About Me
Some might say that I am a musician's musician. I have delved deepily into the study and yoga of performing Raga on the Sitar. The Sitar has always been present in my life since I was a child. My father was an amature Sitarist, and though I belong to the priestly "Brahmin" class (Music as a profession is looked gravely down upon), I knew that I would one day unlock the instruments magic and spend my life in search of ever raising and uplifting my soul, as well as others, through the majestic system of Raga.I began my studies under my father, as well as the great maestro of the Senia Gharana, Ustad Mushtaq Ali Khan. From him I learned correct form and function.......Basically he taught me the beginings, which prepared me later on in life. When I was young, I would frequent musical happenings, and if I heard that India's supreme doyen, Ustad Allauddin Khan, was playing.....Lets just say I would make it my duty to be up front, eyes glued, with all my energy focused on the magic he produced through his instrument. It was a magical time......The last of the royal court musicians would perform their masterpieces, and I (Little Nikhil) would be there soaking up what ever I could. After one particular performance of Ustad Allauddin Khan, I happened to find myself quite near him chatting to others about music. In quite a dramatical way, I came to him bursting out into tears and literally begged him to take me as a student. Annoyed by such a display, he scolded me in such a way that he was eternally famous for, and said he was just too tired. Ignoring his rebuke, I kept begging and crying and begging........He gave me his address and told him to write to him the next time I would be playing, so that he might grab a listen and gauge whether or not he could be of use to me. I was playing an All-Bengal radio performance the coming week and told him to listn then by radio. After my performance, I was sure that it was the best anyone had ever played and was quite pleased with myself......Until I got a reply from Ustad Allauddin Khan completely taking a cane to my performance......."All backwards you played....Totally incorrect.......Hairpins were on your wrists, bangles in your haid..Totally wrong form.....But something is there. Come to me and we will see"I left my home in Kolkata to go and live in the small village of Maihar in the Bengal State with my Guru and other students. At that time, there was another sitarist that my guru was finishing and fine polishing. His name is Ravi Shankar, and he went on to make an incredible name for himself and opened the door for much of this music in the west in later years. Another student was Ustad Allauddin Khan's son, Ali Akbar Khan, of whom the legacy of this great music is carried to this very day. There is no one greater than he, and I later also became his desciple after studying many years under his father. It was Ustad Ali AKbar Khan who was able to show me the clear and distinct path of saddhana through this music. I can't count how many times I sat on stage with him with tears in my eyes as I watched his genius pore through his instument. I also studied with his sister, the saintly musician Annapurna Devi. She was able to unlock small facets of sound which I felt rounded out my training and set me on the path as a performer.I have performed countless times, but I am still a student. Practice is my mantra, and I encourage all aspiring Sitarist to formulate a plane of practice each day. My goal as a performer is to try and lift the listener's soul with my music.......This is only achieved through hard work and discipline....No short cuts.I enjoyed many years of performing, but in 1986, I was brought back into the wheel of life.......But please enjoy if you can what I have left in this world. Listen.....love.....feel.....contemplate....Thats all thats required. My love is to all of you---
