her notebooks. After Ustad Inayat Khan Saheb passed away, his wife passed on those notebooks to her son whom we know as Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb. I have heard that she used to lock up her son in a room and ask him to do riyaz from her notebooks.
It is possible that this has something to do with the evolution of the gayaki ang in the music played by Ustad Vilayat Khan Saheb.
Vinay Chandra Bhutani, Delhi, India, 2 Dec 2012, 1921 IST

Comments on: Ustad Rais Khan: the string maestro

By: V. C. Bhutani