Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan has lamented that State’s Cultural department had been ignoring his family and had not paid any tribute to his father, the late Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan, whose 42nd death anniversary was being observed on Sunday.
“Today is the 42nd death anniversary of my pita Guru Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan Saheb. In these 42 years, Madhya Pradesh’s cultural department has not offered any tribute or homage to the legendary sarod guru of Gwalior. Our family is ignored and boycotted by State’s cultural department,” Khan, 69, told mediapersons. He rued though he and his sons had been invited to play at the prestigious events, including at the recent Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at Oslo, they have “never been invited by the State Cultural department to perform even in my hometown Gwalior for the Tansen Music Festival.”
“It is really sad our whole family has been boycotted. Gwalior and Sarod Ghar are my birth place. This is a very sad thing in the land of Tansen. He is our inspiration and Guru Gharana known as Senia Gharana,” Khan said. Gwalior’s Sarod Ghar is a unique institution devoted to promoting Indian classical music, heritage and culture under the aegis of the Haafiz Ali Khan Memorial Trust. Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, one of the greatest sarod masters of India, has been performing internationally since the 1960s. He has performed at the most prestigious venues across the world.