Ghazal singer Soma Ghosh, who is the only female voice to have collaborated with Ustad Bismillah Khan, says we should make an attempt to revive ancient instruments. By Karan Bharadwaj
It is definitely because of her perfect “sur” and impeccable knowledge of classical music that maestros like Ustad Bismillah Khan and Naushad Ali unofficially banked on her to keep alive the ancient instruments and classical forms of music. Artiste Soma Ghosh, who’s rendered to be the adopted daughter of Ustad Bismillah Khan, is the custodian of what her gurus left behind. “I had a fabulous association with the legends and they would often say ‘jis raah par tum chal rahi ho, usi par hum bhi chalna chahte hain…only people like you are the hope for a better future of our kind of music.’ Those words reverberate in my mind and I perform across the globe to spread this message,” said the singer who paid a musical tribute through Parampara-Kal, Aaj aur Kal, a performance in memory of late Naushad Ali and Bhageshwari Devi.
Ghosh had her first jugalbandi in the early 2000 with Bismillah Khan which was also attended by Naushad Ali. After listening to her, the maestro blessed her and attended most of her concerts. “It was his dream to revive the ancient instruments like taar shehnai, vichitra veena, sur bahar, table tarang, jal tarang and others. But he could not. So he gave me this responsibility. He was getting worried on the deteriorating scene of music. He said that time is not far when we would have to go to foreign land to learn our own instruments,” she said.
The performer believes that there’s a need to present the parampara in a new format. “I sit with young musicians and simplify lyrics and compositions. That’s how we can motivate youngsters to pursue classical music. I feel sad that we have stooped so low that songs like Fevicol are being made,” she said.
The singer is also upset that young musicians don’t concentrate on learning. “They shun hard work and want to become ‘branded singers’. Earlier, musicians would strive for perfection in various vidhas (patterns) of music. But today it is not the case. If one is doing sufi, one won’t learn qawwali. Bas paise kamaane ka dhanda ho gaya hain (Music is now business to earn money),” she said.
Ghosh is the only lady musician with whom Ustad Bismillah Khan collaborated after 50 years. “He never worked with women, but he was so impressed that he staged a juglbandi with me in Parliament also. I feel honoured,” she said.
She keeps busy with her stage performances, mainly the darbari mehfils. “Nobody is doing darbari mehfils, which were a ritual during monarchy in our country. It gives me a sense of satisfaction. We create the whole look of adarbar and a mesmerising set up,” said the singer who happens to be the solo performer of darbari music.