Ustad Ramzan Khan of Jaipur is an ourstanding Sikar-gharana sarangi player who, unlike Sultan Khan, Liaqat Khan and Munir Khan, didn't make it out of Rajasthan. So he remained relatively unknown. When I met him he was retired from his job as a staff artist at All India Radio, Jaipur. He was very friendly and encouraging of my efforts, But he was bitter about the plight of sarangi and was adamant that he would not teach his sons sarangi—vocal and tabla yes—but never sarangi. I was very impressed by the quality of vocal nuance he was teaching his 10-year-old son Farukh.
My first visit to his house was on 28 March, 1997. He played rag Marva including a tarana in ektal (count of 12). Then I interviewed him about his life with sarangi:
Then Ramzan Khan sang an impressive tarana, also in Marva, set to the 15-count tal Pancham Sawari. I recited the theka of Pancham Sawari, to keep the tal for him.
The next three videos below are from my second visit on 30 March, 1997. Ramzan Khan started with rag Puriya Dhanashri. I followed on my sarangi.
Next we talked:
Then Ramzan Khan played the Mand, beloved in Rajasthan, "kesariya baalam"
The next day, 31 March, 1997, he played rag Gaud Malhar with me following on sarangi and his young son on tabla:
And then another rendition of the mand "kesariya baalam":
More to come!
