Nikhil Banerjee的世界（1）
我也说过无数遍，一切都只能从比较中得来。印度音乐是一种极端高难度的 virtuoso 们的音乐，因此，凡是能演奏入流的人已经都是天才级的奇迹了，就像所有高级爵士乐一样。所以，我们谈论谁好，不好，完全是在较高的美学／精神层次上说的。就音乐基础层面来说，他们其实都是高手中的高手。毕竟这是一个必须从三五岁起就每天练十几小时的艰难的即兴创作艺术（绝非古典乐匠那一套机械无创作力技巧可相比）。
也不一定非要找 Nikhil Banerjee ，他是极端个人化的音乐家，也不一定合每人味口，但基本上要去追求精神性超越性较高的乐人，比如拉 sarangi 的 Sultan Khan；vocalist 如 Pandit Jasraj，Bhimsen Joshi，等。总之，要比较数十家以上的乐人，才能找到你个人口味之所好，也才能分辨高下；我常强调的是，你必须了解小家的艺术，才能体会大师的艺术好在哪里。多听 Ravi Shankar 以外的各家的唱片就会慢慢懂印度音乐怎么欣赏了。
（摘自http://www.sinologic.com/newmusic/sub/board2.html
对比他们的音乐，很容易发现Ravi Shankar的比较张扬，Nikhil Banerjee的比较内敛；前者各种乐器都进入得较早，乐曲结构成形得比较早，后者则开始会比较随意散慢，随兴而至，其它乐器逐渐加进来，节奏和旋律都是逐渐成形然后浮出水面的；前者有很多乐器之间的一问一答（在爵士和摇滚的曲式里屡见不鲜），后者则很少；前者很多迷幻的快速拨弦solo，而拉弦只是偶尔的装饰，后者也有不少快速拨弦的solo，但更值得玩味的则是其中出神入化的拉弦细节。总的印象是，前者更容易跟嬉皮士的迷幻乐勾兑（难怪会特别适合美国人的口味，是故意迎合或者融合的吗？），而后者则更适合个人的、清静的、真正的冥想。这样说不是没有根据的，迷幻乐是一种集体的享乐（enjoyment）和沉溺，而Nikhil Banerjee的音乐呢，看他自己是怎么评价的：
"My approach to music is very deep. I do not compromise with anybody or anything else in the world. I do not care. I want to really go beyond this materialistic world...not for the sake of enjoyment, entertainment, no. A musician must lift up the souls of the listeners, and take them towards Space.
-- From the Interview with Nikhil Banerjee in the Purabi Kalyan (Raga-207) booklet.
（摘自http://www.raga.com/cds/201/201.html
这大概就是姚前文所说的“较高的美学／精神层次”的意思吧，激动的Ravi Shankar自然就比下去了。打个比方不知道合适不，Nikhil Banerjee的境界在于独自品一壶好茶的甘美清香，而不是喝冰镇可乐打个嗝（现在好多电子舞曲风格的世界音乐就干这事儿），也不是忧伤地品一杯苦酒或者烧了叶子嗑了药飞起来。如果因为上面的乐曲太长听不下去的，该反省一下自己是不是过惯了工业流水线式的生活太浮躁了，只想着醇香醉人的enjoyment或者甘之如饴的entertainment。事实上，我还是觉得Ravi Shankar很棒的，因为我爱60年代迷幻乐的醉人。正如姚上文所说的，即使对他们分高下也是在天才virtuoso之间评头论足。
上面引文提到的那次访谈是在1985年（Nikhil Banerjee去世的前一年），里面讲了好多有趣的事儿和重要的信息，非常精彩也非常好读，我挑一些来说说——
（http://www.raga.com/interviews/207int1.html
不过这两个版本都只是访谈的前小部分，全部访谈内容见http://www.musicalnirvana.com/hindustani/nikhil_interviews.html
Nikhil Banerjee小时候迷上了sitar，家庭怕他玩物丧志耽误学业，祖父特别反对，因此“everybody discouraged me”，只能在父亲旁边安静地听他弹sitar；5岁那年（不还是小时候嘛……）争取到父亲的“开禁”，7岁开始正式系统地接受父亲的sitar音乐教育，然后就“were considered a child prodigy, winning the All-Bengal Sitar Competition and at age 9 becoming the youngest musician employed by All-India Radio”，没有到全印度去巡演是因为要上学了和祖父看得严……
Nikhil Banerjee的家庭不算是音乐世家，他父亲和祖父都不是职业音乐家。他出身婆罗门但是家庭却很穷。他的成功主要得益于天赋和周围众多职业的和业余的伟大音乐家的影响和指引。他对当时频繁的音乐节现场和他父亲很多的音乐家朋友记忆犹新，还特别回忆了一个爱乐如命的king of a state in India。那个富有的邦国国王Birendra Kishore Roy Chowdhury到处搜罗古曲古谱，到处求教也慷慨相授，口头禅就是："Come on, how much money do you want? Just come and stay with me and teach me. How much money do you want?"……
