Ustad Ali Akbar Khan - Raga Zila Kafi

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, 14 April 1922 – 18 June 2009, renowned sarod master(player and guru), playing Raga Zila Kafi, alternately Mishra Kafi. The sarod is the male counterpoint to the feminine sitar.

Khansahib, as he was also known, was widely touted as the best musician in the world. He was taught a number of instruments, before settling on the sarod, by his father, the great Allauddin Khan, who was also guru to Ravi Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee, and many others. His fathers lessens were often 18 hours. Ali Akbar Khan practiced 14 to 18 hours a day from the age of three to his passing. His father was known to practice up to 23 hours a day. No sleep, only meditation.

Of his training on the sarod, he wrote:
"If you practice for ten years, you may begin to please yourself, after 20 years you may become a performer and please the audience, after 30 years you may please even your guru, but you must practice for many more years before you finally become a true artist—then you may please even God." (Wiki)

I was lucky enough to see him live. Phenomenal is just a word.


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