1 week Ago By Moneycontrol
Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash, sons of sarod master Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, were naturally drawn to music. They did, but not because anyone pushed them, but because they say 'music is their life.' In an exclusive interview with MoneyControl, they mentioned that music has always been a part of their lives when growing up.
The famous brothers recently recorded a Holi-themed CD called Colours And Celebrations, which was a remarkable blend of classical and traditional traditions. The album featured a collaboration with the famous Padma Shri laureate and folk legend Malini Awasthi, well known as India's Folk Queen. Further in the conversation, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangash spoke about their relationship with their father, Amjad Ali Khan, and the role their mother played in shaping them and their formative years.
When asked about the invasion of Artificial Intelligence or AI, Amaan and Ayaan are adamant that AI, despite its growing prominence in the music industry, cannot duplicate the soulful essence of Indian classical music. Amaan and Ayaan said that the human touch, emotions, and spontaneous creativity inherent in their art form are priceless and dismissed AI's promise as just imitation. The talented brothers also discussed the complexities of their musical journey, their father's significant influence, and their perspectives on the changing music scene, particularly the role of artificial intelligence.
"AI cannot make an MF Hussain or Vincent Van Gogh." It can only mimic something similar," Amaan said, emphasising the importance of the human aspect in creative arts. Ayaan reiterated this sentiment, acknowledging AI's expanding presence while underlining, "You cannot replace the human touch, feelings, and emotions with anything generated by machines and technology.
" Amaan and Ayaan said their father, Amjad Ali Khan, taught them the value of humility above technical brilliance. "His motto has been very humility-centered. Musical fireworks are useless if there is no humility in his school of thought," Amaan said, reflecting on his father's lessons.
Ayaan continued, "To be a musician is in itself a blessing, as you are really not answerable to anyone but yourself." When asked about the Ghibli trend and its potential impact on performing arts, Amaan rejected it as transient amusement, while Ayaan projected AI's future incursion into instrumental music. However, both brothers insisted that "the human touch can never be replaced.
" The brothers said they envision their music expanding through cross-cultural partnerships and also stressed music's unifying potential. "Music has the power to convey the message of love and unity beyond borders, beyond race, and beyond communities," Amaan told us. Ayaan went on: "When we collaborate, the idea is to achieve a common DNA that represents both cultures.
" On improvisation, Amaan emphasized the importance of compositions in conserving ragas, whereas Ayaan emphasized the Guru Shishya Parampara, which emphasizes music as a way of life. Excerpts from the exclusive interview with Money Control: You both come from a renowned musical family. How do you balance the pressure of living up to your family's legacy with your own unique artistic vision? Amaan: The relationship with our father has been more father-son than guru-student initially.
Of course the change in role for us and for him from guru to father and back to guru is somewhat effortless; the mantra taught by our parents has been to be a good human being first and good music will follow. Music is who we are and our nature reflects in our music. All I can say is that it's a complete privilege to be the older son of a monumental icon.
So every concert and every day's tour is like the first of your life. Ayaan: Music is our life. From the time we were born, the language spoken was music; the air that we were breathing was music.
We were shaped into the vessel like water. Though our father has been a very strict traditionalist, he’s always believed in adapting to change. Truthfully, there are no strict guidelines for presenting or performing Indian classical music.
This approach is highly individualistic. Over the years, we have tried our best to make the Sarod reach a new audience— an audience that perhaps would not be at a classical concert! You must create your own narrative and continue to walk with honor and grace. Your father, Amjad Ali Khan, is a legendary sarod player.
Can you share a memorable lesson or anecdote from your training under him? Amaan: Something that stays with me all the time is my father saying to be aware of someone who is more humble and not someone who is technically very brilliant. His mantra has been very humility-centric. Musical fireworks have no effect if there’s no humility in his school of thought.
It really resonated with me. Ayaan: There are too many to list. All I can say is that it just feels like a true blessing to be sitting on stage alongside an artist of this magnitude.
Being able to observe him up close is truly a privilege. Apart from the humanity and compassion, I learned that to be a musician is in itself a blessing, as you are really not answerable to anyone but yourself. For those few hours when you are onstage, you are in a creative frenzy, sometimes supernaturally unreal.
