With legendary musician Ustad Vilayat Khan for a father, it’s not surprising that Hidayat Khan has had the sitar for company since his childhood.
“Music is a hobby for many; but for me, it’s an intrinsic part of my life,” says an excited Hidayat, who eagerly awaits the release of his first music album - ‘Ziver’ on August 18 in the capital. The album boasts of a fusion of classical, hip-hop, Latin, Spanish, techno and electronica.
“The idea is to cater to people of all generations and hence, the attempt to blend in different genres,” he explains.
Though his first vocal concert was at age nine, Hidayat wants to be known as a sitar player more than anything else.
“Sitar is my passion; even though I have trained to be a vocalist as well. I’m also open to the idea of playback singing for films but only if the song is the kind I can do justice to,” he says.
While the title track ‘Ziver’ (meaning the precious one) is his favourite, it’s the video ‘Naina’ featuring TV actor Shweta Salve - that will first hit the small screen.
“Moreover, this album will also have a quavwali and a sitar version of the classic ‘Damadum Mast Kalandar’,” he enthuses.
So is his lineage an advantage or a disadvantage? “I’m certainly proud of being a part of such an illustrious family. Though there is greater pressure on me to create my own identity. So I’m just keeping my fingers crossed,” he signs off.
p_vidya@dnaindia.net
