Ziver: Seamless blend of Different styles

Some time back, it was remixes galore. Now it is Indian melody that rules. Even in pop music albums. Take Ziver (The Precious One), an album featuring sitarist Hidayat Khan which was recently released in the capital. The son of maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan, the album is a beautiful blend of classical Indian music with Western influences. There is some Latin, Spanish and hip-hop among other styles in this album which is presented by Music Today and HBC in association with Radisson Hotel. Hidayat Khan performed various tracks from the album at the launch and enchanted the audiences with his voice and dexterity on the sitar. He said that this fusion album was the result of a dream and goal ever since he listened to fusion music and it became a popular genre. Of course, he could not have achieved this without rigorous practice and dedication to music. His training in Indian classical vocal music began at the age of four under his father Ustad Vilayat Khan and continued till he was 14. Even while training under his legendary father, he was performing concerts in globally renowned venues like the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and the Royal Albert Hall in London among others. During the course of his career, he has performed in countries including Europe, USA, various countries in Asia including Japan, Singapore, and of course, India. Ziver, says Hidayat, is a reflection of Hidayat's past, present and his future. Gurmeet Singh of Music Today said that the album was "a path breaking effort in sound presenting Indian music in a brand new Avatar. The album brings together the sitar and vocals beautifully in a popular and youthful style with contemporary appeal." He said that the album was a confluence of a variety of musical influences and Indian music which created a new sound. This was Music Today's offering to music lovers in its efforts to promote the finest in Indian music.

He hoped that like Music Today's earlier albums, Ziver too would appeal to international audiences. The album has many different styles of music. The title song has a Latin flavor while the number 'Mari Dhimi Payal' has Rajasthan's music; 'Chhaap Tilak' is a Qawwali. Still, the album does not come across as a confusing mix of different styles. Rather, the tracks blend seamlessly and beautifully. Perhaps that is Hidayat Khan's biggest triumph - to blend different styles of music seemingly effortlessly.

Hidayat Khan


Born in 1975, Hidayat is seventh in an unbroken line of generations of sitar players. He has inherited the legacies of legendary masters who arose from his family including his father, Ustad Vilayat Khan. His great grandfather was the highly esteemed Imdad Khan and his grandfather was the great Inayat Khan. They are the only musical family, which has recorded music of four generations. From his grandmother's family, there were vocalist performers, which influenced the musical style of his father who was to develop the "Gay Ki Ang", or vocal style of sitar playing in which Hidayat is trained.

He was lured into music at the age of four when he began his first vocal lesson. His talent and perseverance led him to center stage when he gave his first public performance in Lucknow, India at the age of nine. He began taking an interest in sitar at the age of fourteen and since then, has continued training intensely.

Multidimensional is a word that can be used to describe this performer, as he has taken part in musical compositions for Indian films including Mira Nair's Kama Sutra. Recently he completed a background track for a Discovery Channel program on Tigers called "Tracking A Legend."


He also occasionally teaches interested sitar students. One may hear vocal presentations, which at times accompany his sitar performances his style and presence on stage lead the audience to be enraptured with his performances. Hidayat has already performed on a global level including Europe, Japan, USA, Canada, India, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, to name a few. Recently he completed a tour in Italy where the press commented on his ability to caress and invoke the primordial sound of creation (nada Brahma).

Hidayat prides himself in the study of pure classical music yet he is also aware and inspired by new forms of music. He has a continued desire to learn about the history of music from which he is a descendent. Incorporating a sense of style and appreciation of his heritage this makes him an impeccable performer.

Ustad Hidayat Khan


Ustad Hidayat Khan represents the seventh generation in unbroken line of sitar players. His father, ustad Vilayat Khan, was an undisputed master, and his grandfather Inayat Khan and great grandfather Imadad Khan were also renowned musicans. Their Etawah gharana is the only family of India, Pakistan or Bangladesh that has recorded music for four generations.

Hidayat started vocal lessons at age four, and sitar training at age 14. He is now a foremost representative of Vilayat Khan's gayaki ang, or vocal style of sitar playing, famous for its swiftness and elegance.

Ustad has performed extensively in Europe, Japan, USA, Canada, India, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, and most recently completed a tour of Italy. He has also composed for a number of Indian films as well as a background track for the Discovery Channel's Tracking A Legend.

Originally posted by: adi_0112

Thanks dolly.Can you upload any of the recital links as well

iam trying to find 😕..will do as soon as I will find

Ziver began as an idea that was set into motion after the recent outburst of fusion music that illustrates a link between the east and the west. For me, this genre of music was not fulfilling. Based on my edification in classical Indian music, I wanted to create a stronger collaboration of the east and west that integrated a more synchronized relationship between the music and instrumentation. To accomplish this goal, I decided to incorporate the influences of various genres of music, to which I had grown up listening. This includes Indian classical, hip hop, Latin, Spanish, techno & electronica, world music, and of course contemporary Indian music.

The next step in the process of constructing an album from scratch, involved building a team of people from different fields, training, and backgrounds of music [Mayookh a tabla player and the programmer of the album, Prabhuda a guitarist, Ambarish a vocalist, and myself]. In this way, we could work together and use our specialized areas of expertise to add feedback and broaden the scope of the album. Although I am the face behind the album, I recognize that it was a combined creative effort by many people, which enhanced and diversified each individual song.

