Reincarnation of the Soul

Ever heard something which makes you feel as if your soul has been cleansed? Something which makes you feel at peace with yourself and the world? Well, that is the effect this piece had on me when I first listened to it.

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This is what drew me to the beautiful instrument called Sarod. I associate the sound of the Sarod to the gurgling of a stream in the Himalayas. Amazingly calm, soothing like no other sound. I do not know if it’s the instrument or the artist who had this effect on me. The artist is well, synonymous with the Sarod - Ustad Amjad Ali Khan.

I had this opportunity to attend a concert of his sons – Amaan & Ayaan Ali recently. The concert was a part of their promotional tour for their first album called Reincarnation. It was a musical treat. The pair played exceptionally well. There were times when we could not see their hands as they seemed blurred since they were playing so fast and we were scared that one of the strings in the instrument would break. An extraordinary performance by the entire team. The concert had a piece each which was dedicated to the dholak, the tabla and the drums. Beautifully orchestrated with compositions having names like Blessing, Lonely Spirit, and of course Reincarnation.

Dressed in jeans & kurtas, the team performed like rockstars towards the climax of each composition, smiling away, almost kinda headbanging. They certainly left the audience breathless with each and every composition. And whats more, they even shared some trivia about the Sarod, saying that unlike other string instruments, Sarod is played with the finger nails and hence they needed to file their nails often in order to play well.

Their album is a fusion of Indian Classical and trance in a way. Both men are quite good looking as well (as can be seen from the pic) and with talent like this I am sure they have a long way to go.

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