Remembering Abba... Ustad Vilyat Khan Sahib

A legend - Ustad Vilayat Khan Sahib 

 My Guru, My Mentor, My Inspiration 

(August 28,1928 to March 13, 2004)

Learning from a good teacher can sometimes be more profound than education itself.

This is how I feel about Ustad Vilayat Khan Sahib, whom we (his students) called Abba out of respect and love.

Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to learn from him for long. 

However, whatever time I spent with him was very valuable... every moment spent with him is an unforgettable experience of my life. 

Teaching is one of the noblest professions. 

A good teacher not only helps students gain knowledge but also helps them recognize their strengths and weaknesses. 

Once, he told me that apart from practicing the lessons taught by the teacher, students should also improve their personal skills and caliber. They should enhance their 'Soach' - their thought process, which is essential in shaping an individual's personal life.

Another time, he told me that, as part of his family tradition, he was given two names at his birth. Vilayat Khan and  Kanha Singh. He was born on Janamashtami. 

He was one of the greatest musicians of all time. Recipient of the 'Bharat Sitar Samrat' by the Artists Association of India and 'Aftab-e-Sitar' (the bright Sun of the Sitar) by the President of India, Ustad Vilayat Khan looms so great over the Sitar world. He is a legend because he changed the way the Sitar was played. He invented a new style of Sitar playing called the Gayaki-Ang - the singing or vocal style. People often said that he sings with his fingers. Today, the wave of Gayaki-style instrumental music he set in motion has influenced the current Sitar music. 

                       

                                        Ustad Vilayat Khan Sahib with Sitar in a Mehfil

                             Lata Mangeshkar ji and Madan Mohan ji sitting in the audience

His renderings of the folk songs of different parts of India were also unique. 

His renditions of Chaiti, Bhatiyali, and Durga Bhavaani-Dayaani brought out the same deep emotions in listeners' hearts. 

One day, he heard a beggar woman singing in the street. He invited her to sing for him, paid her generously, and rendered her song as a bandish (composition) at a concert the next evening. 

A musician's legacy consists of his style and his contributions to the world of music. 

Therefore, Ustad Vilayat Khan ranks among the greatest artists of the 20th century.

Though I did not have much time to learn from him and serve him, I feel fortunate to have received abundant love and blessings from him and Amma (his wife). 

His elder son Ustad Shujat Hussain Khan is also a legend in his own way and one of the greatest Sitar players of this time. I am ever so grateful to him and his younger brother Hidayat Khan for their continual love and friendship. 

                                         " Rajan Sachdeva"

                                                       Memories I will always cherish 

 He will always live in the hearts and minds of millions

Through his heavenly divine music for centuries to come