On Sunday 24th July 2022 a musical tribute to table maestro Shaffat Ahmed Khan was given at Veer Savarkar Auditorium, Shivaji Park, Mumbai. Shaffat Ahmed Khan was from the Dilli Gharana (Delhi gharana) and was one of the leading tabla maestros in the field of Hindustani classical music.

The event was organized by Pancham Nishad Creatives, with performances by Ramakant Gaikwad, a Hindusthani Classical vocalist, who belongs to Patiyala Gharana of Indian Classical Music. He gave his beautiful melodious vocals accompanied by master Ramakrishna Karambelkar on tabla and master Abhinay Ravande on Harmonium. A very senior artist Anuradha Pal, a Tabla maestro, multi-percussionist, and music composer, also acclaimed as the first professional female tabla player in the world by Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Limca Book of Records, gave a tabla solo accompanied by Master Satwinder Singh on sarangi and Master Tushar Raturi on keyboards.

The tribute to Shafaat Ahmed Khan is an annual event and takes place at Veer Savarkar Auditorium on the 24th of July which is his death anniversary (20^th May 1954 - 24^th  July 2005). But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was the first offline event in two years. The program witnessed the divine and humble presence of Anup Jalota, who is an Indian singer and musician, and actor. He is best known for his contributions to the Bhajan genre of Indian Music. He is popularly known as the "Bhajan Samraat". Jalota met a few of the audience during the break time and posed for selfies.

The event begun with the melodious vocals of Ramakant Gaikwad. The host added that when there is a flow of divine music, then lords come and sit as an audience. And this was given justice by Ramakant Gaikwad as he ended his part with Hari Om Tatsat. Giving off a splendid performance, the audience was left in rapture.

The next performer  was Vidushi Anuradha Pal, who has come a long way from gustakhi to jungalbandi with tabla. A memory she shared, was that when she wanted to learn and explore the field of classical music with vocals at the age of seven. Her first mentor denied teaching her as she is a female, in a male dominated field. She spoke how she faced a lot of problems in her journey because of the insecurities felt by men, that how a female got a chance to play the tabla. But overcoming all the odds, she became one of the world’s leading and most innovative tabla players and music composers.

She began the show with Ganesh paran, which was a specialty of Pt. Kishan Maharaj. She later showed her innovations that she has made with tablas such as the sound of ghantee (bells) and shankh (shell). When interviewed backstage she quoted, “Classical music is not made for a particular person or an age group, which most people assume, else it is for anyone having class.” She also added how her mother played an important role to motivate her toward classical music.

Anuradha Pal also paid respect to the great luminaries that we have lost in these hard times. She paid a tribute by playing different Gharanas or presenting a bouquet of six Gharanas. She mentioned the tradition of tabla is only two hundred and fifty years old though the tradition of Pakhavaj, where tabla comes from is more than five thousand years old.

She also gifted the audience with her jungalbandi with tabla which was a combination of her traditional practice and her touch. She played Raag Shankara and Durga which represents the harmony between man and nature. In the end, she played Malhar which is the music of rain.

The Malhar felt like a divine rain from heaven which washed away the disturbing thoughts of the audience.

It is always a pleasure to hear such great artists. The event was a blessing in disguise for the audience as quoted by William Shakespeare “Music oft hath such a charm to make bad good, and good provoke to harm.”

By Karan and Jamuna Rai