Ustad Shahadat Hossain Khan: Requiem for the Unsung Maestro
He was no ordinary instrumentalist. Neither was he a run-of-the-mill tutor of music. He was a gifted musician, a rare talent, groomed in one of the most illustrious gharanas ofsub-continental classical music. The strikes of his jawa on the four strings of sarod not only produced quality music; it mesmerised the audience, relieving them from their everyday stress, freighting them to a height where the soul snuggles in an unsullied and sublime precinct.
Ustad Shahadat Hossain Khan's initiation to classical music took place at the age of 7 when his grandfather presented him with a miniature sarod. Over the years he mastered the instrument under the guidance of this father Ustad Abed Hossain Khan and formal tutelage of his uncle Ustad Bahadur Khan. He subsequently received Baddlalangar degree (equivalent to graduation) from the prestigious Ali Akbar College of Music in California in 1985. He also secured a Masters degree in history from the University of Dhaka.
As a highly skilled musician of international repute Shahadat had the option to migrate and settle in the West. In 1974 his uncle the legendary sarod player Ali Akbar Khan, impressed by his nephew's musical skills, offered him a position at his Ali Akbar College of Music. He was also offered a substantive position to teach sub-continental music at the University of Michigan and a music institute in London. With his soul rooted in this land, Shahadat respectfully declined the offers.
Through his umpteen numbers of visits, both as a member of official cultural troupes as well as in his individual capacity, the artiste represented the best of Bangladeshi culture to the global audience. He performed in huge and famed halls as well as in informal gatherings from Brisbane to Toronto, from Cairo to Beijing. Over the last 16 years he was a regular member of the Grand Union Orchestra of the UK, making seasonal trips there.
The enchantment of interaction of the jawa and strings of Shahadat's sarod not only imprinted on the hearts of fellow Bangladeshis, it conveyed the best of Bangladeshi culture to the world community that has been perfected by successive generations of artistes from this family of Brahmanbaria.
Thespian Mamunur Rashid recalls with fondness how Shahadat enthralled the audience for hours at the inaugural session of the Chaitra Shankranti organised by the Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation about two decades ago. The audience was disappointed when someone other than Shahadat performed the opening number the following year. Through this single feat the maestro introduced the magical sound of sarod to a new cohort of music lovers of the city. Adil Khan, former senior UN official based in Yangon, remembers how after a gala performance of the artiste, the Indian ambassador asked Khan if he would mind if the Ambassador "stole him" for the following evening. "It was a stellar recital", remembers Khan with pride as a fellow Bangladeshi.
During one of our conversations Shahadat recalled the blessings he received from Bangabadhu after a performance in Ganabhaban at the age of 16 in 1974. Impressed by his recital the father of the nation gifted him his signed cheque of Tk 5,000 and wrote in a piece of paper: "Hope you become Alauddin Khan one day". He also fondly recalled the warm embrace he received from the celebrated Begum Akhtar after his performance at a programme organised by All India Radio in Sri Nagar, Kashmir, in 1974 during his maiden trip to India as an artiste. On that occasion he shared the platform with her, and sarod virtuosos Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Ustad Bahadur Khan. He also told me that at a soiree at Dhaka University music exponent Waheedul Huq asked him to render raag Meghmallar. Huq teasingly observed if the young musician could bring rain through his performance then he would think that the latter was on the right track of gaining the title Ustad. "As luck would have it, it began to pour soon after my rendition", fondly recollected the maestro.
Though Shahadat won the hearts of thousands of classical music connoisseurs, he did not get carried away by his success. Instead of basking in his own glory, he worked hard to disseminate the accomplishments of his renowned family. In the first half of September every year he used to organise at least one public event to mark birth anniversaries of his late father Ustad Abed Hossain Khan and grandfather Ustad Ayat Ali Khan. Even during Covid-19 he was busy trying to put the final touches on a documentary that celebrated the contributions of the Khans to sub-continent's classical music. Acutely aware of the deep inroads made by corporations in the music industry that essentially promotes established celebrities, Shahadat championed the nurturing and presenting of young talents, making every effort to privilege merit over mediocrity, talent over sycophancy and partisanism.
Despite all his achievements Shahadat was a simple, soft spoken and ever respectful person. A loving father, a committed husband, a dedicated teacher and a charming friend, after the 1988 floods he and his wife adopted a lost girl, raised, educated and wedded her off. Through my interaction with him over the decades I have seen him trying his best to look after his not-so-well-off relatives and co-artistes in the industry. When I asked him why he charged his pupils such a low amount, he said many of them were on low salaries, some were dependent on tutoring. "If I raise my fees I may still get students, but then I will miss out on these talents," he added. He maintained his dignity both as senior BJMC official and as an artiste. Without hesitation he acknowledged the support he received from senior colleagues in pursuing his music career.
Time and again in different platforms Shahadat underscored the need for increased state patronage to classical music in the form of employment opportunities of talented artistes, enhancement in their honorarium, holding of classical music conferences and seminars and introducing music in school and college curricula. He could not understand why the government, if it could spend such huge amounts of resources on cricket and football, was so apathetical towards classical music. He was fearful sarod as a musical instrument could face extinction in Bangladesh, unless concrete steps were immediately taken.
The contribution of this illustrious family to Bangladesh's culture is manifested as both father Ustad Abed Khan and son Ustad Shahadat Khan are uniquely placed as recipients of Ekushey Padak from the same family in 1985 and 1994 respectively. While receiving the award the latter shared the podium with celebrated writer Humayun Ahmed. Nobonita Chowdhury, the young music exponent, noted that his passing away in all likelihood marks the end to the age-old tradition of a gharana in which even a well-groomed artiste could perform solo only if he secured the explicit instruction of the guru.
It is a pity that like many others before him, including writer Showkat Ali, filmmaker Shubhash Dutta and poet Al Mahmud, this music genius, the last of his genre, did not receive due recognition during his lifetime nor at his death. This appears to be the trend in a society that is dominated by self-publicity, commercialism and narrow partisan divide. Perhaps as a nation we need to acknowledge this collective failing. After all culture broadens the mind and enriches people spiritually. Pursuit of classical music not only exposes the nation to the richness of its own culture and heritage, it can also be a pathway to combat the spread of obscurantism and intolerance.
December 1 marked the anniversary of my nara badha (initiation of a disciple) with Ustad Shahadat Khan. He and I did not get to meet in person since the outbreak of the pandemic, though our lessons continued uninterrupted online. I decided to greet him in person on the anniversary and planned to present him a couple of classy punjabis that he donned during his performances. Little did I know that fate had planned otherwise. Instead, I was destined to write this obituary on that very day. Adieu my Maestro, life will no longer be the same without you around.
CR Abrar is an academic. He was a student of Ustad Shahadat Hossain Khan and his father Ustad Abed Hossain Khan.
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