"Pure fusion" from Hidayat Khan

Friday, August 25, 2006

New Delhi (UNI): Pop music albums rooted in classical Indian melody seems to be the order of the day. In vogue in musical circles is a "new sound" of music incorporating the best features of classical music of the East and the pop varieties of the West. The latest in the line of such albums is 'Ziver' (The precious one), a new album by sitarist Hidayat Khan - son of music maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan- which is a 'melodic' blend of traditional Indian music with various musical influences of the West. An interesting blend of Hidayat's voice and sitar has lent a 'melodic' appeal to the album, which incorporated varied styles like techno, hip-hop, electronica, Latin and Spanish.

Being presented by Music today and HBC in association with the with Radisson Hotel, 'Ziver' was launched at a function in the capital during the weekend. Marking the launch was a concert by Hidayat Khan of the various tracks in the album which left the huge audience gathered here thoroughly mesmerised by the melodic interplay of the singer's voice and sitar. Speaking on the occasion, Hidayat Khan said this debut solo fusion album had been his goal ever since the "fusion" genre of music came into the music world. Hidayat's 'taleem' (musical training) and 'riyaaz' (practice) have helped him to accomplish this goal.

Hidayat began his formal training of Indian classical vocal music from his legendary father Ustad Vilayat Khan at the age of 4 and continued it till he was 14. From Khan Sahib, he learned to sing khayal and a variety of other forms of Indian classical music. During this time he performed at various concerts including performances at prestigious venues such as the Royal Albert Hall in London, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center in New York. Hidayat has performed all over the world. This includes major performances in Europe, Japan, USA, Malaysia, Indonesia, Canada, Singapore and India. In a way, 'Ziver' is a reflection of Hidayat's past, his present, and where he intends to go in his future

Speaking on the occasion, Gurmeet Singh, Business Director, Music Today said ''Ziver is a pathbreaking effort in sound presenting Indian music in a brand new avtar. The album brings together the sitar and vocals beautifully in a popular and youthful style with contemporary appeal.'' ''The launch of Ziver, where various musical influences have come together with Indian music to create a 'new sound', was yet another attempt by Music Today to bring new music to music lovers. It is yet another presentation in keeping with Music Today's brilliant thematic concepts presented through music,''he said. ''Through such musical evenings Music Today aims at promoting the finest of Indian Music,''he said.

Some of the earlier albums by Music Today such as 'Soundscapes and Elements' have been known for introducing trend-setting concepts and path-breaking innovations in sound of music. These albums have penetrated the international market and the technological movement across the world and currently feature on the World music charts of iTunes. As part of its endeavour to propogate the 'new sound' of music, Music today had earlier this year come out with India's first ambient music label, 'Dada Music'.

The tracks in 'Ziver' incorporate a large variety of different styles of music; while there is a strong Latin influence in the ttile song 'Ziver', there is a rhythmic and groove style hip hop influence in the track 'Jiya Lage Na', 'Mari Dhimi Payal' incorporates a mand from Rajasthan,; and 'Chhaap Tilak' is a Qawwali classic. The album has an incredibly astounding music video of the popular track 'Chhaap Tilak', featuring Hidayat Khan in his element doing wonders with the sitar and his voice! ''Listeners of this album, regardless of their musical background and tastes, should find something that they can relate to and enjoy because of the various influences,''Gurmeet Singh said.