Yousuf Kerai: A story of raag and taal
Tabla player Yousuf Kerai speaks on subcontinental classical music, its history and evolution.
KARACHI:
Have you ever listened to “Aankhon Ke Sagar” by Fuzon or “Ranjish Hi Sahi” by Mehdi Hasan very closely? If not then it would only add to your knowledge that it is Raag Aiman or Yaman — one of the most profound musical notes in classical music — being played in the songs.
This fact was stated and performed by tabla player Yousuf Kerai along with sitar player Shehroze Hussain at The Second Floor (T2F). Kerai delivered a lecture titled ‘The Music of South Asia: A Kaleidoscope of Nuances’ at T2F to enlighten people about the beauty and character of raags and other components of classical music. The interactive session was informative for the enthusiasts of classical music, who, although listen to classical music, are unaware of the importance of raag and taal.
Kerai, 28, was introduced to Indian classical music at the age of eight by the late Master Babu Khan. By the age of 15, his fascination for music grew further and Kerai found maestro Ustad Khurshid Hussain as his tabla teacher. Tabla for him is a, ‘Means of discourse’. “Like there are all kinds of accents in a language, tabla, too, has all kinds of rhythms that give classical music its identity.”
While talking about the importance of raag, the musician added, “Every raag has its own character.” According to Kerai, raags are named after rain, moods, day or night and even seasons. For instance “Megh Malhar” (raag) gets its name from the Sanskrit word megh, which means clouds.
Classical music has been considered a profound study of sound since the time of Mughal Empire. Kings made music part of education and children were made to study it as part of their curriculum. Kerai explained that classical music is “a big part of our identity and of our cultural inheritance. I’m able to connect with people and my surroundings by recreating music in contemporary times.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2011.
Have you ever listened to “Aankhon Ke Sagar” by Fuzon or “Ranjish Hi Sahi” by Mehdi Hasan very closely? If not then it would only add to your knowledge that it is Raag Aiman or Yaman — one of the most profound musical notes in classical music — being played in the songs.
This fact was stated and performed by tabla player Yousuf Kerai along with sitar player Shehroze Hussain at The Second Floor (T2F). Kerai delivered a lecture titled ‘The Music of South Asia: A Kaleidoscope of Nuances’ at T2F to enlighten people about the beauty and character of raags and other components of classical music. The interactive session was informative for the enthusiasts of classical music, who, although listen to classical music, are unaware of the importance of raag and taal.
Kerai, 28, was introduced to Indian classical music at the age of eight by the late Master Babu Khan. By the age of 15, his fascination for music grew further and Kerai found maestro Ustad Khurshid Hussain as his tabla teacher. Tabla for him is a, ‘Means of discourse’. “Like there are all kinds of accents in a language, tabla, too, has all kinds of rhythms that give classical music its identity.”
While talking about the importance of raag, the musician added, “Every raag has its own character.” According to Kerai, raags are named after rain, moods, day or night and even seasons. For instance “Megh Malhar” (raag) gets its name from the Sanskrit word megh, which means clouds.
Classical music has been considered a profound study of sound since the time of Mughal Empire. Kings made music part of education and children were made to study it as part of their curriculum. Kerai explained that classical music is “a big part of our identity and of our cultural inheritance. I’m able to connect with people and my surroundings by recreating music in contemporary times.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2011.