Ustad Shujaat Hussain Khan - Amore : Music of Love (CD Navras)

Shujaat took up the sitar aged 3. By the age of 6 he began to do his first live shows. Not the average beginning for a musician but then Shujaat comes from an exceptional musical family. As a decendent of four generations of venerated Indian Classical Music musicians, Shujaat had the benefits of both the right environment and the right training to ground him in a life dedicated to the sitar. His father was Ustad Vilayat Khan, one of the greatest sitar players along with Pandit Nikhil Banerjee and Pandit Ravi Shankar. 

Given his background, what's unusual about Shujaat's playing is that he tends to play lighter folk songs, incorporating his vocals. His style of playing is known as Gayaki Ang, where the sitar is played in a manner that imitates the voice. 

The album is a recording of Raga Jhinjhoti from his show in London in August 1995. It's a romantic, evening raag in which everything is laid bare. There are no quirks or twists, but it is colourful, allowing the player to play through the vibrancy of the raag. It's ideal for Shujaat's style of playing. As he goes through the Alap, Jor, Jhala and Gat sections, he lets the raag flower from bud to full bloom. HM

Contact: www.navrasrecords.com