by WARREN S.
This Tuesday, June 14, the world of music lost a great spirit.
Ustad Asad Ali Khan, one of the few remaining performers on the ancient Indian stringed instrument called the Rudra Veena, passed away after suffering a heart attack in the early hours of the morning.
He performed an austere and sober style of music, an instrumental version of the vocal style known as Dhrupad, which dates back to the 11th century or so. The Rudra Veena, or Been, is considered to be one of the oldest instruments of Indian tradition; it has its own origin myth, which states that the instrument sprang full-blown from the forehead of a meditating Lord Shiva. It is interesting that Asad Ali Khan, whose name makes his Muslim ancestry evident, saw no religious conflict in embracing this story; ecumenicism in Indian musical traditions is alive and well.
DK for more
(Thanks to Asad Zaidi; his note: “Ustad Asad Ali Khan’s demise we have come to know through our great friend David Barsamian!.”
David Barsamian, Director
Alternative Radio
2129 Mapleton
Boulder, CO 80304 USA
303 444 8788
http://www.alternativeradio.org