MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAW- E- GHAZAL

"A SUBLIME VOICE"

Renowned ghazal maestro Mehdi Hassan has for quite sometime now been suffering from ill health caused by a paralytic stroke. Fortunately he is on the road to recovery and hopes to resume his singing career. Saqib Razaq looks back at an eventful career of the artiste who single handedly revolutionized ghazal gayaki.
Saqib Razaq:

continues.........

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAW- E- GHAZAL

"A SUBLIME VOICE"

It is widely considered that the era of the 1950s and 60s was the golden age of radio broadcasting in the Indian sub-continent. It was during this period that a rich and mellifluous voice captured the hearts of all the listeners through broadcasts on Radio Pakistan. The melodic renditions of classical ghazals in a cultivated and cultured manner were its attributes and created a storm amongst the masses, musical connoisseurs and erudite musicians. Almost half a century has gone by and yet it still never fails to captivate. The voice is indeed that of Mehdi Hassan, the unparalleled master of ghazal.

The evolution of the ghazal is a momentous one. Initially written in Persian, it can trace its origins in India during the advent of the Muslim rule in India during the 12th century. Hazrat Amir Khusrau (1253-1324), the eminent poet, scholar, statesman and musicologist is credited with many masterpieces of Persian poetry and can be termed as a major propagator of the ghazal. The pinnacle of the ghazal can be said to have been between the 18th and 19th centuries when Urdu became the preferred language of poetry and culture throughout India, poets such as Sauda, Mir Taqi Mir, Zauq, and Mirza Ghalib penned ghazals which are considered as hallmarks of Urdu poetry. Gradually, during the course of time, ghazals started to be expressed through melody and musicians started to use them as part of their repertoire. Ustad Mauzuddin Khan and Gauhar Jan were the early pioneers who built a reputation in the field and set the initial groundwork. Later, vocalists of the calibre of Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, Mukhtar Begum and Begum Akhtar established themselves as major exponents of ghazal gayaki. However, Mehdi Hassan has added a further dimension to this art form.
Saqib Razaq:

continues.........

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAW- E- GHAZAL

"A SUBLIME VOICE"

Mehdi Hassan was born in 1927 in a village called Luna in Rajasthan, India into a family of traditional musicians. He claims to be the 16th generation of hereditary musicians hailing from the Kalawant clan of musicians. Mehdi Hassan had his musical grooming from his father Ustad Azeem Khan and uncle Ustad Ismail Khan who were both traditional Dhrupad singers. The life story of Mehdi Hassan is a journey of trials and tribulations. After partition the family migrated to Pakistan and suffered severe financial hardships.

Mehdi Hassan during his youth:

To make ends meet Mehdi started working in a bicycle shop and later became a car and diesel tractor mechanic. Despite the hardships, his passion for music didn't wither and he kept up the routine of practice on a daily basis. His struggle ended when he was given the opportunity to sing on radio in 1952, primarily as a thumri singer, this got him recognition within the musical fraternity. At that time, Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, Begum Akhtar and Mukhtar Begum were considered the stalwarts of ghazal gayaki, Mehdi Hassan also had a passion for Urdu poetry and started to experiment by singing ghazals on a part time basis. He cites radio officers Z.A. Bukhari and Rafiq Anwar as additional influences in his progression as a ghazal singer. They gave him ample opportunities to display his mastery over the ghazal on radio. He sang ghazals of all the renowned Urdu poets and soon his innovative style was soon appreciated by both the masses and discerning audiences.
Saqib Razaq:

continues.........

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAW- E- GHAZAL

"A SUBLIME VOICE"

The most important aspect of the ghazal is its theme, themes ofmost ghazals revolve around unrequited love. They can also be about mysticism, rebellion, yearning and pathos. It is vital that the ghazal singer has a clear perception of what message the poet is trying to convey. The musician faces a further challenge in trying to emphasize the correct emotion of the ghazal through music. Traditionally, ghazals were sung in a thumri like manner and were also composed in raags which were best suited for thumri such as bhairvin, khamaj, tilak kamod, desh and piloo. This somewhat constrained the ghazal composition within a small framework and there wasn't much room to experiment. However Mehdi Hassan pioneered ghazal gayaki by capturing the mood of the ghazal through his compositions. He is a master composer and uses raags which best suit the ghazal's appeal regardless of whether the raag is khayal or thumri orientated. Most of his compositions are based around the correct structure of a raag and keep the vaadi and samvaadi of the raag into strict consideration.
Saqib Razaq:

continues.........

