Ustad Yunus Hussain
Khan, the Khalifa of the Agra Gharana. Took
his responsibility as a Successor of one of the oldest Gharanas rather seriously.
Preserving the character of the Agra Gharana and ensuring its development was his primary
aim. “ I’m aware of it in every breath, “ said the Ustad, while speaking to
Mummun Ghosh in his last media interview.
The Agra
gharana is the oldest of the living gharanas of Hindustani classical music. It originated
in the 15th century so affirms the Khalifa of the Agra gharana- Ustad Yunus
Hussain Khan. Based in Delhi, Ustadji was in the city recently for a concert and regaled
the audience with an impressive assortment of ragas, suggestive of his vast repertoire
which reflected his sense of responsibility – the responsibility that the mantle of
the Khalifa ( Successor ) imposed on him. Like his father, Ustad Vilayat Hussain
Khan’s death in 1962, his duties, as a successor, bearing forth the torch of the Agra
gharana, have weighed heavily upon Yunus khan’s considiousness. “ I am the
fifteenth direct descendant of the Agra
gharana singers, “ the 64 year old vocalist claims in a matter of fact manner.
Unlike most
historians who recognize Ghaghe Khuda Baksh (1790-1881 ) as the first exponent of the Agra
gharana ustadji gives Sujan khan nahar ( 1474-1599) once of Akbar’s court musicians,
the credit of spearheading the gharana, thus establishing the Agra gharana as the oldest
of the gharanas.
“ The
word gharana is a recent one, not more than 90 years Yunus Khan. “The name of
different gharana like Gwalior, Agra, Atrauli, Taipur, Kirana, Patialala were derived from
the states to which their chief exponents belonged. Initially the different schools were
distinguished by four vanis, like Sujan Khan Nohar belonged to the Nohar Vani, gharana
come much later.”
What vani or
gharana indicated was cluster of characteristic, peculiar of a ghar, a family of
musicians. Preserving the character of a gharana and sensuring the character development
is the responsibility of all its singers, primarily the Khalifa. “ I’m aware of
it in every breath,” says Ustadji, “ When I sing, I know I’m presenting not
just my music, but a tradition and I’ve to do justice to my tradition, my gharana my
father, my gurus and my students “
The going has not been easy for Yunus
Hussain Khan, Born in Agra, in 1927, Groomed as a vocalist by his father and his renowned
uncles Ustad Gaiyaz Khan and Ustad Azmat Hussain Khan, music came easily enough to Yunus.
By the age of twelve, he was performing and by eighteen the was singing on AIR. But, the
young Yunus bewildered by the choices before him and couldn’t always resist the
temptation to experiment. “ In the 1940s left vocal and switched over to sitar.
“ recalls the Ustad. “ I played sitar for about five years. My father was not
very pleased but he said nothing. Around that time I Also sang in Hindi film, something
which angered dad. However, with maturity, I gave up sitar and film music and resumed vocal
music in real earnest. “ He has not looked back at them in the last four decades.
As a
performer, Yunus Hussain Khan enthralls by the depth and variety of his knowledge. All the
chief features of the Agra gharana assertive gayaki purity of raga, careful, bold
presentation of sthai and antara, layakari, the shadow by drupad in the intricacies of
khayal are conspicuous in his recitals gayaki being his forte. What is most important, the
small of grammar doesn’t come from his music. And he has a formidable stamina to sing
for hours at a stretch, without getting tired. “ In my youth once I sang for 18 hours
with only one hour break,” recounts Ustadiji,” It was for Raja Shyamanand Singh of Chamapanagar, at Patna on his son’s
marriage. I started singing around 10:00 pm and first stopped at 9:00 am in the morning
again I Commenced singing at 10:00 am and concluded at 5:00 pm.”
Besides at
the heavier forms like Dhrupad and Khayal, Ustad Ustad Yunus Hussain Khan
Sings
lighter Classical forms like chaturang, toppa, tarana, thumris and dadra with
equal felicity. His mellow, full-throated voice is eminently suited to all types of music.
