Introduction

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'd just like to say, before we start off with the concert, that, uh, to thank you all for coming here, and, uh, as you all know, it's a special benefit concert. We've got a good show lined up. I hope so, anyway. First part of the concert is gonna be an Indian music section. You're gonna hear a sitar and sarod duet. And, uh, as you realize, Indian music's a little bit more serious than our music, and I'd appreciate it if you could, uh, try and settle down and get into the Indian music section. So let me introduce, on sitar, Ravi Shankar. And the master of sarod, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Sarod. I'm sure you all know Rvi's tabla player, Alla Rakha. And this evening, the drone instrument, the tamboura, is being played by Kamala. So I hope you enjoy the concert, thank you.

Friends, as George told you just now, they will be participating in the second part. The first part is going to be us playing for you on the Indian instruments, the Indian music. This is a type of music which needs a little concentrated listening. And I would request you to have a little patience. I know you are very impatient to hear your favourite stars, who will be in the second part, but we are trying to set the music to this special event, this historical program, which is just not a program as usual but which has a message. And this is to just make you aware of a very serious situation that is happening. We are not trying to be politicians. We are artists, but through our music, we would like you to feel the agony and also the pain and lot of sad happenings in Bangladesh, and also the refugees who have come to India. We will play a dhun, which means an air or a melody, which is based on a folk tune of Bangladesh. And after that we'll play a gat, a fast gat in teentaal of 16 beats. Now, as usual, I would request you, my friends, to refrain or stop from smoking, while the program is on. Thank you very much.