Letter of Pt. Ravi Shankar admiring Ustd. Vilayat Khan’s tanas

Told by Tirthankar Benerjee
Obtained by Professor Sanjoy Bandopadhyay
Date 14th  February 2017
Place 3/1/1D Padmapukur Road, Kolkata 700092
About the speaker Tirthankar Banerjee is a well-known sitar player of Kolkata. He is a disciple of Sitar maestro Pt. Dipak Chowdhury.
Tags Riwaz, Ravi Shankar, Late 60’s, Early 70’s, 1967, Vilayat Khan, Taan, Admire, Dipak Chowdhury
Language Bengali

Tirthankar Benerjee speaks:

 

Text version:

?????, ???????? ??? ???? ??????

 Ustad Vilayat Khan & Pt. Ravi Shankar

?????, ??????, ????? ????…? ????? ?????? ???????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ?????? ???????????? ?? ?????? ?????? ????????? ???? ????? ????????? ??? ??????: ??-?? ?? ?? ?????? ???????? ?????? ?? ????????? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???????, ???? ??? ???????? ?? ????? ?????????? ?? ?????? ???? ?????????? ???? ???? ????? ??, ???? ???? ???-????? ??? ?? ??? ???? ???-????? ??? ??, ???? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ????????, ?????????? ??? ?????? ??????? ??? ??????? ????? ????????? ???? ??? ????????????? ??????? ??? ??? ?? ??????, ???? ???? ???? ??? ?????, ???? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ????????????? ???? ????? ?? ????????? ???? ???? ????, ??? ???? ??? ??????? ??????, ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??? ??????? ????? ???? ??? ????, ???? ???????? ?????? ?? ?????? ??, – ??? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ??????? ???-?? ????? ?????? ??????? ??? ?? ???? ??????? ????? ??? ????? ?????? ?????? ????? ??? ?? ?? ???????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ????????? ??? ???? ????? ????? ???????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ????? ????? ?? ?????????? ????? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ??????? ???? ??????? ??? ?????-? ????? ???? ??? ????, ??? ?????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ??? ?? ??? ?? ???? ??? ???? ??, ??? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ?????

Verbatim by: Dr. Suranjita Paul

Translation:

-Did he mention anything about Riyaz?

-Yes…riwaz…That reminds me; Dipakda once showed me a letter. Dipakda was a student of Panditji around the year 1967. He received this letter from Panditji three or four years lat

                Pt. Dipak Choudhury

er. So, the letter must have been written exactly around late 1960s and early 1970s. Now, as most musicians and even some music admirers know, the relationship between Pandit Ravi Shankarji and UstadVilayat Khan wasn’t exactly friendly. Anyway, their relationship has been extensively talked and written about, and we all understand that. What is interesting is, however, that in the letter – I’m not sure whether or not the letter has been preserved by Dipakda’s sister – but Panditji had written “When playing a Taan, you must listen closely to VilayatBhai’s rendition. Try to follow the way VilayatBhai plays the Taan. A perfect Taanwill exactly belike VilayatBhai’s”.

This is fascinating! Pandit Ravi Shankar Ji may not admit it publicly, but I have seen the proof of his secret admiration. Whether Vilayat Khan harboured similar feelings, I wouldn’t know, because I’ve never learned his style from him. But this is a fact nevertheless.

Translated by: Ankana Das

 

Picture Courtesy:Google

https://scroll.in/article/866513/listen-vilayat-khan-and-ravi-shankar-present-their-take-on-the-raag-bilawal

https://plus.google.com/101865356332573197867

 

Edited & Designed: Dr. Suranjita Paul

Data processed at SAP-DRS Lab, Department of Instrumental Music, Rabindra Bharati University

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