Note:- In this recording Jyoti Goho has referred to his Guru Pandit A.T.Kanan as Guruji. Here he has also mentioned A.N.Haksar (Ajit Narain Haksar) as a Director of ITC Sangeet Research Academy. Actually Mr. A.N. Haksar was the Chairman of ITC Sangeet Research Academy – Editor
Jyoti Goho is a well-known Harmonium player of Indian Classical Music. He is a Musician Faculty in ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata.
Tags
1985, Sangeet Research Academy, Nisar Hussain Khan, Bhuwalka award, A.T. Kanan, Harmonium, Jyoti Goho, Tanpura, Rashid khan, Tabla, Aslam khan, Gulam Akbar Khan, Zulfiqar Khan
It was the year 1985. Nisar Hussain Khan, the grandfather of Rashid Khan was the Guru of S. R. A. (Sangeet Research Academy). NisarHussain Khan was to be awarded the Bhuwalka Award, and it was decided that he would also sing at the Award Ceremony. My Guru encouraged me to play the Harmonium with him, and I agreed.
Nisar Hussain Khan used to sit on a high stool while performing, because he couldn’t sit with his legs folded owing to his old age. He was running on his 83rd or 84th year at that time. The program started and he asked me on stage to play the note for tuning other instrument accordingly. Thus I began to follow him with the Harmonium, suddenly he asked me to play it softly, said, “Why are you playing it so loud? Play it softly.” So I tuned the Hamonium to play it softly. He again interrupted and said. “No no. You are playing it too loud. Slow it down…” Amidst this, the Tanpura was also tuned and Nisar Khan started singing. In between songs, he would ask me to play softer. It was not that I was playing it very loud, but still he kept on insisting that I play it softly. He was renowned musician after all and also the Grandfather of Rashid… and I too was a bit intimidated.
At one point, I was playing the harmonium so low, that I myself was unable to hear it. But even then, he found it to be too loud. At the end of the program, my Guruji, who happened to be a South Indian, came to me and scolded me in broken Bangla, complaining that my harmonium was not audible at all. He said, “Are you mad or what! What were you playing up there? We couldn’t even hear you play the harmonium!” I told him that it was Nisar Khan, who himself had asked me to play it softly. Guruji said, “Yes, I had noticed that he was instructing you about something, but couldn’t make it what he was asking for…”
Ustad Gulam Akbar Khan
Later the Tabla player, Aslam Khan revealed to us that Nisar Hussain Khan had his hearing aid on high volume. His son in law was Gulam Akhbar Khan and his son was Julfikar, who had told the Tabla player about this. Since the volume of the hearing aid was pitched very high on the side where I was sitting, NisarHussain Khan always felt that I was being too loud. Later, I had also told Rashid about this incident, and he too assured me that this had happened a lot of times in the past as well. Rashid also told me that at home, when Nisar Khan would have his morning tea, he gets very irritated at the crows screeching outside, though the noise wasn’t that unbearable. He would also get angry at the crows and ask others to scare them off.
A. Throughout this recording Jyoti Goho has addressed Pandit Bhimsen Joshi as Panditji. B. The incident happened after 15 days of ITC-SRA Music Program in memory of Ustd. Nisar Hussain Khan in 1994. – Editor
When Gurujifirst came to Kolkata, he stayed in a house as a paying guest which was in 20C, NilmaniMitra Street, close to Darjipara. He was there for few days. It was on his initial days in Kolkata,probably during 1944-45. Then he moved from that place to someone’s house in Bowbazar. The landlord of that house was a lover of music and dance and often visited at classical concerts. So when that man had a discussion about keeping Guruji as paying guest, the man did not like the fact of having an atmosphere of music in his own house, the fact that someone will sing and he will be seen, though the owner himself visited concerts. So, Gurujiknew that the man did not like to have an atmosphere of music in his house.
The gentleman had asked Guruji if he was into music. Then Guruji had replied “No, no I don’t do all that” otherwise the man would not had let him stay. So finally the man had let Guruji stay. Now, Guruji had to practice or he atleast need to something, how to do that now? So, when the gentleman used to go out of the house, in that house there was water pump, so when the pump used to start then a musical sound used to come out of it, at that time Guruji used to practice a bit. He used to practice completely in a naked voice. Other than that he could not practice at all. In the meantime when it was going on like that, one fine day the gentleman told Guruji that there was a whole night concert, “Would you like to go with me?” Guruji said, “Yes”. Then he took him to the concert.
