Sarangi star Nabeel Khan creates a magical aura with his solo performance

New Delhi, November 13, 2022: Delhi's evening got even more cozy when Nabeel Khan, the grandson of Padma Bhushan awardee Ustad Sabri Khan and the youngest established Sarangi musician and singer composer, performed at Triveni Kala Sangam, Mandi House on November 12. Nabeel sang a solo during the 18th Quarterly Baithak organized by Pracheen Kala Kendra.

The perfect time of year to enjoy some wonderful Indian classical music, Nabeel presented his own composition of Indian Classical Raga along with Indo-Arabic piece, hence mesmerizing the audience with the calming tunes of his sarangi. He was accompanied by Shahbaaz Khan on Tabla.

Nabeel started his performance with Raag Saugandh in Ek Taal Vilambit, which is the opening of the raga. This was followed by Drut Teen Taal, which was composed by his grandpa, the great Sarangi maestro Ustad Sabri Khan sahab, and was based on a 16-beat time cycle. This raag expresses the sentiments of a person travelling down memory lane with feelings of deep connection with nature and life. Raag Saugandh is a one-of-a-kind, extremely complex, and difficult to perform on the Sarangi, which Nabeel played with ease. The next performance was 'The Arrival of Sultan,' an original composition based on a desert theme. This music composition depicts the journey of a Sultan attempting to re-establish his splendour in the desert amid the struggles of the day. The melody is comprised of many Arabic and Indian classical instruments that combine to create a magical and fascinating tune. To be able to interact with the music throughout is a grand and royal experience.

Sharing his views on the performance, Nabeel Khan said, “Raag Saugandh is an incredibly special piece to me because it was composed by my grandfather. It was really difficult to do this on Sarangi. I believe the audience loved my performance, and I will continue to entertain music enthusiasts while also promoting Indian Classical Music on a grander scale."

Coming from the family of the legendary Sarangi maestro Padma Bhushan Ustad Sabri Khan Sahab, and belonging to the renowned Moradabad Gharana of Sarangi players, Nabeel is a forerunner in restoring the art of Sarangi with modern age music while maintaining traditional Hindustani Music at the fore.