There are times when you get off stage only to realize that something special happened up there that day. It’s a blessing to be in a profession of what you love doing. Our mother’s role has been immense in our lives.
Being an artist herself who learned from the great Rukmini Devi Arundale, she sacrificed her career for the family. Today, what we are and who we are is all her contribution. As our father says, a mother is every child’s first guru.
How do you think AI has impacted the way audiences experience and interact with classical music? Amaan: AI can’t create an MF Hussain or a Vincent Van Gogh. It can only mimic something similar. In the creative arts, human beings often struggle to replicate a piece identically, even if it closely resembles the original.
So, for AI to understand the depth of Indian classical music? That’s just too complicated. It’s too early in the day to comment on where all this will go, but the human touch can never be replaced. Ayaan: AI, at the moment, of course, is spreading its wings in every industry.
It has found its way into the music industry as well; however, only time will tell where all this goes. It’s too new a process at the moment, and it will always be surrounded by a lot of controversy and a lot of deep layers of creative questions. I do feel, AI used in the right way is very acceptable, but we also need to know where to stop using it.
With the latest Ghibli trend in art, do you believe that AI can have an impact on performing arts as well? Amaan: The Ghibli trend was more associated with the fun of doing it rather than delving into the depth of artistic and creative questions. We did it too, but it ends at a point where it’s a fun thing and nothing beyond that. I can’t endorse turning it into an art exhibition someday.
Ayaan: I’m sure the day isn’t far away and AI will enter not just performing arts but instrumental music too and do things like Yo-Yo Ma playing Bollywood songs. However, you cannot replace the human touch, feelings, and emotions with anything that’s generated by machines and technology. We will term after dropping Andrewji about how much it is, if it is too much and where it all stops.
What new ideas or experiments are you eager to try, and how do you see your music changing? Amaan: There is a much deeper message when you are collaborating. Music has the power to convey the message of love and unity beyond borders, beyond race, and beyond communities. Classical music is at the peak of its powers.
It organically adapts to every changing era, every changing trend. For an art form that was only meant for royalty, today selling out concert halls over 3000 seats is something to thank all the trendsetting senior artists who turned this into a brand full of dignity, Grace. Ayaan: Therefore, when we collaborate, the idea is to achieve a common DNA that represents both cultures.
It’s very important, where you’re coming from in order to know where you’re going. This is the seed that is constant, that is not seasonal and that is not challenged by changing phenomena. The future is very bright! There is a lot of talent that is very fortunate to be absorbing the research of all the masters today with a click of a button.
There is struggle in every field, so why single out classical music? You've collaborated with artists from diverse genres, from classical to rock. What draws you to these fusion projects, and how do you approach blending different musical styles? Amaan: Artistic dialogue transcends conventional genre boundaries. What emerges is neither purely classical nor folk, but rather a new musical language that honors both traditions while creating something entirely distinctive.
Ayaan: As Gibran says, ‘Solitude is a silent storm that breaks down all our dead branches; yet it sends our living roots deeper into the living heart of the living earth.’ I am so honored to have been a part of this process. ‘Music is the language of the spirit.
It opens the secret of life, bringing peace and abolishing strife.’ It’s with that very ethos that we have created collaborations. We are ever so grateful to all of the wonderful artists who have played and worked with us.
How do you think Indian classical music can be made more accessible or appealing to a wider, global audience? Amaan: You’re a student to the last day you walk this planet. So every concert and every day tour is like the first of your life. It’s your journey.
What life shows you, or whatever your story has been, gets automatically incorporated into your life. Therefore, whatever your music is, it’s who you are at that point in time. The elements entirely depend on what the music is.
Ayaan: You have to write your own story and keep walking with dignity and grace. Since classical music does not have a written score, every moment inspires; therefore, when we are at beautiful locations, the music interprets the feeling that we go through at that point in time. Your music is deeply rooted in Indian classical tradition, yet you're also influenced by modern life and contemporary issues.
How do you reconcile these different perspectives in your art? Amaan: If we focus only on the music, this is a meeting of living musicians across cultures and it is as feeling human beings that we can understand and appreciate each other and thereby heal this divided world, and what better way is there to achieve this ideal than through the joy and spiritual nourishment that music brings? This pandemic has shown us a different experience. It is a new life for all of us. It is thanks to the precious gift of music by God that we are connected and we are serving the people.
