Artist: Shujaat Husain Khan & Katayoun Goudarzi.
Title: Spring
Label: self-released
Genre: Indian/Persian folk music
This is the day and age of cultural blending, and conversations across boundaries and ages. Music is the purest art form wherein this is best accomplished (and the most dangerous if done badly). In this mindset, the ancient Sufi poet Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī has spoken most eloquently, and speaks for more people (or more specifically, the journey and vision of more people) than he could have known.
Musical tributes and interpretations of the poetry and spirit that Rumi delivered abound. The task become more and more herculean as the numbers of such projects increase (and as the misinterpretations and dilution and profaning of Rumi’s words increase). That said, Spring, the collaborative effort from sitarist, vocalist Shujaat Khan, vocalist Katayoun Goudarzi, flautist Ajay Prasana, and tabla master Abhiman Kaushal, contribute a wonderful gem to the collection.
Khan’s sitar is the dominant instrument on this recording. His liquid and effortless approach forms a beautiful and eloquent foundation and structure of the music within which the mood of Rumi’s poetry is allowed to infuse its inspiration. He rarely displays his considerable technical skills; but when he does, it is always in service to the spirit of the music.
Kaushal’s approach to tabla is largely supportive. He eschews pyrotechnic displays of technique that are de-rigueur for tabla. It would not quite work in this music. In a similar way, Prasana’s wonderful bansuri floats in and around the rhythms and melodies like incense smoke.