That was Pathuriaghata Street, house of ManmathaNathGhosh. The concert was held there. First was Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Sahab, then was Ravi Shankarji. Both of them did it half-half, whole. At first was Bade Ghulam Ali’s vocal. Everybody was sitting in the hall room wearing Punjabi and dhoti, on those days mug dhoti, and all were lover of music. Guruji was sitting beside the gentleman. When Ghulam Ali Khansahab’s performance was over suddenly Guruji was saying to the gentleman, and before that he noticed that ManmathNathBabu, who happens to be the owner of that place was coming and talking to the gentleman few times. Guruji thought that Manmath nath Babu must be a friend of the gentleman.
Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan
(Guruji asked) – “Well, will you please let me sing here? He is a great friend of yours. Could you please kindly request him to let me sing here?” The gentleman said – “You will sing here. What are you saying? Shut up! .Ghulam Ali Khansahab has sung here and you will sing after that. Yes, don’t speak at all. You have come with me so just quietly be seated.” The gentleman got angry and was shouting. In the meantime Manmatha Nath babu was passing that place. Manmatha Nath babu stood and enquired “What’s the matter? What happened?” Meanwhile, some interview was going on and few people from the audience had gone out to have some tea. The gentleman said “Look! This boy is just desperate. He is constantly saying that he will sing. He has never listened to songs, nothing, now he is saying that he will sing”. ManmathaNathbabu said “Does he want to sing? Alright, he can sing but only 10 minutes. People are having tea now. Let him sing for 10 minutes. What’s the problem? But not more than 10 minutes, Ravi Shankarji will sit after that. Guruji said, “ Yes, 10 minutes will be enough”. He agreed. Now, the accompanists who played with Ghulam Ali Khansahab, all of them denied. They said that they don’t know him and what they would play. They said “ Nahi, nahi, hum log nahi bajayenge”. All of them were denying. So a tabla player from the same para who came to see the concert and well known to the gentleman was being told to accompany with him. He was told, “Play with him, he is saying he will sing and all” . Only a tanpura was put in sync, there was no other instrument, a tanpura and a tabla. He sang the Malkauns which he had heard from Abdul Karim Khan sahab. He completed it within 10 minutes. As soon as he finished, all people were extremely, not only when he finished rather when he had begun then only within 2- 1 minute people started coming in with their tea cups and sat quietly. And audience of those days were quite socialist. They were sitting and quietly listening. And after listening they started developing a curiosity “Where did he come from? What is the matter? Such a great voice”. People started going in front of the stage and started asking him, “What is your father’s name?.Guruji’s father ‘s name was quite known to the people on those days. Audience said, “Oh, you are his son!” Ghulam Ali Khan sahab was on backstage . Ghulam Ali Khan asked the organizer to bring the person in front of him whoever was singing. He did not see Guruji then. Then Guruji went in front of him. Ghulam Ali Khan praised Guruji and said “Your voice is very nice and your taans are very clean. You will do well.” He said all that.
This is wonderful incident that he showed the courge to sing after Ghulam Ali Khansab’s performance. And after Guruji’s performance the gentleman was quite proud. The gentleman said “Yes. He lives in my house.” Actually, everybody was enquiring “Who brought him? From where?”. The gentleman felt very proud.
Jyoti Goho is a well-known Harmonium player of Indian Classical Music. He is a Musician Faculty in ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata.
Tags
Station Director, All India Radio, A.T.Kanan, Khamaj Thumri, Begum Aktar, Dipali Nag, Sangeet Research Academy, Recording, Studio, Thumri, Kheyal, Amir Khan, Bade Gulam Ali Khan, Rewaz, Talim, Bakul Bagan, Bhawanipur, 1950
A. Throughout this recording Jyoti Goho has referred to his Guru Pandit A.T. Kanan as Guruji. B. This happened after the whole night concert at Mahajati Sadan in 1950. – Editor
Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University
Sri Rantideb Maitra’s Residence, Madur Daho, Kolkata
About the speaker
Renowned Music Collector and Music Connoisseur
Tags
Ravi Shankar, Dhrupad, Chowtaal Chautaal, Tansen, Trina Purohit, Sharbari Roy Chowdhury, Robin Pal, Standing Note, Ballygunj, Satya Kinkar Bandyopadhyay, Gharana, Bishnupur, Talim, Allauddin Khan, Ali Akbar Khan, Khokababu, Birendra Kishore Roy Chowdhury, Dabir Khan, Khandar Baan, Hari Narayan Mukhopadhyay, Benaras, 1998,1999
Language
English
Sri Rantideb Maitra speaks :
Text Version:
Raviji sitting in front of a portrait of Guru Allauddin.