Ayaan: I’m glad that we are able to contribute in our humble ways to bring serenity and peace. While I pray for the world to heal and overcome this crisis, I feel this is a giant lesson for all of us to learn from. I believe we will come out of it as better versions of ourselves.
Through collaborations, the aim is to preserve the essence of both Indian and Western traditions so they can flow into each other without artistic compromise. The visual element is an individual journey of the artist. How do you both maintain a healthy work-life balance, and what practices or habits help you cultivate creativity and inspiration? Amaan: Though there was no pressure, it was understood.
The mantra taught by our parents has been to be a good human being first and good music will follow. Music is who we are and our nature reflects in our music. Therefore, as siblings, we know each other’s mind on stage.
There is no rehearsal. The idea when we play duets is to create a bouquet of flowers, though we have our solo careers too. When we were growing up, our father would always be very happy to see us listen to music, not just practice it.
Not just his own music, but the music of an entire range of artists from the era of our grandfather to the contemporaries of our father. We were never asked to listen to a particular artist or not to listen to another, to listen only to classical music and not to listen to the music of the West or Bollywood. The choice and the freedom were entirely ours.
But it is only natural to be influenced by the music that your guru speaks of or refers to when he plays. We thus became engrossed in the world of Indian classical music that our father had grown up with, along with our own contemporary choices. You have to constantly absorb.
Ayaan: To be a musician is in itself a blessing, as you are really not answerable to anyone but yourself. For those few hours when you are onstage, you are in a creative frenzy, sometimes supernaturally unreal. There are times when you get off stage only to realize that something special happened up there on stage that day.
It’s a blessing to be in a profession of what you love doing. It is also a non-debatable factor that music is indeed the best way to connect to that supreme power that we have never seen. Be it any religion, music has always been the pathway to spirituality.
I am constantly questioning my creative role as an artist, and therefore, I’m always doing a retrospect and introspect to make my craft better. Your music is who you are; your nature reflects through your music. When I’m not traveling, I just value every moment spent with family; that’s a very important part of my DNA.
What's your approach to engaging with audiences during live performances, and how do you read the mood of the crowd? Ayaan: Social media, as we all know, has its positive and negative effects. While it has propagated all genres of music, it has also given so much content so easily available that a young student of music can get overwhelmed with the level or the amount of content. It can also mislead a young artist by making him or her a sensation just for a week.
Therefore, the age-old slow and steady mantra wins for this genre. However, in these times, perhaps it helped many. Amaan: There isn’t an instant coffee culture that I can follow.
Only practice and work—any kind of digital correction can not work. Conversely, the masses have to be free enough to respond openly to what they hear based on the energy created in them by the music. It is this free flow that creates a true and lasting relationship between the music, the musician, and the people.
The media and propaganda are critical to this equation only in relative measure and while respecting the innate nature of the melody itself. Can you let us know the importance of improvisation in Indian classical music and how you both prepare for and navigate improvisational moments during performances? Amaan: Improvisation is important, but I feel it’s more important to have no compositions. Compositions were made to preserve rags.
Improvisation goes away if the artist is no more; therefore, the importance given to compositions is more appropriate. I feel like ambassadors of our country and every member of a group should remain in complete discipline while representing their country. For the sake of the promotion and propagation of Indian culture, our government has been giving grants to many cultural organizations all over India to educate young musicians and dancers.
I am sure the young students are committed and dedicated to taking full advantage of the opportunity to learn the art and also carry it forward. To continue our tradition and convention of music, whether classical, folk, or film music, we need more young, committed, and dedicated young musicians. Life itself is a learning experience; it is much more beneficial to remain a student.
Ayaan: None of the famous musicians of today represent any institution. In fact, most of them learned under the Guru Shishya Parampara, which is the age-old system where the Shishyas lived with the Guru. The purpose or philosophy behind this was not only to learn music but to absorb and understand music as a way of life.
It is the duty of every parent and school teacher to find out creative instincts in every child because it is very healthy for the mind and body of the child to express his creative instincts. Every human being is born with sound and rhythm. Some realize this and some don’t.
The heartbeat is an indication of rhythm, and what we speak—conversation , recitation, chanting, and singing—is all part of music..
