Amjad Ali Khan has been a tireless campaigner for peace and understanding between communities. He has upheld these values in his own life. While he is a Muslim, his wife, Subhalakshmi Khan, once a prominent Indian Classical Dancer, is a Hindu. Their children were raised in both traditions. Amjad Ali Khan chose to title this sarod concerto Samaagam – a word present in Hindi, Punjabi and Sanskrit and means variously confluence, meeting, gathering. Used as a verb, it means to unite or bring together. This concerto was originally conceived as a rapprochement between Indian and Western classical music. It brings together Indian Classical Music's uniquely sophisticated approach to melody and rhythm with Western Classical Music's uniquely sophisticated approach to harmony, polyphony and orchestration.