Date: October 12, 2014
Venue: Pace University’s Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts(NY)
Concert review by Dante Mann
Sarod. Sarod? Sarod! Nothing sparks one’s interest like something new and unique. Why am I just now experiencing the strikingly distinctive timbre and visually intriguing qualities of this remarkable instrument?
Photo by Kevin Yatarola
The Sarod Project is a new project of sarod master Amjad Ali Khan and his sons, Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan, who represent the six generations of sarod musicians that influenced the lute-like Indian instrument over the past few hundred years. This performance featured music from different regions of India and the Middle East. Amjad Ali Khan opened the show accompanied by Middle Eastern percussionist Issa Malluf and Anubrata Chatterjee on tablas (a pair Indian drums similar to bongos but capable of producing a far more a diverse range of tones), followed by a sarod duet by Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan. The concluding act was a fusion of the five instrumentalists. Initially calm and introspective, the performance ended in a rhythmic and melodic frenzy showcasing extraordinary technical skill as well as the power and versatility of this one of a kind instrument.
The sarod is fretless with an average of 17-25 strings. It differs from other Indian stringed instruments in that its entire body contains a resonant air chamber. The neck is metallic and the body is basically a skin-covered resonator, combined these features produce sound qualities similar to but more hollow than that of a banjo. A jaba, or coconut pick, played with the sarod gives this melodic instrument a heightened percussive quality, allowing it to weave in and out of rhythmic and melodic emphasis fitting seamlessly with accompanying tablas.
The players occupied the large, open stage, seated on the floor while sunset hues of indigo and tangerine gradually transitioned into one another in an expansive projection behind them. Many pieces resembled the North Indian raga (in Indian music, a basic form for improvisation) however each song was unique, with each note intentional and a consistent cadence, revealing the beauty of a seasoned master of his craft. Halfway through his set Amjad casually stopped to file one of his fingernails, and explained that he plays the sarod with the edge of the nail to achieve more articulation and clarity. Amjad’s attention to detail, intense focus, and charming demeanor kept me engaged throughout his entire performance.
Photo by Kevin Yatarola
Amaan, the eldest son, and the younger Ayaan took the stage. While stylistically similar to their father, they performed with a more volatile, explosive sound, taking full advantage of Anubrata Chatterjee’s phenomenal tabla skills. Even while expertly playing in unison, the brothers had distinct styles of their own: Amaan with sweeping slides and a delicate sense of melody and Ayaan with punctuated staccato and high energy.
The finale featured the five musicians: the Ali Khan trio on sarod accompanied by percussionist Issa Malluf and Chatterjee. Amjad dedicated the first song to his wife who was in attendance. Calling his son’s mother their first guru he stated that he had performed this song for his wife after they were first married.
Photo by Kevin Yatarola
The last and only song based on a South Indian raga of the night proved to be the most entertaining and energetically charged. Amjad began the raga by inciting a call and response with his sons culminating in all three sarods singing in unison. The percussionists 
Chatterjee with two tablas and Malluf playing a doumbek (a small Middle Eastern and North African hand drum) traded the spotlight back and forth each taking four beats to repeat while expanding on the previous iteration. The potent mixture of rhythms increased in tempo as the entire ensemble joined for an improvisational storm ending abruptly and in unison.
I enjoyed this performance and feel privileged to have experienced the sarod as presented by three men synonymous with and dedicated to preserving and sharing their culture and experiences through this instrument.
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