Word: mirza
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During the "gat" phase when the raga is set to a sixteen-beat rhythmic time cycle, and during the speeding climax of the "thala," there appears to be a heightened intensification-rather than a confusion-of the raga's mood, as Mirza and Khan seem to mysteriously coalesce in a musical vision of sheer symmetry...
...Mirza mesmerized the crowd with his facile dexterity in unfolding two highly complex ragas, creatively exploiting each musical possibility of variation. He maintained a self-assured quality of coolness throughout the performance, interpreting difficult thematic material with graceful case, suggesting deceptive simplicity...
...Mirza's sitar seemed to wail out emotion in a vocal idiom characteristic of the centuries-old Kirana school in which he was trained. While other schools of sitar-playing emphasize greater instrumentality, Mirza's "singing sitar style offers a welcome depth of feeling to the western listener who has difficulty intellectualizing the sophisticated raga system...
...Within the limitations of a very systematic set of rules, are found all the elements of emotionality and relevance," explains Mirza. "You can begin anywhere, but once you start, you have to dive into yourself...
...Mirza's ragas show a clarity that American critics have often found lacking in performances of other Indian musicians. He manages to achieve organic union of his melodic material with the complementary rhythms of his tabla accompanist Faygaz Khan, without sacrificing the hold definition of the raga's theme...