Indian sarod maestro Pt. Tejendra Narayan Majumdar (of Senia Maihar Charana] was in Dhaka to conduct a Sitar-Sarod Workshop recently. This correspondent spoke to him on diverse aspects of the instrument.

Excerpts:

'Bangladeshi artistes have a thirst for learning classical music. They have taken to the instrument with ease and are extremely interested. I am trying to equip them with the best elements of our Senia Maihar Gharana. Initially, the organisers (Bengal Foundation and Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy) thought that there would only be a few participants for the workshop. But they proved wrong and artistes responded warmly. I can safely say it's been a great success."

"I will visit Bangladesh regularly while some of my senior disciples will stay here to nurture them. Melody is the very soul of Bangladesh and can be said to be in the country's soil. Bengal Foundation's initiative is laudable and we will definitely support them."

"Education, culture, listening to classical music for hours, appreciation and something God-gifted collectively constitute an audience's aesthetic vision towards the genre. There is no alternative to engaging honest efforts, dedication and rewaz. Apart from this, an artist must be a good person above all; otherwise art will not reflect in their efforts.'

"My guru, Ustad Bahadur Hossain Khan, treated me like his son and moulded my artistic self. Not only music lessons and contacts with music legends, he even made me learn good conduct, manners and eti-

quette, along with other things.'

"The spectrum of sarod is wide and vast. The sound of sarod produces a deep resonance that can best express the mood of melancholy. To perfectly produce meend and gamak, sarod is the best. Once our poet, Purnendu Potree uttered that the perfect recital of sarod evokes the wails of a man."

"Whatever I am is because of the blessings of my Gurus. It is an opportunity for me to give back, as my ancestral homeland is in Pabna, and my gurus - Ustad Bahadur Khan and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan are from Bangladesh. It's an emotional juncture for me"

"When an artiste performs harmoniously it generates indescribable feelings and untainted joy. There is a hypnotising power in classical music that ultimately becomes a bridge between performer and audience."