正是这位独一无二的国王把十几岁的Nikhil Banerjee推荐到著名的印度音乐上师（Pandit）Allauddin Khansahib那儿去。提起向Allauddin Khan（即Khansahib）拜师的过程，Nikhil Banerjee笑声朗朗。Nikhil Banerjee为了拜他为师，抱着他的脚哭着说：“Please, if you don't teach me, I will just commit suicide! Because I don't like to hear any other music!”不料这老头也倔，把他甩开，说自己已经70岁的人了，没精力再教徒弟，只想清静清静，你少来烦我。Nikhil Banerjee依然缠着不放，老头竟然一脚把他踢开，当着他的徒弟和女儿的面。（这徒弟里面包括Ravi Shankar！！！）最后，大师看在Nikhil Banerjee在All-India电台有演奏节目的份上，答应过些天听一听他的演奏再说。结果听完之后，大师写了一封措辞更强烈的信给Nikhil Banerjee：“I have heard your program, what you have played was rubbish! Hopeless things! Top to bottom it was full of-nothing was correct! Very incorrect rag! Everything is incorrect! You don't know where to put your ornaments-you have put bangles on your hair, hairpins on your feet!”但正是这封信让Nikhil Banerjee欣喜万分欢声雀跃，因为大师最后写道：“However, this much I can tell, you have got a hidden power in you-that thing has to be nurtured. So I am happy and if you like to come, you are welcome.”……
Nikhil Banerjee住在上师家里，开始了地狱式也是天堂式的训练——每天最少14小时的练习和无时无刻不在耳边指导和斥责的声音。那是一个生来只知道练琴一件事而不关心任何时政、常识和其它生活的倔老头，他的做人准则就是"So long you are alive, you must practice." 甚至是“You have come to this world, you have nothing else to do except practice! Don't waste a single moment chatting and talking!”“no time to talk, no time to sleep, no time to eat - if you practice 24 hours a day, he will be happy!”Allauddin Khan从一开始就明确地告诉他：“I will channelize you in a different way, I will put you in a different way than Ravi Shankar. There will be no similarity.”然后拿出一些Nikhil Banerjee当时根本无法理解并且觉得自己不可能弹奏得了的曲子让他训练，并且喝令他如果学不会就滚回加尔各答。原来，上师在信中骂Nikhil Banerjee的话并不是给自己找下台阶而是有根有据的！！！有一次，Nikhil Banerjee对从凌晨四点到晚上十一点每天十几小时的基础训练感到枯燥乏味，偷偷在自己房间里来一段alap，上师发现后大发雷霆差点把他赶走，因为之前上师已经吩咐过“Don't play alap; alap is not meant for you now. When you'll be 40 years old, when your nerves and everything will calm down, because alap is such a thing, your mind and concentration - until you calm down very peacefully to that level, you cannot play alap! Alap means that each note you'll have to feel it in your mind! Each note! And it will take a long time.”也就是说，Nikhil Banerjee要弹alap起码要先苦练基本功20年。Allauddin Khan上师是那么的严格苛刻，他以前教过一个国王，有一次居然发脾气用tabla鼓的鼓槌扔那个国王！他教人从来不会重复说过的话，学生稍微走神跟不上的时候就会招致一kick！但他又确实那么的了不起，他是印度古典音乐历史上培养出最多音乐大师的人物，像Ali Akbar Khansahib, Ravi Shankar, Annapurna-devi, Pannalal Ghosh, Timir Baran（当然，还有Nikhil Banerjee）这些学生在他们的领域都是顶尖的高手。（怪不得Nikhil Banerjee拜师的时候他一味说自己已经精疲力尽不想再收徒弟了……）
