Jugalbandi (or duet/s) between soloists have recently come to be a popular feature of Indian Classical Music but "Divine Inspirations" is the first recording of its kind to be released: A duet between Shehnai and sarod, played by respective maestros of those two instruments. The combination of two such distinctive Ustad and instruments produces a heart-touching and memorable rendition of the Raag Maru Bihag in such a way that the effect lingers long after the music has stopped. The recording concludes with a light-hearted, energetic "dhun" (or melody), which is also inspired by the notes of that raag.
Ustad Ali Ahmad Hussain Khan is a top, award-winning exponent of the Shehnai, (a wind instrument whose closest western equivalent is the oboe) and is internationally renowned for his mastery over this difficult instrument. He studied with his uncle, Ustad Nazir Hussain and also with the late Ustad Imdad Hussein of Benares -- a city that evokes divine romance and mystery and is quite inseparable from the rich sound of the Shehnai. He has performed all over the world and participated in a number of collaborative projects, internationally. The Shehnai is traditionally associated with weddings but, more recently, it has also become a feature of Indian classical music.
Ustad Wajahat Khan is one of India's best-known sarod players and has toured extensively, taking the sarod worldwide to prestigious venues and festivals across some thirty countries. He has also made his mark as composer and educator with two Sarod concertos for symphony orchestra as well a quintet together with a traditional string quartet. Currently based in London and Calcutta, Wajahat Khan represents the eighth generation of his Imdadkhani gharana (or family style) of music, which traces its ancestry back to the Mughal court of Emperor Akbar. In the 20th century, the gharana has produced such musical giants as Wajahat Khan's uncle, Ustad Vilayat Khan (sitar) and father, Ustad Imrat Khan (sitar, surbahar.)
Apart from the tabla of Pandit Anindo Chaterjee, the disc also features accompaniment by Sandip Banerjee on Khudrak, a traditional drum that provides a deeper, richer percussive tone to complement the richly textured sound of Shehnai.