Ustad Zila Khan belongs to the seventh generation of the Imadadkhani sitar and surbahar (bass sitar) gharana of India. She is the daughter of the sitar maestro, the late Ustad Vilayat Khan who took her under his wings, making her the first girl in their gharana to perform publicly. That was at a time when women were not allowed to perform outside their home.
Zila, the proud daughter's eyes twinkle with pride, fondness and mischief when she talks about her father. If you watch the 6.48-minute-long Spirit to Soul, a documentary she made on her father, you will know how dearly she holds him. She exclaims, "I was very close to my father. People who have seen me with him used to say, 'She is Sir Vilayat Khan's eyes. He looks at the world through her eyes'." As for her musical journey with him, she says, "Very proudly, he wanted me to be heard by everybody. I think he also did it because he wanted to set an example. Only he could have done it, only Ustad Vilayat Khan could have done it and he did it!"
And of course, once you listen to Zila sing, you just cannot escape the intensity and the beauty of a voice that engulfs you, and you will know exactly why Ustad Vilayat Khan wanted her "to be heard by everybody". Her voice is captivating and powerful, and her songs feel like a long-lost conversation you once had... Sufism and its music is about ishq (love), about taarif (praises)… about all forms of emotions. And Ustad Zila Khan is indeed fulfilling the promises she had given her father and doing her best to keep the magic of Sufi music alive in today's world. We caught up with Zila Khan after attending her concert in Kathmandu where we realised instantly that more people needed to know about this genre of music.
Excerpts:
What we discovered about Sufi music through your concert is that it is powerful, soulful and a celebratory form of music. How would you define it?
Absolutely! It is a form of celebrating the existence of life through music as humans. When God created humans, he wanted us to be the closest to what He is. That is why it is said that, we, human beings, are made from his Noor, from His light. Then He gave us choices unlike when He created the angels. Angels don't have choices like we do. They are made to pray for Him and made to surrender. He has blessed us with the power of making a choice; for example, what to do and what not to, or what to love and what not to, is a huge power. Sufism is celebrating His creation through taarif in many different ways for God, for our peers (gurus) and His many creations. But not everyone is born or has favourable circumstances to do the same. So the ones who are privileged should pave the way for the underprivileged. Underprivileged does not entirely mean people with less money or less comfort. It also means people with less knowledge.
Was that why you opened the music school, Ustadgah?
Yes, and that is why I teach the underprivileged musically talented children at Ustadgah.
Yes, and that is why I teach the underprivileged musically talented children at Ustadgah.
…underprivileged musically talented?
Because, I, in my one life cannot waste my time teaching people who are not serious about music. I have to do as much as I can efficiently, and my energy has to go into those who will preserve our heritage and give their life to music. Sufi music is liberating. I have been blessed to be born in a family of greatness to acquire that knowledge. So I am creating opportunities and circumstances that I myself received for those people who have the desire to learn and expand their knowledge.
Because, I, in my one life cannot waste my time teaching people who are not serious about music. I have to do as much as I can efficiently, and my energy has to go into those who will preserve our heritage and give their life to music. Sufi music is liberating. I have been blessed to be born in a family of greatness to acquire that knowledge. So I am creating opportunities and circumstances that I myself received for those people who have the desire to learn and expand their knowledge.
Tell us a little more about your music school...
Students are taken into Ustadgah on a three-year scholarship programme. On finishing their curriculum, they are given a platform to perform at the international level. With the learning of classical music, they are also taught about today's world music so that they would be able to have a better life, so that they could make a living. We have visiting professors from different areas of life, some of the biggest names. They come and stay for around three days—to interact with the children about their experiences, joke, and eat with them. It is just the way we grew up at home, meeting the greatest minds of the world who used to come and meet my father. Interacting with them made me confident to ask any question, to see their faults, yet respect them for their particular expertise.
