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Ustad Ali Akbar Khan passes away

I was stunned at the news from NYTimes. I wondered how could I have missed such an important development even though I’m constantly watching TV news and occasionally flipping through the newspaper.

The Times of India reported the sad demise on page-9. TV channels are busy reporting on a rape case and training their guns on the Indian T20 team for the World Cup debacle. Who has space or time to spare for irrelevant events like the death of a maestro?

Dad had a few tales to recite about Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and his father, the equally renowned Ustad Allauddiu Khan. The latter, in fact, was one of our subjects in what is now Bangladesh.

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Anonymous said…
Dipanjan
This is indeed sarcastic that the sad demise of maestro like Ali Akbar Khan went unnoticed by the large part of Indian media house.
This again reiterates the fact that we, the indians, are still less interested as to our own Indian Classical Music.
I don't know when the Indian people would show little interest to our traditional forms of music, which has gained enough attention world over.

Saibal Dhar
s_dhr@yahoo.co.in
Monday, July 13, 2009 8:41:00 PM
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