Sarod maestro Ali Akbar Khan passed away in San Francisco at 1000 am(IST) according to family friend Robin Pal in Kolkata.
Ken Zuckerman recalls his 37-year long association with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, who passed away on Friday, was an inspiration in more ways than one for Derek Trucks, a rock guitar phenomenon with a growing, global fan following."When I heard the news [of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan's death], it was like losing Ray Charles, or John Coltrane, or Charlie Parker," Trucks said.
Have you ever met the maestro or experienced his magic?
Asha Bhosle has given us eight decades of songs to remember her by. She made many public appearances in India and abroad, taking music forward and showing audiences a side to her that they had never seen before. Here's a look at The Legend through the years from our archives.
He was a formidable musician but seemed utterly human, a Peter Pan who wore his genius with deceptive lightness. Sandip Roy remembers Ustad Zakir Hussain.
The multi-generational ensemble of world-class musicians dedicated to the masterful compositions and enduring legacy of the legendary sitar-musician.
Versatile Hindustani musician Sharan Rani, popularly known as 'Sarod Rani', passed away in New Delhi on Tuesday morning, a day before her 80th birthday.A disciple of great music maestros Ustad Allaudin Khan and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, she belongs to the Maihar Senia gharana and was hailed by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as the 'Cultural Ambassador of India'.Rani, a Padma Bhushan awardee who created new ragas, she traveled abroad to record with major music companies.
Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain died at a hospital in San Francisco, his family said on Monday.
All of a sudden, in the space of some weeks, the nation seems to be running up a deficit on its cultural capital.
Eight years ago, tabla maestro Zakir Hussain had narrated how his father Alla Rakha had welcomed him into this world by putting the musical instrument's rhythms into his ears when asked to recite prayers.
'When you reach a good point in your life, you should never forget the struggle that got you there. I haven't. That is why I have not become swollen-headed.'
'We played at Zakir's request. It was an amazing experience for me playing with a famous tabla player's son.'
Annapurna Devi was an Indian surbahar player of Hindustani classical music and she was the daughter and disciple of Allauddin Khan.
Ustad Zakir Hussain's story will be told in a thousand ways by each person who met him, loved him, spent time with him, got to know him and shared some precious time off stage with him, says Maanveer Singh.
One of Debashish Bhattacharya's most remarkable contributions is that he has taken the scope and foundation of the slide guitar, improvised it again and again, thereby designing and creating four entirely new guitars.
'The largest listenership for Vividh Bharati outside the country is in Spain.' 'The labourers who go there for the tomato-picking season feel cut off from their country and listen to Vividh Bharati to overcome their loneliness.'
At some point, it became evident to the audience that a subtle musical duel was taking place. By the time the faster taans started, the notes had become sharp arrows shot with the intention to annihilate. A revealing excerpt from Namita Devidayal's The Sixth String Of Vilayat Khan.
'Guruji inspired and indeed, changed the lives of so many for the better in the United States, in India, and elsewhere.' 'If you knew him, ever saw him teach, saw him dance, you would have thought that if anyone would live forever, if anyone could defy the inevitability of mortality, it would have been Pandit Chitresh Dasji.' Hours after renowned Kathak maestro Pandit Chitresh Das, 70, died of acute aortic dissection in his home in California, tributes poured in honouring the great dancer, and an even greater human being. Ritu Jha/Rediff.com reports
'When there was a match, he would be up all night watching it on his laptop with Kishori Amonkarji singing on the side.'
'He was a legend, he changed kathak and brought it to a whole different level.' 'He held very high standards and his energy was beyond imagination. He was god-like to see; he expressed such positive vibes.' Amid dance and music, friends and family mourned the loss of Kathak maestro Pandit Chitresh Das, who passed away on January 4 of a heart ailment. Touching tributes were made for the great dancer. Ritu Jha/Rediff.com reports
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has undergone a significant transformation, evolving from hit-and-run attacks to carrying out sophisticated operations with tactical precision. The group's tactics and targets have become increasingly audacious, targeting security forces, Chinese nationals, and innocent civilians. Experts attribute the BLA's evolution to various factors, including the leadership of Bashir Zeb, the group's growing intelligence network, and its exploitation of the grievances of the Baloch people. The BLA's actions are a cause for concern, as the group's sophisticated attacks pose a major challenge to security forces.
Pandit Ravi Shankar was George Harrison's link into the Vedic world.
Did you know Nargis was to have played the Madhubala role, but opted out because she has reservations about working with Dilip Kumar? Do you know how Naushad and Shakeel Badayuni came up with the words for the immortal Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya?
'Mulk questions the very principle, of good-Muslim exceptionalism.' 'That, of course, we adore Abdul Hamid, A P J Abdul Kalam and Bismillah Khan and if only more Muslims were like them.' 'Anubhav Sinha sticks his neck out to say that these are no exceptions.' 'Most Muslims are like them. It is the terrorists who are exceptions,' says Shekhar Gupta.
'People say my father was scared of Kishore Kumar. That is untrue. There are so many songs that my father told the composers to let some other singer sing because they too are good.'
Rafisaab's memory is as alive as ever in his devoted fans' minds.