The name Ziver, meaning the precious one, which is also the name of the first track of the album, was given by Sunita Menon and the lyrics of the song were written by Aamer, a close friend of mine. As the first song, Ziver began as innocently as the idea of the album, without a concrete plan. Prabhuda and I rehearsed together by simply enjoying and taking advantage of our time together in the studio. We were able to let go of our inhibitions, jam out simultaneously, and just have fun. The two of us spent much time battling the Indian sitar against the Western guitar, and before we knew it, the track was complete. Ironic to the title of the track, Ziver was unplanned, lacked expectation, and was a naive creation based on two artists feeding off of each others ideas.

Ali Maula, the second track of the album, is a very famous and popular track that has been created and performed by the greatest musicians. Thus, it was difficult to remain true to the nature of the track while still formulating something new and original. After gaining energy from the production of Ziver, our team was ready to take a crack at putting a fresh song together. Unlike the initial prediction, the rehearsals flowed naturally and all the necessary elements of the song fell into place. Even the chai-wala would come into the studio and dance to the beat of the innovative and invigorating track. This, of course, was due to the fact that we worked 24/7 on the song without even realizing it.

The third track of the album, entitled Chap Tilak, was the hardest track to complete. We worked continuously on this track until the end. We were beginning to feel a slowdown in our progress with this song. For some reason, whenever we decided to try working on it again, we would be too tired and worn out from working on the other tracks. It was an intimidating track for everyone. Then finally one day, I sat down alone in the studio with only the sound engineer, dubbed the sitar lines, vocal lines, and harmonium, and somehow the track felt perfect. This track symbolizes the challenge that many artists, myself included, face during the production of an album.

Ziver as a whole includes a large variety of different styles of music: there is a strong Latin influence in the song Ziver; there is a rhythmic and groove style hip hop influence in Jiya Lage Na, Mari Dhimi Payal incorporates a mand from Rajasthan, which was used by Ustad Vilayat Khan, my father and greatest hero; and Chap Tilak is a Quawali classic. In this way, the album brings in music for every generation. 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. As my debut solo fusion album, Ziver was a very exhilarating experience. I have gained a lot of experience with other peoples work, which spans many different kinds of music Indian music, commercials, remixes, and hip-hop and have learned after many years how to exploit another musicians ability to their best. My favorite thing about the album is that the subtle details added by so many people sets Ziver apart from all other albums of its kind.

On cutting edge




He is the Ziver of Ustad Vilayat Khan, and not just because he is the son of the legendary Sitarist.Hidayat Khan has taken ahead the musical lineage of the family while keeping up with the changing trends of music, and that is what makes him 'the precious one' for his father.

Ziver–meaning the precious one', is also the name of the young musician's latest album, which is a pleasing-to-the-ear blend of some soulful traditional Indian music that has Hindustani classical as its core strength with modern sounds. The album brought out by Music Today, as Hidayat says, is a combination of classical, folk and Western music that celebrates pure ecstasy that can be derived from an art form.

But the musician himself had no game plan, so to say, while conceptualizing the project, except for the title track Ziver that is an interesting juxtaposition of sitar and Latin guitar sounds. "I did not choose any of the traditional pieces to be included in the album to begin with, except for Ziver. I only worked on a concept aimed at creating a bridge between audiences that listen only to particular types of music. I wanted to give them a glimpse f all styles, with a perfect blend of various kinds of music, and the best way to do that is not to have a game plan and just feel the music," says Khan, whose training in music beg



an under his father's tutelage at four. "We were just having fun in the studio, recording for 48 hours," he says.

Track records

The tracks in the album are based on some of the best known traditional songs. Hazrat Amir Khusru's Chhaap Tilak, for example, has two versions, one in its pure qawwali form and the other in an updated 'dan

ce mix' version. "I wanted to do a very traditional style of the song as a tribute to its writer Khusru, so the pure form is with sitar and harmonium. At the same time, the modern version is aimed at the younger listeners," he says.

Hidayat, who has sung the songs himself, included Naina More in the album as he wanted to do a number based on his favourite Raag Bhairavi. "The unique thing about the album is that every musician associated with it gave their individual creative input," says the US-based Khan, who has performed worldwide.

Solo fusion

Khan, who has been based in the US for about two decades now, explains the reasons behind doing his first solo fusion album, "I was not very happy with my first few jazz-fusion concerts, as music was not blending and I was doing my own thing and they theirs. The only reason I waited so long to bring out my album was because I first wanted to understand how to blend Western music with our music, and I think now I am able to do a good job."

But does not he find it difficult to play the sitar and sing at the same time?

"I am so used to playing and singing at the same time that it is in fact difficult for me if I don't do both together. It is just like harmonium is an extension of a singer. Even when I sing, I have play the sitar in the air, which I do unconsciously," he says. While creating his music, says Khan, he tries to follow one advice that Ustad Zakir Hussain.

"He told me playing music is just like painting — one has to know when to stop. There are many things one can say through one's music, but if it has to be told effectively, one has to know when to stop," he says.

Khan is working on several ideas for his future albums, which include plans to collaborate with some great musicians, but he is clear that he can bring out an album only when there is an inspiration to do so.

"You can see my next album very soon, or it may come after five years," says the musician. Same is the case with film music — he composed some music for Mira Nair's Kamasutra.

"It's an ocean and each of them have a special quality. That's how music is, one can draw one's inspiration from many aspects," says Khan.