Stars of India

He feels that the West's discovery of Indian sounds is not so much based on an elemental appeal, but rather our ravenous appetite for novelty. "At the moment, the West uses a lot of sa--ran.g1-- and tabla and sitar," he observes, "but they're just vying for a new sound. The music has the same lyrics and the same beat. People listen to it a while and then move on, like they did with Afro-Cuban music."

Shujaat is also leery of many virtuosos' tendencies to belabor the audience with their skill, losing sight of the most important factor to any performance. "There is excitement. There is skill. There is brilliance and technical virtuosity," he says. "But by and large, the important thing in music is not to get shell-shocked. You don't want people leaving and having to hold onto each other; you should be relaxed and happy at the end of a show."

Shujaat and Vilayat Khan and the Music Festival of India come to the Meyerson on Saturday, September 27. Tickets are available at all Dillard's stores or can be charged by phone. Call metro (817) 589-7477, (800) 654-9545 or (817) 571-4926.