Besides
being a performer, like his father Vilayat Hussain is warmly regarded as a great teacher.
The legacy of compositions which he had inherited form his celebrated ancestors and his
open disposition have had him a much sought-after teacher. His students include, his sons
Arif and Asif Hussain Khan, their nephew
Shaukat Hussain Khan, and other budding musicians like Ajanta Roy Chowdhury of
Shantiniketan, Anuradha solkar of Goa, Yashpal of Chandigarh and James Stevenson and
Zed
of Holland. “ We look upon our students as our own children They are a part of the
gharana as much our own sons. Elucidates Ustadji.
Unlike most
artist who views teachings as detrimental to their performing careers, Ustadji sees it as
complementary activity “ Because this is raga sangeet that we are teaching, “
According to him, there are two kinds of teachers, “
those who depend on tuitions for their living can barely find time for riaz. For others,
like me, it is not so, I teach about 10-15 students and I do not depend on them for my
bread. “
And the last
twenty years have seen Ustadji’s emergence as a scholar and a teacher of music. In
various capacities as lectures, readers and Professor
of Music he has been associated with the University of Delhi, Visva Bharti Internationa
University of Santiniketan and S.R.A at Calcutta. During 1985-86, he also taught at the
University of Washington
Unlike most
of his contemporaries, who believe the quality of classical music is deteriorating Yunus
Hussain opines, “ the young generation is doing well. Also, there is a greater
awareness of classical music now. “ But what is hampering the evolution of music,
according to Ustadji, is the audience mentality. “ Music concerts are like fashion
parades,” Says the indignant Ustad.” You see the same five-six musicians
featuring in concert after concert, in different auditoriums, under different banners,
presenting the same ragas. And the people are happy. They don’t want to listen to new ragas, hear
Other
musicians. Audiences seem to have gone mad. This trend is extremely damaging to
music.”
In spite of
this taste of the audience have not swayed Yunus Hussain Khan, from his stand, “
I’ve always hated gimmicks, and have tried to
present pure music, As a Khalifa. I feel it is my duty to do so “ At the cost of easy
popularity, Yunus Khan has avoided, “ stunts like playing games with the tabla. That is not music, it is
tamasha,” adds the Ustad” in the interest of aesthetics, people take light
murkis in serious ragas like Darbari and Malkosh, which go against the nature of the Ragas, but not in Darbari.” Yunus Khan doesn’t compromise. While most artists
operate within an ambit of twenty-five ragas, Yunus Khan takes delight in presenting a
hundreds less-familiar ragas to his audience he his imbued the 15th century
Raga Shayam with new life. Also he is one of the rare singers of expound the legendary
Raga Deepak, believed to have the capacity of inflaming the musician’s body “ I blend Deepak with Nat and Sing Rahja
Nat-Deepak, “ Ustad Yunus Khan Says
With his
high level of creativity, Yunus khan has several Khayal,Under his nome-de-plume
‘Devyani Nat Deepak, Husaini Bhairav, Nohar Zodi jaganati, and improvised to new
talas, Sangam tala and Nohar Tala.
Open to the
influence of other gharanas, the Khalifa of the Agra gharana regrets, “ the growing
alienation between the gharanas. In the past there was a healthy interchange between the
gharanas, “ Yunus Khan unfolds, “ today singers either disown association with
any gharana and adhere to their school, with fanaticism. We were given the high decree of
Dikhya, Sikhya and Parakhya by our gurus. It meant-see
learn and judge. Of course, the Agra gharana singers have not needed to look outside their
gharana,” asserts the doyen and adds, the number of ragas and talas in common use,
among our singers is astonishing. After all, it is the oldest of gharanas.” He
concludes smiling
His claim is
challenged by other musicians. So presently Yunus Khan is challenged by other musicians. So presently Yunus Khan is busy if busy
doing research for his book Agra gharana in the musical environment of India, a book that
will substantiate his claim and give the Agra gharana, its due credit. Yunus Hussain Khan
counts it as one of the responsibilities of being a Khalifa.