Instrumentalist Raees Khan mesmerises audience
By Jamal Shahid
ISLAMABAD: Few instrumentalists have enjoyed respect and admiration from music lovers and Ustad Raees Khan is one of them. When the organisers introduced him to his listeners on Tuesday night at a concert, they described him as a top grade sitar player.
The flow of artistry in the raag based compositions seemed flawless just like all the beauty in nature. Accompanied by his son Farhan Khan also on sitar, Ustad Raees Khan`s compositions and the themes portrayed the essence and the emotion of the raags with completeness in the rhythm and in melody.
The genuineness and the spontaneity of the compositions were such that all in the audiences seemed to cherish them in their hearts.
A music lover and an artist in the crowd in the open air theatre of the Lok Virsa described the experience when he said, “By sheer precision, highly charged sound quality conjured from the stringed instruments and an intelligent artistic sense both father and son made for themselves a place in the hearts of listeners.”
While the soothing sounds of Raag Amen from the stringed instruments filled the air with the acoustics and aesthetics of thaaps from Ustad Ajmal Khan`s tabla produced by his fluttering fingers combined with the joyous energy felt by the audience. Ajmal Khan`s sparkling intelligence was the hallmark of his improvisatory music while he complemented the two sitar players.
“Just like the sun filled the day with light and warmth, the bright and colourful melodies beam from the sitar and tabla seems to have a similar effect,” described another admirer of Ustad Raees Khan in the crowd.
Building slowly but earnestly, the playing developed into a passionate display of emotions. Ustad Raees Khan and Farhan Khan seemed to be reading each other`s minds and the mind of Ajmal Khan as they wove raag and taal together into a beautiful mix.
After a soul moving climax, the audience`s applause would not let the three leave the stage. Many in the audience seemed too mesmerized to recall what ensued until the end of the piece.
Several stayed back just to appreciate and thank father and son for an unforgettable evening.
Source: Dawn
Date:5/25/2011
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