This is about Pandit Ravi Shankar’s singing, it’s outstanding. So I first heard Ravi Shankar singing a full-fledged Dhrupad, full-fledged you know, Chowtal with a Pakhawaj sangat…num tum, alap full-fledged dhrupad sang Tansen Dhrupad songs, and that was Trina Purohit’s house. She had lot of tape recordings from Sarbari Roy Chowdhury and I also heard something. I was really engrossed with the style of his singing…so beautiful and so tuneful. And the Dhrupad exactly as I knew Dhrupad to be you know that the swiping meends and long standing notes, khandani Dhrupad. So I was amazed that how come Ravi Shankar, if he had been a singer he could have been a very famous singer if he had stop played the Sitar. So I was always thinking that from whom he had learnedhis Dhrupad. What was his talim? So his secretary Rabin Pal was very close to me at a point of time and whenever Ravi Shankar came here he used to stay at that LalaSriram’s house in Ballygung and just full of people gate crashing, try to get his photograph, autograph or getting their LP record signed by him so it was very difficult to talk to him, always surrounded by so many people. I also tried to get him once but I could not enter. Even in spite of the fact that Rabin Pal was with me. Because he was having some press conference or something so I was asking Rabin Palconstantly that please ask Panditji from whom he learnt his Dhrupad.
I said ‘did you ask him’?
– No…
– Did you ask him?
– No.
– Why?
– No, actually I don’t know much about the Dhrupad. If Panditji ask me why you are asking me about Dhrupad, what do you know about Dhrupad then I will not been able to answer this thing that thing. Why don’t you ask that?
I said ‘how can I ask? He comes to Calcutta so less so’.
He said ‘ok go to your chamber’. He came to my chamber and he just dialed a number and said ‘Panditji, some person wants to talk to you and he is a great friend of mine’ and just handed over the phone to me. I was so nervous you know but the first thing that came to my mind I spoke. I said ‘Panditji I am a great admirer of your Dhrupad singing.
He burst out laughing…Ha Ha Ha. This is the first time I’m being complimented for my singing.
I said ‘it’s very true Panditji. I get something from the tape recorder.
– Oh I see.
– I am very fond of Dhrupad…very much you know.
– Whom you heard? Whose Dhrupad have you heard?
I said ‘mostly I listen to Satyakinkar Bandyapadhyay’s Dhrupad.
– Oh….he was such a giant and even after listen to him you’re finding my song up to date or to the mark?
I said ‘very much. It is of the same style.
– Oh….really.
Then I asked him that ‘I have a question to ask you Panditji that how is your style of singing so similar to Satyakinkar babu’s style of singing? It is very important.
What he said opened my eyes. What I thought he said. He said that ‘look why our singing styles would be different you tell me’?
I said, ‘No, but you belong to a different gharana. He is from Vishnupur.
– Well. No, that’s not a point. He said, ‘You have heard me singing Tansen’s song. He had also must be singing Tansen’s song.
I said, yes that’s true.
– Then if both of us had get proper talim , then both of us style must be the same. Because both of us singing Tansen that means both us have got the proper talim. So it should be different?
Then I pressurized him, ‘please do tell me from where?
He was so evasive. He said ‘No I learnt from Babaji’.
I said ‘no, it is not possible. I have heard Ali Akbar Khan sahab’s singing and it got nothing to do with your style. He only sings num tum tum and all sorts of things. I also heard Allauddin Khan’s some snatches of his songs…they got nothing, those are just some alap based Dhrupad like Dagars. But you are singing full-fledged Dhrupad.
– No…actually I must have learned something from Khokababu. Khokababu means Birendra Kishore Roy Chowdhury. I must have learnt.
I said, ‘No, because unfortunately or fortunately I heard Khokababu’s singing also’. I said, ‘No it is not similar to your style of singing. It is more like KhadarBani style; it is more like Dabir Khan style. It is not.
– Oh I see. So you have heard Dabir Khan.
I said yes one or two Dabir Khan.
– Ok …then I must have you see I was in Benaras, so you have heard about Hari Narayan Mukhopadhyay?
He was you know taking me down you know to a place where I cannot reach. Hari Narayan Mukhopadhyay, yes I have heard about him but there is no recording of Hari Narayan Mukhopadhyay.
Yes that is exactly the point. Then he was very satisfied. I must have you know during my younger days I heard Hari Narayan babu’s Dhrupad so much that this style must have gone into me and must be sing Hari Narayan Mukhopadhyay’s style.
Then I just gave up. I understood that he was not going to really divulge. So, ‘thank you Panditji. My Pranaam. So there we ended.
