'Ismailji is my Guru and I will always be his disciple' - Amanat

Amanat’s association with SaReGaMaPa goes way back from the year 1999. His Father Nazakat Ali and Uncle Sharfat Ali had participated in SaReGaMa US that year. Nazakat Ali went on to even win the contest, while Sharfat Ali was chosen as the runner up. And to line up with this victory and keeping the name of his family high, Amanat made sure to get the winner title of SaReGaMaPa Dubai. And today again, Amanat is just one step away from being crowned as the winner of SaReGaMaPa Challenge-2007. How does it feel reaching this stage? “Reaching the finals is something that I am finding hard to believe even now. This contest after the final selection had 36 contestants and thereafter it was the judges who were selecting the best ones. So we had to perform well to go ahead. And with all 36 really good contestants, I did not have much hope. I still made sure to work hard and concentrate just on my singing. Rest, I left it on Inshallah. And today, with the love and good wishes of Allah Taala, my parents, other elders and the viewers, I have finally reached this stage. "

Amanat is the disciple of the internationally famous religious singer Hasan Sadiq, who is a classical singer and also his Uncle. Mohd. Safi and Mohd. Iqbal, his grand father and his brother were also famous Punjabi Folk singers. This 18 year old boy from Pakistan proved beyond doubt that he is one the most versatile singers in the contest. "Yes, some say so", is what Amanat had to say on his versataility. His singing reached to such a level that not just the mentors of the show, but legendary person's like Jagjit Singh Ji also commented that he is beyond this contest, while Pandit Jasraj declared him already as the winner of Challenge 2007. How is it that he sings even the toughest of the songs so easily? "My singing lessons started with classical music. I belong to a family which is a gharana of classical and ghazal singing. So from childhood, my concentration was on classical singing only. We all know that music has many styles, many genres. Classical is one among them, and it is a known fact that if someone gets proper training in this, every genre song is not tough for him to sing. When a singer practices the alaaps of classical singing regularly and rigorously, every style or genre gets imprinted in his vocal cords. And then he can sing every song technically correct, this is the power of classical singing."

He is overwhelmed with the love he received here in India from his fans. What about the journey through this contest? "I have never seen any contest like this one earlier. There is no feeling of jealousy or one up-man ship among the contestants here. None had any bad feelings for the other. Everyone was very supportive to the other. All helped each other in every possible way.” Does the same feeling continue among the three finalists too? "All three of us are still very close and help each other the same way as before. Nothing has changed even after reaching the finals. There have been times when I am given a song in which Raja Bhai is more expert or say Aneek is given a song where I may be better, we then help each other to get the song ready. "

This soft spoken boy from Pakistan, with a very sound knowledge in music, felt overwhelmed on his Guru Ismail Durbar's remark that Amanat knows better than me. "What can I say on that? Even on that day, I felt like falling on his feet. I would say Ismail Ji is too humble. As far as my knowledge or Ustadi in singing goes, I am nothing in front of Ismail Ji. He is my Guru and I would always remain his disciple. Learning never ends, and I will go on learning from him ever." He has just one message for his fans, "The show is now at its ending. These last six months with you all went off like an unforgettable dream. You all gave me lot of love and support. So much so, that today you all have made me reach these finals. Who wins does not matter much, but yes, it's a request to you all that, even after this contest is over, do shower the same love on me. Do show and provide me the same support when I start my life after this contest."

"Music runs in his blood", and with many contracts he is receiving from various music directors in Bollywood, he will definitely make it to the list of top singers in the music industry. We wish Amanat the very best for the finals, and hope he has a bright future ahead in the Music Industry.

Reporter: Barnali
Author : Barnali