The story spans over four generations of a group of people, both from
north India and from the Dharwad region, who are involved in
Hindusthani music – their personal lives, their issues with each other –
and related to their passion for music. From being a student and a
disciple, to giving concerts of their own and developing an original style,
to trying to make a name for themselves in a highly competitive and
politicised industry and to, finally, have students and disciples of their
own, thus completing the circle and starting a new cycle.
Gharana, Suresh Sundaresan
Rating is 5.0 out of five stars based on 2 reviews
₹600.00Price
Item will be shipped within a week of placing the order.
Item once purchased cannot be returned.
Reviews
Gharana is a story of many musicians across generations and across this vast country. It highlights their beginnings, growth and fading away beautifully,
What helps in this engaging non-linear or non-binary flow of story is the style of writing. Told in first person or "I" but uniquely the narrator changes every few chapters! So, unfolding feels intimate and "detached" at same time. Leaves you with a sense that, no one person can "end" a Gharana, but can only enrich it with unique style.
It narrates the history of a Hindustani Gharana from pre-independence to the current day. Challenges that musicians go through to find the right Ustad(s) to learn, the years of practice before they make a mark, some of the inevitable politics, rivalries, the critical role of some well-wishers for their success, the inevitable cycle of rise and fall, the conflicts between the teacher and the disciple, and their search for the right disciple to pass on their legacy are all portrayed beautifully.