"I grew up in Dhaka, Bangladesh. I am the first and the only classical performer in my, otherwise very enlightened family. My mother, Shehida Haque, introduced and lead me on to the sitar, a dream which was unfulfilled for herself. After initial training in vocal music, I was very fortunate to become the disciple of late Ustad Mir Qasem Khan, nephew of the legendary Ustad Alauddin Khan, founder of the Senia Maihar Gharana. I feel lucky to have been embraced in this ground breaking (at the time of its birth) musical ideology and school of thought."
"As I was trained and groomed in Indian classical sitar in the 'Guru Shishya Parampara' (on a one to one basis), I earned a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts at the Dhaka University. I moved to the USA in 1981 and continued to study sitar, going back and forth between the US and India, under great teachers like, Partha Chatterjee, Krishna Bhatt, and Kushal Das. Each one of my teachers has contributed greatly to enrich my music through different aspects of my growth and connection with the music. I feel a deep sense of gratitude."
Sitar took over my life and the journey with this rich form of music instilled positive energy and strength within me. I continued to grow professionally and soulfully. I have performed in prestigious venues such as The Kennedy Center, The Bangladesh National Museum, The Sangeet Research Academy, The Purcel Room, South Bank Center, etc. I recorded and performed with world renowned tabla artists such as Pandit Anindo Chatterjee and Ustad Taari Khan. My sitar DVDs, 'Hrydayaragam' was featured in the Women's History Month at the Smithsonian in 2008 and 'Strings of Resonance' was nominated for the Best Classical Music Award in Bangladesh in 2010. I have collaborated with South Indian classical, jazz saxophone, and lately with world percussion. I have composed music for cello, dance, and sitar ensembles. My artistic creativity leads me on to fuse boundaries of my music & art. I have presented audio visual sitar concerts in major venues in the USA, the UK, and Bangladesh.
I have founded Sitar Niketan, my music school, in the Wash DC area in 2015.
A message from Founder, Director/Guru-Vidushi, Alif Laila:
Sitar and Indian classical music system are both complex in their respective structures and disciplines and it takes a long time to master both. It needs devotion, discipline and persistance to learn the raags and taals and their infinite interplay in ever-changing exchanges. The onward journey and challenge in learning the discipline teaches one to be humble, strong and focused. My own life experience with sitar and Indian classical music has strengthened my beleif that music and the arts have immense revitalizing and healing power. It helps to overcome the hurdles of life with calm and composure.
With that in mind, I am contunually inspired to teach and help my students to play the sitar to their best ability. I have developed new methodologies of teaching and performing for my students of all ages to help them play with confidence. I believe that a student can step onto the deeper realms only at her or his own will.
All along the COVID-19 Sitar Niketan has struggled and worked really hard to continue teaching, creating and presenting online student programs with full intensity and newfound creativity overcoming challenges of online tteaching and performances with a complex and unforgiving instrument like sitar! We even managed to raise funds twice for COVID-19 victims. The unifying energy among students of all ages and ethnic backgrounds is truly admirable and instills hope within me to continue in this difficult path with vigor.
