Introduction:- The Sound of Music (Part-2) | English Literature for Grade 9 PDF Download

About the Author- Deborah Cowley I
Deborah Cowley I – A Short Biography

The Shehnai of Bismillah Khan

INTRODUCTION

This chapter gives, in brief, the life story of the great musician Bismillah Khan. He is a Shehnai maestro. It also tells us about the origin of the Shehnai. Bismillah Khan is one of the great personalities of Hindustani music. He belongs to the Benaras Gharana. He was born in Dumraon in Bihar. His interest in music was visible from his childhood. As a Shehnai player, he has won national and international awards. He has travelled all over the world. He has also been awarded the nation’s highest award Bharat Ratna. Bismillah Khan thinks that music can bridge the gap between different communities. So he wants that music should be made a compulsory subject in schools.

Introduction(2)

The feature traces the origin of ‘shehnai’ as an improved version of the pungi, a needed instrument, which was banned by Aurangzeb. It also narrates the journey of Bharat Ratan Bismillah Khan whose hard work and dedication to the art of ‘shehnai vaadan’ had enabled him to win the most cherished awards. In addition, the author brings to light Bismillah Khan’s patriotic devotion to India and his deep love for the Ganga in Benaras and the estate of Dumraon in Bihar.

THEME

The feature is written on the theme that music transcends all barriers. The author’s focus on Bismillah Khan’s achievements in the field of classical shehnai music reveals how this great musician’s life was devoted to his passion for shehnai. It was Bismillah Khan’s secular approach to music that he sharpened his skill without any bias towards the source of his opportunities. The life of this legendary musician is an example of the rich, cultural heritage of India that respects talent, irrespective of the religion of the artist.

TITLE 

The title “The Sound of Music” and the subtitle “The Shehnai Bismillah Khan” are very appropriate as they are in accord with the contents of the feature, which celebrates the melodious music produced by Bismillah Khan’s shehnai. It also describes Bismillah Khan’s evolution and achievements as a pioneering shehnai player.

WORD-MEANINGS

Banned = stopped by order = प्रतिबंध लगाना ; instrument = (here) musical instrument =वाद्ययंत्र; royal = kingly = राजसी /शाही ; generic name = a name given to a group = जेनेरिक नाम, एक समूह को दिया जाने वाला नाम ; reeded = a hollow instrument =बांसुरी जैसा वाद्ययंत्र ; profession = related to profession= पशेवर ; melodious = sweety = माधुर्यपूर्ण |
Chambers = parts = कोष्ठक ; auspicious = holy = पवित्र ; indispensable = very important = अति आवश्यक ; component = (here) a group of musical instruments = वाद्ययंत्र ; traditional = of old times; परम्परागत ; ensembles = (here) a group of musical instruments = वाद्ययंत्र ; estate= kingdom =राज्य /रियासत ; award = prize = इनाम ; well-known = familiar = प्रसिद्ध ; Shehnai nawaz = Shehnai player = शहनाई वादक ; paternal ancestors = ancestors of the father = पूर्वज ;Fascinated= attracted = आकर्षित किया ; accompanying = along with = के साथ ; employed= put on job =काम पर लगाया ; apprentice =pupil = शिक्षार्थी ; haunt= search = खोज ; solitude= loneliness = एकांतवास ; beyond = far away = दूर ; recital = playing of musical instruments = वाद्ययंत्रों का बजाना ; conference – meeting =सम्मेलन ; patted = stroked = थपथपाया ; big break = a big chance = बड़ा अवसर ; greet= welcome = अभिवादन ; included = being a part of= शामिल होना ; abroad = foreign = विदेश ; taken in by = charmed by = सम्मोहित हो जाना ; souvcniers = things given in a memory = स्मृति चिह्न ; chartbuster =  record breaker = कीर्तिमान स्थापित करना ; despite instead of = के बजाय ; celluloid = old fashioned= परंपरागत ; venture= dangerous action = जोखिम पूर्ण कार्य ; glamour= modern; fashionable  world =आधुनिक , चकाचौंध वाला संसार ; prestigious – reputed = ख्याति प्राप्त ; auditorium = a building where dance, music or other fine arts are enacted = रंगशाला ; conferred= given = प्रदान किया गया ;coveted= much desired = चिर प्रतिक्षित ; fondly = with love = प्यार से ; replicating = redesigning = प्रतिलिपि तैयार करना ; yearning =desiring =इच्छुक होना ; unique = extraordinary = अदभुत ; perfect = complete = पूर्ण ; heritage = that has been inherited = विरासत ; devout = religiously pure = धार्मिक रूप से शुद्ध; Ban—forbid; Royal—related to kings; Residence—house; Generic—relating to a group; Reed—a plant; Revive—bring to life again; Hollow—empty; Melodious—a pleasant tune; Impress—influence;Indispensable—very important; Traditional—conventional; Ensemble—a group of musical items;Credit—praise; Paternal—related to father; Ancestors—persons in your family who lived a long time ago;Fascinated—attracted;Accompany—go with;Captivate—hold attention;Apprentice—a person learning a trade from a skilled employer;Favourite—much liked; Solitude lonely;Improvise—create and perform without preparations;Conference—a formal meeting for discussion; Recital—musical performance; Destiny—luck; Performance an act of presenting; Abroad—foreign; Maestro—musician;Priceless—precious; Souvenirs—memento; Fascinate—captivate; Chartbuster—a best seller;Artificiality—fakeness; Glamour—glitter; Recognition—fame;Prestigious—honoured; Exposition—a large public exhibition of art; Internationally—in, between, or among many different nations; Auditorium-a big hall for an audience;Exceedingly—in excess; Replicate—to copy; Yearning—strong desire; Unique—one of its type; Perfect-exact; Cultural—relating to culture; Heritage—relating to tradition; Effortlessly—easily.