Ustad Rashid Khan was in town for his vocal recital at Shriram Shankarlal Music Festival. In a conversation with I Sankrityayan, he shares his outlook towards modern music and love for family
Pundit Bhimsen Joshi aptly defined him as the “assurance for the future of Indian vocal music.” Ustad Rashid Khan, with his distinctive and supple voice, can easily warm the cockles of your heart. Moreover he is a unique combination of classicism and modernism, be it in his thought process or music. Being the great-grandson of Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan, he was destined to be a musician. Though once in an interview, he himself said, “As a child, music did not interest me at all.” But if you belong to a family of musicians, nothing can stop you from following tradition. And it would not be wrong to say that his career as a vocalist transformed and bloomed under the guidance of guru and his granduncle, the late Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan.
He started his career at the age of 11 and never looked back. His finely crafted voice and repertoire, be it ragas, thumris or Hindi film songs, have allowed him to experiment with his style of rendition. His progressive thought led him to collaborate with Western music artistes like louis Banks. He follows the grammar of music in his personal life. From performing in big concerts and travelling to doing household chores like gardening and cooking — he is a multi-tasking person.
You must know a popular phrase by Vince lombardi, “Perfection is not attainable but if we chase perfection, we catch excellence.” And this is what you feel when you see Ustad Rashid Khan. Here we try to understand Ustad Rashid Khan as a person and musician and how he creates a balance between the two.
There’s a popular saying, behind every successful man there is a woman. How much do you believe in it when it comes to your wife Soma KhanIJ
The adage stands true. In addition to her, I have two more important women in my life, in the form of elder daughter Suha and younger daughter Shaona. The three of them play an integral role in my life.
How did you fall for Soma KhanIJ
In just one word, I would say perfect, and so I married her. Even today she appears to me the same as the first day I met her.
Given that you spend most of your time either in concerts or in your riyaaz, does it affect your personal lifeIJ Normally kids complain when fathers are unable to give time. How do you strike a balanceIJ
I make it a point to take one of my kids along with me whenever I travel. For this trip, my eldest Suha is accompanying me. But I would like to add that I have got lovely kids who have never complained.
You believe in fusion and have even sung for movies. Do you find them interesting or treat them as just demands of timeIJ
For me they are both interesting. I think it’s a way to connect with the next generation. In both of my academies in Kolkata and Tripura, we have students ranging from the age of 2-72. I found that they could hardly differentiate between tuneful singing and non-tuneful music. So to popularise music in its proper form, I chose fusion and movies.
Today’s songs are mainly dominated by a lot of hip hop and beats. How do you rate popular musicIJ
Music is something that defines every human emotion. A happy number for when you are happy, a sad number when you are sad, a romantic number when you miss someone and so on and so forth. This is the reason why so many genres co-exist. So for me singing in any particular genre would be very interesting because for me it’s either good music or bad music.
Your favourite song from any latest movie or albumIJ
Dilwale’s Gerua because its my son Armaan’s current favorite. We both make it a point to listen to it whenever we are out for a drive.
When you look at your children and recall your childhood, how much difference do you see in them especially in their thinking process and their perspective towards lifeIJ
There is definitely a huge leap in their thinking process and their perspective. They are much more mature, intelligent and focussed in life than we were — at least me. I love the go-getter attitude in today’s kids in achieving their goals.
Are you doing any Bollywood projects nowIJ
That is under wraps.
life has given you a lot but do you still harbour any regretsIJ
A life without regrets is not a life. But I praise God for whatever he has given me.
How do you perceive the kind of music trending in the industryIJ
I believe the listeners are the best decision-makers. As I always say that it is either good or bad music, and it’s up to you to chose.
Any tip for young classical vocalistIJ
Practice, practice, practice... with a lot of patience. That is the mantra of success at all times.