India’s 1st female Sufi singer(Zila Khan)

By A Wex Writer - Afternoon Dispatch & Courier - Bombay,India
Wednesday, October 4, 2006

Meet India's first female Sufi singer, Zila Khan, who's gearing up to perform at the 'Jahan-e-Khusrau' in Boston, Sufi music's biggest festivals...

Noted Sufi singer, Zila Khan has recently added another feather to her cap. India's first female Sufi singer has been invited to perform at one of Sufi music's biggest festivals, 'Jahan-e-Khusrau' at the end of this month. The festival, which takes place in Delhi every year, is taking place at Boston this time around. And Zila has been practicing diligently for the show. Her last live performance was at Manimajra where she vowed audiences with her soulful voice. Daughter of sitar maestro, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Zila is the seventh generation of an unbroken line of sitar and surbhar's oldest 'gharana'. In an exclusive tte--tte with Women's Extra, Zila Khan talks about her herself, her inspiration and 'Jahan-e-Khusrau'.

Since how long have you been preparing for 'Jahan-e-Khusrau'?
The Sufi festival in Boston is being organized by Woodman Taylor. Muzaffar Ali and I were asked to participate in it through the ICCR, as they wanted India's leading Sufi singers to perform there. Taylor liked the name 'Jahan-e-Khusrau' so much so that he asked Muzaffar Ali if he could use the name and Muzaffar agreed, since his film is also being shown there. Apart from this, it has always a pleasure to sing in 'Jahan-e-Khusrau' in Delhi and all the other Sufi festivals like the one I sang in Kashmir recently.

Did the fact that you were born in a family with a musical background inspire you to choose the career that you did?
Yes, I consider it my good fortune to be born in this family. The literature and discipline of this profession is what attracted me to absorb it in my singing. But choosing this profession as a career was due to my husband Dr. Khalid Anwar and my esteemed father Ustad Vilayat Khan, whose vision was far ahead of his time and he knew this would be the right career for me.

How many hours do you practice daily?
I used to practice 12 to 14 hours a day with my father, who used to teach me with a lot of love and insight. Now with my slightly busy schedule and my responsibilities towards my son and husband, I practice at least two to four hours a day.

Who do you credit your success to?
Firstly I'd credit it to God because without 'rehmat' and 'dua', success is not possible. So with the 'rehem' of God and the 'duas' of my father and husband, this success has been possible!

Who are your favourite performers?
To perform, one needs to have a very magnetic and arresting kind of presence, which my father was known to have had. His charisma was phenomenal. And I love Nusrat Fateh Ali's, Ustad Amir Khan's and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali's performances and singing. Pandit Birju Maharaj, too, has such an amazing presence on stage!

Where do you get your inspiration from?
I guess my interest and vast keenness to explore the medium of every dimension of singing and the vastness that lies in this medium, is where I get my inspiration from and even my peace.

What advise would you give other women in this field?
Women, because we've just come of age and are being able to be what we choose to be, must be more careful with how we conduct ourselves or grow as human beings. We have to pass on this beacon of freedom to the coming generation of women. I think the same applies to men too.

When you look back on your journey as a singer, how do you feel?
I feel humbled that my passion could be transformed into such a huge aura and zone of spiritual and literate pleasure. That is definitely something to feel happy and humbled by.

Could you tell us something about your forthcoming album 'Sar Masti'?
'Sar Masti' is an album which has five songs, all written by Hazrat Amir Khusrau. I am very happy to be able to sing 'real and authentic' poetry by the great poet and sufi inventor (of the sitar and tabla, etc) Hazrat Amir Khusrau, in my own singing style which is again so humane and full of feelings.

Zila follows in father's footsteps
Patiala, February 19

When Ustaad Vilayat Khan named his daughter after Amir Khusrao's raag Zila Kaafi, little would he have known how prophetic the name would turn out to be, for Zila Khan, daughter of the internationally acclaimed master of the sitar, is every bit as melodious as her namesake.

Zila Khan: In the Ustad's footsteps

There are few who did not know the late sitar maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan. His daughter, Zila Khan, must find it difficult to live up to her father's name. However, she spiritedly declares that she is doing just that. The Ustad passed away recently and Zila admits that she missed him. He was more of a friend to her and was also her Guru in many ways. She also acted as his shield and kept away the scores of people who disturbed his solitude.

