January 22, 2011 (Sampurn Wire): Paul Grant for almost three decades now is still in love with the Indian classical music. Starting his career in California as a rock drummer to the sudden stumbling of the recordings of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali and Ustad Ahmedjan Thirawka changed his life forever. In the country to perform a jugalbandi with Nayan Ghosh the American musician talks about his love for the Hindutani music.

To begin with Paul was attending the classes with Ustad Zakir Hussain for table at San Franciscos Ali Akbar College of Music and he bumped into the sea recordings of Indian maestoes and was enthralled by it. In 1972 Grant comes to India and begins his tutelage in sitar under Pt. Radhika Mohan Moitra, table from Guru Jnan Prakash Ghosh and Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar for surbahar. But it was actually santoor that was his calling.

After travelling to Kashmir in the 70s the sound of the instrument fascinated and took up the Sufiyana music from the legenadary Ustan Ghulam Mohamad Saaz Nawaaz and from there Pauls search for the music and Sufi took him to Iran. There he studied under the Iranian santoor master Mohamad Reza Lotfi.

Now while all these trainings have enriched him and travelled the world with Nayan Ghosh performing sitar-santoor jugalbandi, Paul has found his own music too. The man plays the Tarkish saaz, Persian sehtaar, Afghan tamour, table, sitar, surbanar and other instruments.

-- Sampurn Wire