Shahenshah-e-ghazal |
In the West there are many
who dread the day when the headlines read, “Bob Dylan Passes Away”. Will the world be the same after that? Pop stars come and go and many of them are
indeed deeply mourned by millions of fans. But few artists are in that superior
rank of cultural icons, whose work defined a generation or a genre. Or whose
contribution ripples far beyond the shore of their particular artistic calling,
and becomes part of the way the people hear or see or think.
Pakistan lost such a figure
today: Mehdi Hassan, the Shahenshah-e-ghazal.
And not only Pakistanis are grieving, but South Asians and lovers of
sophisticated refined musical art are all feeling the loss.
Mohabbat karne wale kam na honge
teri mehfil mein lekin ham na honge
Here is an obituary from
Pakistan’s Nation newspaper.
Pakistan's legendary classical
singer Mehdi Hassan, who captivated
millions of music fans across South Asia, died on Wednesday after a long
illness, his family said. He was 84.
Hassan, known as Shahenshah-e-Ghazal, or the king of classical singing among Urdu
speakers across the world, died in a private hospital in Karachi.
His son Asif told reporters outside the hospital that his father had been
suffering from multiple lung, chest and urinary tract conditions.
Mehdi Hassan was born
in 1927 in a village called Luna in Rajasthan‚ undivided India in a family of
traditional musicians. He had his musical grooming from his father Ustad Azeem Khan and uncle Ustad Ismail Khan who were both
traditional dhrupad singers.
After the independence‚ 20 years
old Mehdi Hassan and his family
migrated to Pakistan and settled in Cheecha Watni‚ district Sahiwal.
Mehdi Hassan was given
an opportunity to sing on Radio Pakistan in 1957‚ primarily as a thumri singer‚ which earned him
recognition within the musical fraternity. At that time‚ Mehdi Hassan also had a passion for Urdu poetry and began to
experiment by singing ghazals on part-time basis.
Mehdi Hassan ruled
Pakistani film industry for a long time. 1962 was a lucky year for him when his
three songs were a hit. His all time hit ghazal
Gullon mein rang bharay... in film Farangi in 1964 gave him breakthrough as
playback singer. His peak period was in the 1970s.
Following a severe illness in
the late 80s‚ Mehdi Hassan stepped
down from playback singing. Later due to severity of his illness he completely
departed from music.
Mehdi Hassan received
numerous awards and recognitions. These include the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz ; the Pride
of Performance ; and the Hilal-i-Imtiaz . Besides Nigar Film and Graduate
Awards from Pakistan‚ he was recipient of the Saigal Award in Jalandhar‚ India‚
in 1979 and the Gorkha Dakshina Bahu Award in Nepal in 1983.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani expressed his
condolences, calling Hassan "an
icon who mesmerised music lovers" in Pakistan and the sub-continent for
decades.
Indian singing legend Lata Mangeshkar told a private TV
channel that his death was a "big loss".
Hassan also won awards and accolades
in India and Nepal, as well as Pakistan. He was born in India and migrated to
Pakistan after partition and independence from British rule in 1947.
Track
Listing:
01 Baat Karni Mujhay
02 Chaltay Ho To Chaman
03 Hum Per Jafa
04 Mohabhat Karne Walay
05 Patta Patta Boota Boota
06 Gulon Main Rang Bharay
07 Ghuncha-E-Shauq
08 Go Zara Si Baat
09 Woh Dil Nawaz Hain Laikin
10 Nanak Andaz Jidhar
11 Tum Aaye Ho Na
12 Ulti Ho Gaeen Sab Tadbeerain
3 comments:
Mehdi Hasan - what can I say over this overwhelming sense of loss. He brought tremendous joy to the entire subcontinent. Apurva from Pune, India.
Ajnabi Sahib, an enormous loss indeed. The great thing is that we will always have his music. Farida Khanum (and Ghulam Ali to slightly lesser extent) are the last survivors of the golden age of ghazal singing.
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