India's musical siblings to make China debut with rare instrument

Many decades ago, classical music performances were limited to the aristocracy in many parts of the world but in more recent times they have become accessible to the masses.

Amjad Ali Khan, who was born in a family of well-known musicians, has been performing globally since the 1960s.

As young boys, the brothers learned to play the sarod from their father and often sat close to him during his shows to observe his style as well as understand the audience.

Calling their father "abba", the brothers say one of the most important things they learned from him was that for classical musicians "music isn't just a profession but a way of life".

"From the time we were born, the language spoken was that of music ... Though our father is a strict traditionalist, he has always believed in adapting to change. Indian classical music has no rules about how it should be presented. That's very individualistic," says Amaan Ali Khan.

Growing up while listening to different genres of music, the brothers, like their father, have tried to take the sarod to new audiences.

With their roles as performers, composers and conductors, they have had many collaborations with foreign musicians, such as performing with US folk songwriter Carrie Newcomer and Grammy nominated Oud player Rahim Alhaj to make the ancient instrument fit into the contemporary scene.

The brothers' joint album, Moksha, was nominated at the Grammys for best traditional world music album in 2005.

Amaan Ali Khan also says their mother, Subhalakshmi Khan, an artist herself, who learned bharatanatyam (an Indian classical dance) from the late exponent Rukmini Devi Arundale, sacrificed her career for the family.

"Today what we are, who we are is all owing to her contribution," says Amaan Ali Khan.

Ayaan Ali Khan himself is also a father with twin boys, Zohaan and Abeer.

"They seem quite passionate about music but there's no pressure. They are three and a half but their grandfather has already started lessons," he says.

If you go

7:30 pm, Saturday. Shanghai Center Theater, 1376 Nanjing West Road, Shanghai. 021-6279-8663.

3 pm, May 27. Central Conservatory of Music, 43 Baojia Street, Xicheng district, Beijing. 010-6642-5746.