Dammam, February 26: More than 500 Saudis and expatriates from India turned out Thursday to hear legendary musician Amjad Ali Khan perform at the Sheraton Hotel in Dammam.
Khan is the world’s foremost player of the sarod, a classical, northern Indian lute with four main strings and several sympathetic strings. He was accompanied by his two musician sons Amaan and Ayaan.
Khan and his ensemble have been performing around the globe for decades, but this was their first performance in the Kingdom, and the select audience of Saudis and Indians gave him an enthusiastic response.
“I have been performing since I was 12, and I wonder why it took so long for me to come to Saudi Arabia? This is my tribute to Dammam,” Khan told the crowd at the beginning of his performance.
Initially Khan performed with tabla player Rashid Mustafa. Then his two sons came on stage and helped him spellbind the audience with their musical prowess.
Khan spoke of the Arabian influences on Indian music and then demonstrated their haunting common ground, sparking a round of applause from prominent Saudis including Abdullah bin Ali Al-Saihati, chairman of Saihati Group of Companies; Abdulla M. Abo Khamseen, director, Kanoo Travel; Najeeb Saihati, president of Saudi Engineering Group International; and longtime Eastern ProvinceToastmaster Faisal Zahrani.
Abdullah Saihati described the performance as magical. “Music has no boundaries, and its language transcends everything,” he said. “It is an honor for us to have the ‘ustad’ and his sons here in Dammam,” he said.
Najeed Saihati said as Khan and his sons were performing, their music transported the audience to a world of dreams. “I just closed my eyes and pictured the Taj Mahal in my mind’s eye,” he said of the concert. “Their music was pure and touches the chord of one’s heart.”
Businessman Rafeek Younus said the recital has come in at the most opportune moment in Saudi Arabia. “All of us are celebrating the return of (Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques) King Abdullah from abroad after successful surgeries. We wish him well, and the Indian community feels delighted at the celebratory mood in the Kingdom.”
The performance was organized by Soorya and the Indian Business Forum.
“Indian businessmen have exploded the myth that Saudi Arabia is only for blue-collared workers,” said IBF President Mohammad Javid Ibrahim. “We are grateful that so many of us have been given the opportunity and support to excel in the Saudi business field.”
Community leader Anil Madan anchored the memorable evening with finesse and panache.
—Agencies