Sunday, March 18, 2012

What Was is No More: Iqbal Bano (Fresh Link)

Evening shadows on the mosque wall, Rawalpindi.


There is something about the last two hours of daylight that is magical. One of my favourite pastimes, in years gone by, was to find a hillock off the Grand Trunk road, somewhere between Wah Cantonment and Taxila, and watch the shadows lengthen below me. Buses swooshed by silenty on their way to Peshawar. Flocks of birds swarmed between the guava trees and the offkey tinkle of cowbell signalled the passing of a grazing herd. Just as the sun reached the horizon the muezzin would patiently call the tired but faithful to prayer.

Iqbal Bano

Iqbal Bano is one singer I associate with that time of day. Like the sumptuous honeyed light (perfect for photography) her voice is rich and luxuriant and the ghazals she selects always tasteful and classy.

It’s been a lovely sunny autumn day here in Melbourne.  And the golden light had me recalling my hilltop haunt half a world a way. So it is appropriate to share some fine Urdu ghazals with you, before another frenetic week commences.



            Track Listing:
       01 Kuchh Tu Tanhai (Akhtar Shirani)
02 Ragun Mein Zaher (Iqbal Rashid)
03 Such Hai Hamein (Faiz Ahmed Faiz)
04 Ranjish Hi Sahi (Ahmad Faraz)
05 Wabasta Us Say Hain (Ghalib)
06 Tere Waday Ko (Daagh)
07 Ishq Jub Zamzama (Nasir Kazmi)
08 Hum Aap Qayamat Say (Mehboob Khizan)
09 Teri Umeed Tera Intezar (Faiz Ahmed Faiz)
10 Jo Tha Nahin Hai (Iqbal)
11 Dyar-E-Ghair Mein (Javid Qureshi)
12 Na Gunwao Navake (Faiz Ahmed Faiz)
13 Bhuli Bisri Chand Umeedain (Razi Tirmizi)

Listen here.

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