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAW- E- GHAZAL

"MASTERS OF GHAZALS"


GHAZAL'S GREATS MEHDI HASSAN AND TALAT MAHMOOD
Courtesy: Son of Talat Mahmood: Khalid Mahmood

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAW- E- GHAZAL

"A SUBLIME VOICE"

Mehdi Hassan's gayaki incorporates the subtle elements of both Dhrupad and Khayal. He carefully embellishes ghazals by using behlawas, murkhis, taans and zamzamas. Further grace is given by touches of Rajasthani folk singing. Another important feature of his style is the importance of correct pronunciation, delivery of words are of utmost importance and he never compromises the true expression of a word regardless of the constraints put forward by the musical composition. The mutual bond between melody and the lyrical content is responsible for making the art of Mehdi Hassan so appealing. In addition he has raised the profile of ghazal gayaki which was previously considered a taboo amongst classical exponents and reformed it into a major melodic genre which sits on an equal footing with thumri, dadra, kajri and tappa. His influence was such that some leading classical vocalists of that era took to ghazal singing.

Mehdi Hassan's popularity resulted in his becoming one of the most popular playback singers of the Pakistani film industry from the early 1960s to the late 1980s. Many of his film based ghazals have become classics.
Saqib Razaq:

continues.........

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAW- E- GHAZAL

"A SUBLIME VOICE"

Mehdi in Mehfil

THE VIDEO: MOHABBAT KARNE WALE KAM NAHOGE:

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAW- E- GHAZAL

"A SUBLIME VOICE"

The government of Pakistan has awarded Mehdi Hassan the pride of performance as a recognition to his services rendered to music, and he was also recently awarded a life achievement award by Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation. As with a stature of a person like Mehdi Hassan, he has released many recordings, toured worldwide on an extensive basis and performed in the renowned concert halls around the world. He recently took part in the 50th anniversary of Rajasthan celebrations in India in which the leading artistes of Rajasthani origin participated. He currently devotes most of his time with his family in between Pakistan and the USA

Despite advancing age, Mehdi Hassan still reigns as the undisputed master of the ghazal. He has left such an indelible mark in the field of ghazal gayaki that almost all the ghazal singers of today are influenced by him. Mehdi Hassan has also been instrumental in training the next generation of ghazal singers. His sons Asif and Kamran are following in their father's footsteps and trying to carve a career as ghazal singers, other prominent disciples are Parvez Mehdi, Ghulam Abbas, Salamat Ali, Asif Javed and Talat Aziz
Saqib Razaq:

continues.........

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAW- E- GHAZAL

"A SUBLIME VOICE"

At this stage we wish to express our sincere thanks to Mr Saqib Razaq for presenting us a scholarly and unique article on the Legendary Mehdi Hassan. We can assure Mr Razak that his article will be only used for information and educational purposes.
We do hope that fans worldwide will find Mr Razaq's article interesting.

asj/file

.

Mehdi Hassan

1929-

Teachers: Ustad Azeem Khan and Ustad Ismail Khan

Known as the Shehenshah –e- ghazal, legendary vocalist Mehdi Hassan has enriched ghazal gayaki with his mellifluous voice, perfection of sur and extraordinary ability as a composer.

Link: Mehdi Hassan - A Sublime Voice

Sales Catalogue - Mehdi Hassan Book

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

The struggle ended when Mehdi Hassan was given the opportunity to sing on Radio Pakistan in 1952, primarily as a thumri singer, which earned him recognition within the musical fraternity. At the time, Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, Begum Akhtar and Mukhtar Begum were considered the stalwarts of ghazal gayaki.

Mehdi Hassan also had a passion for Urdu poetry and began to experiment by singing ghazals on a part-time basis. He cites radio officers, Z.A. Bukhari and Rafiq Anwar as additional influences in his progression as a ghazal singer. They gave him ample opportunities to display his mastery over the ghazal on radio. He sang ghazals of all the renowned Urdu poets and his innovative style was soon appreciated by both masses and discerning audiences.

Mehdi Hassan's voice and unique performance skills in ghazal singing were unmatched in the world of South Asian music. The 60s and 70s can be named Mehdi Hassan's decades', as there was hardly any hero in the Pakistani musical scene on whom Mehdi Hassan's songs were not filmed.

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

AWARDS

He has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions:

The Tamgha-i-Imtiaz granted to him by Gen Ayub Khan;
The Pride of Performance bestowed on him by Gen Ziaul Haq;
The Hilal-i-Imtiaz conferred by Gen Pervez Musharraf.
*The Nigar Film and Graduate Awards from Pakistan,
The Saigal Award in Julandhar, India, in 1979,
The Gorkha Dakshan Bahu Award was given to him in Nepal in 1983.
Recently, he travelled to Dubai to receive yet another award.