The Ustad, on his part, treated his favourite child as his pupil. He taught her all his difficult compositions since he knew that she would not forget them once she learnt them. She lived up to his expectations and is a treasure trove of the Ustad's compositions. She spends her childhood in Mumbai, Calcutta, and Dehradun. Her life was, predictably, dominated by her father's music. Mumbai was a whirl of riyaz and music parties, which were attended by the cream of society. However, the Ustad decided to pursue a quieter life in Dehradun and spent hours gardening. Zila fondly remembers her childhood treks through the orchard with her siblings.

It was inevitable that she should become a musician. The house was full of her father's pupils practicing music and was trained in music. Ten days after she got married, her father declared that she was proficient enough in music and she could now perform onstage. Zila, however, could not perform as much as she wanted since motherhood occupied much of her time. When her son was nine years old, she started performing again.

Her Ishq Ki Nayi Bahar is a devotional album with a mixture of Sufi, folk and semi classical tunes.' All the songs are those she grew up with and are sung at weddings and other functions. Her favourite number is Tana na maro.... She reminisces that a mad woman used to sing it on the streets and her father was so enamoured by it that he even sang it at concerts. It is Zila's way of keeping his memory alive. Her only complaint about India is that classical music is not given the importance that it should be given.

Her next album is definitely based on classical music but will be more contemporary, she says. We look forward to it.

ISHQ KI NAYEE BAHAAR - ZILA KHAN

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Zila Khan mesmerises audience
SADIQ A. SALAM (Staff Reporter)

4 December 2006

captured the admiration as well as attention of all the attendees. "I consider it blessing to have the privilege that since I started talking I started learning music at my father's feet," she told City Times. Zila is the daughter of the late renowned sitar maestro, Ustad Vilayat Khan and heir to a rich legacy of music and belongs to a family that goes back seven generations making it the oldest school of Sitar and the Surbahar in India

To a question on how she managed to capture the attention as well as admiration of her audience,  "This is could first be attributed to the Sufiana Kalam songs which are connecting with the almighty," she said. Zila, who practices from 12 to 14 hours per day, humbly adds, "But no matter how you practice it is the stage performance where everything gets settled and that depends on God's will."

With formal training from an eminent musical Gharana, Zila Khan is considered today to be one of India most celebrated women Sufi singers.

Deeply conscious of the nuances of Indian classical music and strongly entrenched in that foundation, Zila Khan vocal talent is a great blend of skill and unbelievable imagination. "Though I have learnt classical music but I use a style that combines the music of yoore to the more contemporary sounds," she added.

She proudly recalls how the President of India, Abdul Kalam described her performance at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, "You connected all of us to Almighty through the medium of your music, your singing has and can play a definitive and key role in spreading peace and harmony around the world."

Transcending the boundaries in this art form have made her the only Asian to have sung a western concerto in Arabic at the world Jazz Festival — a refreshing change from the usual fusion music route! She has also played the lead role in a musical play in English where she sang fourteen different genres of Indian classical and semi classical music. On her future plans, "I am planning to sing with a number of Arab pop starts like Abdullah Al Riweeshed of Kuwait, Rashid Al Majid and Nancy Ajram of Lebanon," she said.

This year, Zila also made a documentary film, Spirit to Soul, on her legendary father, Ustad Vilayat Khan. Zila has lent her voice to many social causes including the underprivileged, initiatives for children, education, women‚s rights, cancer and AIDS. Through her music she has promoted peace and culture as an Indian emissary in several countries and is also cultural advisor for the Commonwealth Games. Joint secretary of tourism of India, Amitabh Kant says that Incredible India campaigns in Europe and other countries feature Deepak Chopra promoting Ayurveda, flying Sikh Milka Singh shown golfing and Sufi singer Zila Khan giving a low-down on art and heritage in India. Incredible India is a brand that can be built by people who can move destinations and these are all intellectual celebrities.

With several awards, titles and honours to her name, recently Zila also received the Roll of Honour from the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

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Kesariya