Press Release

Literary Fest - Audience soaks in immortal verses

Unconventional to the Core

Carrying forward father Vilayat Khan’s legacy

Ustad Shujaat Khan transcends Indian classical music

Shujaat is one of the artistes who have made it to Amazon.com's 100 Greatest World Music albums of all time

He has stepped into the shoes of his father nicely and flowered into a brilliant performer, with Shujaat in prime form one did not miss the Sitar monarch Vilayat Khan, where else would one find such an elfin and sprightly tone that seems to set up gleaming sound bubbles, ambling on as if in a merry dance, such lightness and pliancy of touch generating a host of light-winged graces, a never ending source of aesthetic delight.

Shujat Khan, with his charismatic warmth, sitar and melodious voice, swept them off their feet... he seemed to woo the raga with whispering soft heart-wrenching phrases, and, having achieved that, dominated the beauty with powerful taan-todas.

I am no Xerox!

Candid and affable, the two seemingly polarised traits come together most wonderfully, most admirably in sitarist Shujaat Hussain Khan. Undisputedly, one of the leading sitarists today, yet, as he puts it: "people'd never let me forget I am the son of legendary sitarist Ustad Vilayat Knan".

He's proud of his lineage, but shujaat Hussain khan's music has his special touch.

Music in his genes, humility in demeanour

As the son and disciple of the legendary Ustad Vilayat Khan, Shujaat Hussain Khan could well have worn pride on his sleeves.

Classical recital a feast for ears

Shujaat Hussain Khan literally commanded the gathering at Quila Mubarak last evening.

Dropped from a master, the note glows with a unique warmth and light. Tiny embeleshments produced with a rapid, graduated pulling of the main playing string and setting up a concourse of exquistely pulsating string tones were at once captivating. Absolute accuracy of such a bevy of notes following each other in a running succession and coaxed out instrument with one single jerk of the plectrum is amongst the most difficult in manipulating a stringed instrument.

A miracle of nature is unraveled before one's eyes.

On his day Shujaat plays as well as, if not better, than any other sitarist.

Shujaat has outshone the various sones and daughters of master musicians.

One's primary feeling as Shujaat struck the first note was how conclusively does a single note or word tell the tale of the amount of thought and rumination and years of steadfast hard work behind the same.

To a listener, his heart may not mean anything more than just sweet sensation, but a connoisseur or the one who has gone through musicians grind, cannot but be struck with wonder, if not apalled with a runaway sense of frustration somewhere in the subconscious, at the spontaneity and effortless ease with which an endless stream of pristine swaras and strains come gushing forth from his lyre.

...a languid, unconscious grace...

Khan's work in the gayki ang style is rich with vocal sounds produced by sensuously sliding melodies.

His aalaap has an intensity and a heartwrenching melody that flows spontaneously to touch the listener's heart.

An exhibition of intensity that's rarely seen in performance on the sitar... trance-including at one moment and jaw-dropping the next...the musicianship was simply astounding.

Dynamic and breathtaking solo.

Arguably the year's best world music album.

His mastery over the instrument makes his raga seem like an anthem, controlled and tense, with the power of a coiled spring.

It is difficult to believe that human fingers could move at such speed.

Superb-critic's pick

The music was as much a speeding locomotive as it was intricate tapestry.

The performance was so engrossing that time stood still.... the music seemed to fly and the audience went along for the ride.... a standing ovation.

Seductive sliding melodies of his vocalized style, blended into an irresistible expression of creative musical passion.

World music at its best

The lyrical eloquence was like someone humming phrases, it was magical.

Played with the refinement of established wealth. The music came to a whirlwind climax; a standing ovation was spontaneous

His music is psychology and wisdom about how to put notes together.

Brilliant mind and brilliant technique combined in young Shujaat, produced a brilliant performance.

The passages like some fine lace and the complete Raga played by Shujaat was like a tapestry beautifully woven and fascinatingly synchronized.

For two hours he unleashed on the Bombay public; his tremendous technical virtuosity with 10 years of training behind him at the age of 13.

His plucking is more controlled and cleaner than any other Sitarist of his age.

A daring and dedicated performer, some of his admirers fondly say he plays the Sitar through strings that sing.

The Sitar is his instrument of speech, of feeling, of expression and creation. Shujaat's touch has the magnified clarity whose fingers can make the string coo like a dove.