Maitreyee Sarkar of CluedIN considers herself fortunate not only to have attended the 10th annual event of The AllaRakha Foundations' in memory of the Tabla Legend Ustad AllaRakha and and his wife Begum AllaRakha but she played an important role by letting people know in her social coterie, all of whom are dedicated listeners of Indian Classical Music about this concert.

On Friday the 30th April 2010 my husband and I travelled to London to attend 'Shraddhanjali', the memorial concert for late Ustad AllaRakha and his wife Begum AllaRakha [Ammaji]. The AllaRakha Foundations' 10th annual event was presented by their illustrious son and one of the founding members of the AllaRakha Foundation, Padmabhushan Ustad Zakir Hussain. The event was held at the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre in London. Zakir Husain presented the event with Ranjit Barot [multi-percussion], the son of legendary Sitara Devi, the noted Kathak dancer and Sabir Khan [Sarangi], son of Ustad Sultan Khan from Mumbai.

Ghazal Aulia, daughter of Khurshid Aulia and granddaughter of Ustad AllaRakha gave the welcome address and gave a brief introduction of the artists taking part. Zakir Hussein then introduced Ranjit Barot and Sabir Khan to the audience. In the first half of the concert Ranjit Barrot gave a good account of his brilliant skill and dexterity on the western drum kit playing some wonderful Bollywood style percussion music ending with a jazz style ensemble by inviting a well known local saxophonist and flautist called Tim Garland to accompany him for a part of the show making it a highly entertaining percussion ensemble.

The mixed audience of Queen Elizabeth hall seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed their performance as a fitting prelude to the second half.After a short interval the second half of the concert started with the maestro Zakir Hussain himself accompanied by Sabir Khan on Sarangi.

His performance was extraordinary specially since he was playing for his fater where he rendered a selection of kaidas, relas, tukras and mohras on a number of rhythmic patterns, some of which we have never heard before. He produced incredible sounds on the Tabla with his magical fingers. It was not only a thrilling but a truly remarkable tabla solo of the highest magnitude.

He received rapturous applause at numerous points of his performance as one can expect from a living legend in the field of Indian drums. Sabir Khan gave the most able accompaniment on the Sarangi to make the performance a truly memorable one and a fitting tribute to late Ustad AllaRakhaji and his wife Begum AllaRakha.

Mr Nalin Surie, His Excellency, the High Commissioner for India to the UK and Mrs Monica Kapil Mohta, the Director of the Nehru Centre [Cultural Minister of Indian High Commission] was the guests of honour. Yogesh Samsi also attended as guest from Mumbai as he is one of the most prominent disciples of late Ustad AllaRakhaji flying the flag of the AllaRakha gharana. Many local musicians, percussionists and dancers paid their tribute to the memory of AllaRakhaji and his wife by attending the event.
 
At the end of the concert Mrs Khurshid Aulia, the daughter of AllaRakhaji gave an emotional vote of thanks with tears in her eyes and expressed her sincere gratitude to the honourable guests and the audience for making the event a success.