Afghani rubab legend Daud Khan Sadozai left the audience at Jodhpur’s Jaswant Thada spellbound with his classical compositions inspired by Indian ragas. He chatted with Karan Bhardwaj on how rubab gave birth to sarod
There are moments in life when you are dumbstruck by what you listen or see. What you see is either unbelievable or so fascinating that you wish you could hold or pause that experience for longer. The stars are still shining in full glory. A few music enthusiasts are comfortably seated on mattresses laid on the rough surface of Jaswant Thada. A white marble memorial built by Maharaja Sardar Singh of Jodhpur in 1899 in memory of his father, Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, this architectural landmark is one of the most exciting venues of the ongoing Rajasthan International Folk Festival (RIFF). Every morning during the fest, this site hosts dawn concerts which feature some of the most well-known folk musicians and instrumentalists, both national and international.
As the moonlight fades to make place for a deep orange arch, Afghanistan rubab maestro Daud Khan Sadozai opens the concert with his soulful compositions. These are the raga-based tunes that his guru taught him some 40 years ago. Accompanying him is well-known table player Nassir Hussain, who’s lending foot-tapping rhythm to the string instrument. As the morning breeze gushes in gently, the musical notes hypnotise the audience which unfailingly respond to each harkat of the jugalbandi. Born in Kabul, Daud sahab learnt the classical rubab-style from Ustad Muhammad Umar in Kabul. Though a rarity today, he has been keeping the tradition alive across the globe through his performances and disciples. Besides that, he has also studied sarod, a descendent instrument of rubab, under sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. In fact, it is believed that the ancestors of Amjad Ali Khan had brought the rubab from Afghanistan to India and developed sarod from it.
“I enjoy fantastic rapport with Khan sahab (Amjad Ali). He taught me sarod and encouraged my music world over,” says Daud. The conflict that has grappled the state of Afghanistan has certainly pained the legend who has been living in self-imposed exile in Germany for decades. As we take him to a quiet lake, down next to the performance area, to have a comfortable chat, he pours his heart out. Gazing peacefully at pigeons which are taking morning dips in water, he says with a smile, “They are better than humans. Unlike us, they don’t have egos and are above self-interests. Afghanistan is being captured by developed nations which have agendas and selfish goals. There’s so much of disgust and anguish in the air. They think I am their enemy if I am spreading the love of music.”
Though he is amicably living with his German wife, who’s a teacher and their three children, he still misses his native land a lot . “There’s no sense of belongingness there. People have different culture and they lack our values. Skyscrapers may look overwhelming from outside, but they are empty and shallow inside. People are essentially workers who are confined to their jobs. There’s no peace and enlightenment within,” he says.
It is primarily the passion for his art and culture that draws him back. Clad in a traditional pashtun dress of shalwar kameez and a karakul hat, he reveals that he doesn’t even wear Afghani clothes in Germany. “People get scared there and find you mysterious. So I get gentleman’s attire (laughs). There, people complain if you create ‘noise’ because for them it’s invasion in their privacy,” he says.
Today, the maestro is performing at the eminent festivals and spreading his music. “It’s important to show this side of my country. Afghanistan is a peace-loving nation which has a rich heritage of music. It shares a lot with India. In fact, we only play and learn Indian ragas there, which sometimes are adapted. For instance, Bhairavi became Bairami, Bhairav became Beiru with different melodic characteristics,” he says.
Daud has hundreds of disciples but the future of rubab doesn’t look promising. According to him, young players are impatient and lack discipline. However, with issues marginally settling down in his country, he hopes to go back some day and revive the lost glory of his gurus and classical traditions. “This is the mission of my life and message of music,” he says.