An Enduring Legacy

Till fairly late into the last century, the dissemination of musical knowledge remained focused on vocal music. Considering the intricate melodic character of Hindustani music, however, the value of this documentation was limited by the print medium in which it was stored and distributed, as it could not adequately capture complex details of fingering technique and multiple-string stroke-craft. Several books of sitar compositions appeared in the 19th and early 20th centuries in various languages, but had a limited following for this reason.The efficient transmission of musical knowledge for instrumentalists had to await the maturation and widespread availability of audio and video recording technologies. Their systematic use began at the Ali Akbar College of Music at San Rafael, California. Over a period of four decades, the college has accumulated an impressive archive of compositions and taleem sessions recorded by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. This collection is reportedly accessible only for in-house study at the College.