Music is like mathematics to us, says Rajasthani folk singer Mame Khan | Music - The Hindu

"For Rajasthani folk singer Mame Khan, performing music is akin to the intricacy of mathematics" inform Narendra Kusnur - The Hindu.

Different folk: Kaushiki Chakrabarty and Mame Khan.   
Photo: The Hindu

You’ve heard his voice on songs such as ‘Baawre’ in Luck By Chance (2009); ‘Aitbaar’ from Nobody Killed Jessica (2011) and ‘Chakora’ from Mirzya (2016). And you’ve probably seen him on the widely popular second season of Coke Studio @ MTV,singing ‘Chaudhary’, conducted and arranged by Amit Trivedi.

In his colourful Rajasthani turban, trimmed moustache and warm smile, Mame Khan displays a unique demeanour. His voice is special too. It reverberates the folk music of western Rajasthan; places like Jaisalmer and Barmer. “I am happy Rajasthani folk singing styles are reaching newer areas,” says Khan. “For us, music is like mathematics. It’s the calculations we keep in our mind when performing.”

This evening, Khan will collaborate with another great singer from the eastern India; Kolkata-based Kaushiki Chakrabarty, the daughter of Patiala gharana maestro Ajoy Chakrabarty. Will east meet west, as per Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem? “It will be a unique concert,” says Khan, adding, “Our styles are different. She will sing folk and Hindustani light classical music to begin with. I will do a few Rajasthani folk and Sufi songs. Then we will sing together on a jugalbandi.”

Rhythm and lyrics 
  Khan — whose father Ustad Rana Khan was a respected singer — comes from a rich musical background, that goes back 15 generations. Brought up in Satto, a village near Jaisalmer, Khan was exposed to folk music of the Manganiyar community since childhood. Their style called Jangra, utilises rare instruments such as the bowed kamaicha and the percussion piece khartal, where the player has a unique theatrical-dance posture while performing.

As a child, Khan won prizes in school for his talent, performing the National Anthem, ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon’ in school. But his his mind was more focused on rhythm. 
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Source: The Hindu