Ghulam Ali...the ghazal king! - Page 4

With a parade of hit albums like Suraag, Mast Nazrein, Hungama, Tere Shahar Mein, Saadgee, Hassen Lamhein, Anjuman, Patta Patta Boota Boota, Suno, Saugaat, Khwahish, Awargee, Kalam - e - Mohabbat, Chupke Chupke, Rang Tarang, Jaane Walay, Khushboo, Mehfil, Lag Gaye Nain, Aitbaar, Aadaab Ustad, Mahtaab, Ek Ahsaas, Aabshaar, Lamha Lamha, Parchaiyyan, Mahrab and many more, Ghulam Ali has acquired a tall place among the all-time greats of music.

That baritone mellifluous voice, his way of rendering the ghazals and his mesmerising elan make him stand out even among the other illustrious ghazal singers. The inimitable maestro's unique style reflects his in-depth knowledge of classical music. Those who enjoy the beauty of ghazals set in classical ragas (especially in thumri style) in his performances are spellbound by his variety and graceful singing that grows on the listener with an addictive quality.

Many international music labels have produced Ghulam Ali's albums. He learnt music from Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's three brothers Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan and Ustad Amanat Ali Khan. Over the years he also sang nazms with equal elegance, endowing the verse of lyricists and poets from both India and Pakistan like Mirza Ghalib, Amir Khuso, Ahmed Faraz, Qateel Shifai, Mohsin, Daag Dehlvi, Farhat Shahzad and many, many more.

Meeting Ghulam Ali recently was a revelation. He came across as a simple and humble man, stating Baat yeh hai ki aap sab logon se milna tha na issi liye humne ek naya safari suit silva liya, shaving kar li aur baal kaale karva liye!

Ghulam Ali was born in the village of Kaleke in Sialkot, Pakistan to a musical family. His father was a vocalist and sarangi player and gave him his early training. At the age of 15, he became a disciple of the legendary classical singer Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, who was a master of the Patiala Gharana. All these great teachers gave him the solid foundation of classical music.

Ghulam Ali began singing for Radio Lahore in 1960. His father named him Ghulam Ali after Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and he began singing from the early age of seven, He later gave his first public performance in Lahore on October 27, 1945, culminating with his appearance at the Royal Albert Hall, London in 1983 with India's Zakir Hussain. He has cut over 50 albums.

Narrating a humorous incident of his very first singing experience, he says, "I was taken by a relative to a ghazal programme. Out of the blue my name was announced to render a ghazal. I was shell-shocked. Mere haath-paon kaanpne lage. Somehow I went on stage aur badi mushkil se Khuda ka naam lekar maine ghazal gaani shuru ki. Everybody was silent at the end. And then they clapped and shouted once more. But I failed to understand so I took the mike and shouted back Arre bhai, yeh 'Once more, once more' kya bol rahe ho? Aap log kya chahte ho? But when I understood what they wanted I blushed a beetroot red and was so embarrassed that I just left the stage and went running back home fearing that they might catch me, put me back on stage and force me to sing once more! Ab yeh aur baat hai ki later on one of my music companies came out with an albums titled what else but Once More!

"That's the only English I have picked up," the maestro goes on. "Even today when reporters ask me a question in English I try to read their lips, try to understand from their expression and then give my answer in my favourite and sweet Urdu."

Ask him why he has not sung for Hindi films and he says, "To them my answer is that my father never wanted me to, thinking that filmi duniya walon ko hum jaise fankaaron ki qadar nahin. My father was happy with the way my ghazal 'Chupke chupke raat din' was used in B.R.Chopra's Nikaah though. I will never allow anyone to remix my ghazals either. Frankly I am bewildered at their style of singing. How can you sing a song by running and jumping around the stage? The stage is meant for performing, not for acrobatics, samjhe?" Ghulam Ali reportedly relented only once, singing "Chamakte chand ko" in Awargee directed by Mahesh Bhatt.

Regretting that today's generation is largely unaware about the ghazal culture, Ghulam Ali is now going to hold musical workshops pertaining to classical singing in general and ghazal gaayaki in particular in every major city of India and Pakistan. "Inn mein se ek to aisa milega jo hum jaisa mashoor fankaar banega aur hamara naam roshan karega!" he says.

In India, Ghulam Ali has sung and composed the album Visaal for Gulzar ("Unnki shaayari ka bhi jawab nahin"). He also enjoyed working with Asha Bhosle in the album Meraz-E-Ghazal that he composed.

"Mausiqi (music) ke 50 saal kaise gujar gaye pataa hi nahin chala. Magar yeh safar bahut hi haseen, khubsoorat aur yaadgaar raha. Mazaa aa gaya. Allah Miyan ka dil se shukrguzaar hoon," concludes the maestro.

Source: http://www.screenindia.com/fullstory.php?content_id=17534