Students are taken into Ustadgah on a three-year scholarship programme. On finishing their curriculum, they are given a platform to perform at the international level. With the learning of classical music, they are also taught about today's world music so that they would be able to have a better life, so that they could make a living. We have visiting professors from different areas of life, some of the biggest names. They come and stay for around three days—to interact with the children about their experiences, joke, and eat with them. It is just the way we grew up at home, meeting the greatest minds of the world who used to come and meet my father. Interacting with them made me confident to ask any question, to see their faults, yet respect them for their particular expertise.
Are you acknowledging that commercialisation is a challenge?
Oh yes, very much nowadays.
Oh yes, very much nowadays.
You are the first and only female Sufi singer from the Imadadkhani gharana. How did it happen?
Right from childhood, my passion, my desire and my madness for music was so amazing. I made the conscious decision that I wanted to sing when I was 12 years old. I started learning music right from childhood, with the boys, the students, and everyone from the family. I was playing the sitar, I was singing and everything... But at 12 years of age, it shook me. And I… cried, and I said to my father, "What is the future of a girl in our society? Is she born and then she grows up, has a husband, a family, and she dies? Is that a life? I see a blank wall in front of me." In a way, I think I could ask these questions because there was already equality in the family between sons and daughters. On the other hand, the reason I asked was because women earlier were not allowed to perform outside. It took my father two days to take a decision. After two days of thinking, he called me and took my hand in his and said, "I cannot see a blank wall in front of any of my children and I will teach you as I would teach a boy. How you present yourself has to be more important and you have to be more careful than the boys because you will be the first woman to be allowed to perform Sufi in public. You carry mine and your forefathers' name, you carry their heritage, the respect they have earned and their passion. It is a field of a lot of attraction, people will be crazy about you, they will give their life for you. Men will throw themselves at your feet just to have one word of sweetness from you. I will not only prepare you in music for this, I will also prepare you in life."
Right from childhood, my passion, my desire and my madness for music was so amazing. I made the conscious decision that I wanted to sing when I was 12 years old. I started learning music right from childhood, with the boys, the students, and everyone from the family. I was playing the sitar, I was singing and everything... But at 12 years of age, it shook me. And I… cried, and I said to my father, "What is the future of a girl in our society? Is she born and then she grows up, has a husband, a family, and she dies? Is that a life? I see a blank wall in front of me." In a way, I think I could ask these questions because there was already equality in the family between sons and daughters. On the other hand, the reason I asked was because women earlier were not allowed to perform outside. It took my father two days to take a decision. After two days of thinking, he called me and took my hand in his and said, "I cannot see a blank wall in front of any of my children and I will teach you as I would teach a boy. How you present yourself has to be more important and you have to be more careful than the boys because you will be the first woman to be allowed to perform Sufi in public. You carry mine and your forefathers' name, you carry their heritage, the respect they have earned and their passion. It is a field of a lot of attraction, people will be crazy about you, they will give their life for you. Men will throw themselves at your feet just to have one word of sweetness from you. I will not only prepare you in music for this, I will also prepare you in life."
So did men fall at your feet and everything that your father said happen?
(Smiles and replies very calmly) Of course. In every relationship, if the relationship is bigger than the people involved, then the relationship becomes more meaningful than one's love or faults.
To listen to Zila Khan, these are some of the albums you can shop for:
1. Ishq Ki Nayee Bahar
2. Secrets of the Divine
3. Sar Masti—A tribute to Hazrat Amir Khusrow
4. Zila—The girl child
5. Sing with Sufis
(Smiles and replies very calmly) Of course. In every relationship, if the relationship is bigger than the people involved, then the relationship becomes more meaningful than one's love or faults.
To listen to Zila Khan, these are some of the albums you can shop for:
1. Ishq Ki Nayee Bahar
2. Secrets of the Divine
3. Sar Masti—A tribute to Hazrat Amir Khusrow
4. Zila—The girl child
5. Sing with Sufis