后来Nikhil Banerjee回忆说，他的老师不单是音乐技巧上的老师，而且是真正的guru，也就是本身炉火纯青已入化境，而且在精神上无时无刻不指引你塑造你、为你指明适合自己性灵和潜质的风格和学习途径的导师。无论是在什么场合，他一碰见人就是讲音乐：“Do you know this thing? Do you know that thing? How it comes, just see. Listen.”Nikhil Banerjee说，假如你没遇到一个真正好的guru，那么你真是太遗憾了。他用这样的话来说明怎样才算一个guru：“I cannot be a guru, because I am not so much truthful to myself, that means I don't always do what I say. But guru is something else; if guru says, "Practice 16 hours today," that means he has practiced, he knows the result. What you should practice, what will suit your temperament, your emotions, that he can understand just by watching you, your movement, your behavior, your reactions. Only guru can know because he's so pure from inside. Oh, yes, to find a real guru is a blessing! ”
Baba（Allauddin Khansahib）在教授sitar的时候一般并不自己示范，而是哼唱着让学生自己发掘方法用sitar扒下来，他教训说“Find out your own way. You actually consult your brain and your intellect. Don't ask me.”Nikhil Banerjee后来说这对他形成自己的个人风格很有帮助：“If everything is taught, then you will be very much influenced and covered up. Your individuality, your personality must grow up along with this music. ”
而在回答“How could your fingers manage that? ”这个问题时，Nikhil Banerjee说一开始人人都会觉得自己手笨老是卡壳，克服的方法只有一个，那就是不停地练习，“The training period was very, very rigorous - and I myself think even the world is changing, this country is so advanced, but there is no second way. Really, if you want to play music or anything, you'll have to forget the world at least for four or five years and just concentrate on music. You play music, you think music, dream music, eat music - just live in music! That's all! I think there is no other way, if you really want to become a great musician. It's not only Indian music, it's everywhere, all over the world. ”
经过隐士般的刻苦训练后，Nikhil Banerjee从原先的困惑走出来了。后来他说：“Now I can follow that my approach to music is completely different than Ravi Shankar's - everybody's got a different approach because the level of mind, the line of thinking is different. ”
（原来如此……Nikhil Banerjee从一开始就跟Ravi Shankar划清界限并且拉开一个层次了。看到这儿，我更佩服的是Allauddin Khan这位真正的guru。访谈前面还提到他对音乐非常保守和慎重，但是每天守着电台听西方古典乐，极力主张要把世界其它好音乐的元素都融为一炉为我所用。Nikhil Banerjee常称赞他的老师是完美的、“Nowadays, it's hard to imagine!”。）
因为Baba已经很老了，Nikhil Banerjee只跟随了Baba五年左右的时间，但还继续向Baba的女儿和Ali Akbar Khansahib学习。尽管技艺精湛，Nikhil Banerjee在成就斐然的前辈大师，如Vilayat Khan、Ravi Shankarji、Ali Akbar Khansahib，面前还没找到一条属于个人的道路。他为此苦苦思索多年。如果不是为了生计，他也许会继续沉醉于练习：“I love music, it is endless, so the more you practice, the more you are in the