Indo-American Association Hosts ‘While My Sitar Gently Sings’

By Jyoti Kulkarni

HOUSTON: On Sept. 24, the Indo-American Association hosted Ustad Shujaat Khan’s  “While My Sitar Gently Sings”, accompanied on tabla by Gourisankar and Nitin Mitta at the Stafford Performing Arts Center.
Shujaat Husain Khan is one of the greatest North Indian musicians and sitar player of his generation. He belongs to the Imdadkhani gharana.

Shujaat started the concert with a beautiful rendition of Raag Yaman. All through the performances, it was wonderful to listen to the musical dialog with his tabla accompanists. His gentle delivery of poetic verses made the evening enchanting to the audience.

Born in Calcutta, Shujaat Khan is the son of legendary sitar player Ustad Vilayat Khan. Shujaat Khan’s musical career began at the age of three when he began practicing on a specially made small sitar. By the age of six, he was recognized as a child prodigy and began formal performances. He is married to Parveen Khan and their son Azaan is a music composer. His memorable appearances include performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Royce Hall in Los Angeles and Congress Hall in Berlin.

IAA,  a leading cultural arts organization, each year presents a season of cross-cultural performances in the disciplines of music, dance, and drama in top venues in Houston. IAA enjoys a strong base of season patrons.  Join today by becoming a patron at a level of your choice! Visit iaahouston.org.