Begum Parveen Sultana is a name to reckon with in the field of Hindustani classical music. One of the foremost vocalists of classical music today, Parveen says that the music brought about a spiritual awakening in her life. “Music is divine and is one of the ways to reach the Almighty. It is perhaps the shortest way to reach God,” she says. She was in Coimbatore recently to perform at Yaksha — an annual festival of music and dance, organised by the Isha foundation.
Parveen says that the core essence of music is its spirituality. “I felt extremely divine when I performed at the festival recently right in between the Devi and Lord Shiva at the festival. The linga, which is otherwise a separate entity, was placed with Bhairavi (Parvati) and when they come together, you experience the sublime. It is not very often that one gets to see them together and this was one of the rare places where I saw them together. It’s a great feeling to be performing at such a venue. Though the audience is akin to Carnatic music, they were appreciative of the Hindustani form,” says Parveen. She presented a Hindustani vocal recital, which comprised a Devi Aradhana in raag Bhairavi. “I think the environs in which one sings makes a lot of difference. The kind of audience and the energy that a space exudes also matters,” she says.
Parveen, one of the youngest awardees of the Padma Shri rose to fame at the age of 12. Known to be a child prodigy, she received early training from her father Ikramul Majid, her grandfather Mohammed Najeef Khan, and her husband Ustad Dilshad Khan, with whom she has given memorable performances all over the world. Parveen comes from the Patiala gharana, which was founded by Ustad Fateh Ali Khan and Ustad Ali Baksh Khan. It is known for pentatonic ragas and an intricate execution of the tans. Some of the most common taals from this gharana are Ektaal and Teentaal and there is emphasis on thumri and khyal. “I am happy that my husband, my daughter and I are into music and taking it forward. But there will come a point when some newcomers will have to take it forward,” says Parveen..
She says in a disappointed tone that newcomers in the field of classical music are not really encouraged and given a platform. “We do have festivals that offer them a platform, but the big and prestigious ones don’t really give them a chance. I think they should be given more encouragement. One of the ways could be slotting at least half an hour vocal recitals at the big festivals where people will witness some new and fresh talent. Everybody in the field of classical music undergoes a lot of sacrifices and works extremely hard. At times, opportunities take some musicians forward and I think everyone deserves a fair chance,” says Parveen. She rues about the commercialism that has steeped into classical music.
“There is hardly any thehraav (depth) in music these days. People are complaining about how there’s less music and more hype around it. I think the core factor, which is good music, is missing in a lot of commercial albums these days. People are running after fame and money and take up anything and everything that comes their way,” explains Parveen. One of the ways to tackle this situation is to bring in more sponsorship through the corporates and more media attention is what Parveen says. “I guess a constructive integration of these different elements will help bring about a change,” she adds.