Kerala nod for Amjad's proposed international school of music

Thiruvananthapuram, April 27 (IANS) The Kerala government did not have to think twice after ace music maestro and Sarod player Ustad Amjad Ali Khan expressed his desire to start an international school of music in the state.

Culture Minister K.C. Joseph told reporters Saturday that it was yesterday evening that the great musician expressed his desire to start a music school, if the state government provides land.

"We took this up with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy who readily agreed and he has asked for around three acres of land. We offered him land at Kozhikode and here and he opted for the latter," said Joseph.

"I am grateful to the Kerala government for agreeing to my humble request. In my life I want to keep serving the people who have a desire to learn Indian classical music. In my music school, there will be students from all over the world and it would function in the lines of a gurukul model," said the great musician who added that he will also be teaching to play the Sarod.

"The academy will have a concert hall besides hostel facilities and I will seek the support of corporate houses to fund the building of the academy. In my family both my sons and me are into music and one of us will be in the school all the time. I will seek the support of the musicians from the state also to help me," said Khan who now teaches music at the Stanford University.

Veteran music personality Soorya Krishnamoorthy, who is the chairman of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy, said that the music school campus will be designed by a Kerala architect.

"We will now await a complete proposal from the Ustad and once that comes we will give him the land," Joseph added.