Complex ways of Indian Classical musicians

In Karnatic music there is a strange practice. S. Y. Krishnaswamy writing in "The Hindu" states that the male accompanists, whether on the mridnagam or violin, measure their status by refusing to accompany lady vocalists. Even those who accompanied the lady during their earlier years, graduate into "refusal" status in course of time!

In Hindustani music, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan narrates an incident where he wanted to record with both Pandit Samta Prasad & Pandit Kishan Maharaj. Before the recording, Kishan Maharaj asked Amjad Ali as to who will sit on the right & who will sit on the left? According to tradition, if there are two tablists, the senior one sits on the right. Here Samta Prasad was older than Kishan Maharaj, who even used to call the former "Uncle." In spite of knowing this, Kishan Maharaj asked this question. Amjad Ali writes that as he felt that this was not a pleasant start, he called off the recording.

Ustad Vilayat Khan states that Dover Lane (famous music festival) organisers asked him once to play a duet with Nikhil Banerjee. Here it must be noted that Vilayat Khan states that once Nikhil Banerjee offered him "Guru Dakshina", an offering to a teacher. So instead of saying no, he asked the organisers to bring a written statement from Nikhil that he was prepared. When they brought it, he was very angry & told them not to break the relation between Nikhil & himself & sent them away!

As a glorious exception to the above mentality, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan had no  qualms about playing duets with his erstwhile disciple Nikhil Banerjee. Ali Akbar has also the distinction of playing duets with all the three greatest sitarists of his times, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Vilayat Khan & Pandit Nikhil Banerjee.