Mehndi Hassan has throughout the years received a few more awards that were not listed:

*Mehdi Hassan won the Nigar Award nine times in his career for best male Singing. This award is equivalent to the Bollywood Filmfare Awards:

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

While he was singing in the Court of Nepal's King Shah Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, he forgot the lines of his song "Zindagi mein to sabhii pyar kya kerte hain". Shah, then stood from his seat and start singing the next line. This was really a great tribute to him.

Love this Story:

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

Mehdi Hassan

By Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan

In 1963, a concert was held in the lawns of the Lahore radio station. A man called Mehdi Hasan was scheduled to perform the last item of the evening, just before the night transmission ended. In appearance the young man was high-browed and plump-lipped and had a soulful gaze. At last he began to sing his ghazal (it was ‘Aya meri mehfil mein gharat gharey hosh aya’), and it was so mellifluous and heart-stopping that it mesmerized not only the audience but the radio staff as well. Eventually someone had to point out that we had gone 10 minutes past 11 pm, which is when the transmission was supposed to end. Presently Azizur Rehman (the radio announcer) closed the night’s proceedings with a short declaration, and this was followed by the national anthem. But the audience remained sitting and Mehdi Hassan went on singing until they were satiated.

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

Mehdi Hassan

By Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan

He was born in Mandava state in present-day Jaipur in 1932 to a family of dhrupad singers known as Kalawants. His father Azeem Khan was a court musician of the Maharaja of Jaipur. Mehdi studied music with his uncle Ismail Khan and his elder brother Pandit Ghulam Qadir (the man was later employed as a composer by Radio Muzaffarabad). The brothers (young Mehdi and his mentor, Ghulam Qadir) performed dhrupad at Fazilka Bangla in district Ferozepur in a public concert in 1945. After the Partition, Mehdi migrated with his family to Pakistan and came to reside in Chichawatni, where some relatives of his were already living. It was a terribly turbulent time; abruptly people lost their homes and identities, and had to find new ones if they wished to survive. Musicians were no different; in fact some have argued that musicians, the best among whom were attached to princely states all over the subcontinent, suffered the most at Partition because they went from a life of security and comfort to one of poverty, anonymity and irrelevance.

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

Mehdi Hassan

By Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan

Mehdi Hassan was no different. A young, relatively unknown singer at the time, he had nothing to lean on in his new homeland. He started a cycle repair shop. Within the year he had upgraded it to a motor mechanic’s workshop. Determined though he was to survive, Mehdi didn’t give up his passion for music: it is said that he would drive a tractor along the Punjabi fields under the setting sun, and use the machine’s persistent drone as a kind of background music against which to practice his sur. Keeping his voice steady on that impossibly bumpy tractor must have removed every extraneous quiver from his voice!

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

Mehdi Hassan

By Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan

Eventually he handed over his workshop to his older brother and came away to live in Lahore. He had decided now to devote himself solely to singing, and to make it in the new film industry.

In Lahore he resided at the old Sheranwala Gate, where he soon befriended and lured with his already-attractive voice a music director duo by the name of Asghar Ali Muhammad Hussain. They were composing the music for a film called Shikar, which was being produced by Eastern Studios in Karachi. One of the songs was given to Mehdi to perform. This was ‘Mere khayal-o-khaab ki duniya liye huay’. This song was a kind of break for him; it was followed by a set of songs for the film Kanwari Bewa and then for another few films produced in Karachi. After recording these he came back to Lahore and made his way into that city’s radio station.

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

Mehdi Hassan

By Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan

His first important ghazal was a Mirza Ghalib number. The words were ‘Arz-e-niaz-e-ishq ke qabil nahi raha’. It won him a band of followers, who expressed their delight in letters of appreciation they sent to the radio station. The idea that Mehdi Hassan’s voice was particularly suited to the ghazal form had begun to take hold in the popular imagination.

Some people have pointed out that the post-Partition roster of towering Pakistani singers is lacking in testosterone. This is partly true – no male voice has dominated the musical scene here for too long a period of time. (The only male voice that comes to mind in this regard is that of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and even he was famous in the national and eventually global sense for only the last decade of his life.) But that is because the popular music scene – and I mean the whole of it, from filmi geet to folk tune to ghazal – was dominated for a good 50 years by that tough old bird called Noor Jahan, who insisted on hogging the limelight and was known on occasion to have even threatened her competitors with physical violence if they didn’t get out of her way. Most of these hapless competitors were women, of course; but in the course of her singing career the feisty Madame came across one male voice that even she couldn’t put down or snuff out. And this was the voice of Mehdi Hassan. In her televised interviews she claims to have heard him only in the 60s (and this is part of a characteristically embellished Noor Jahan anecdote that comes complete with glamorous innuendo): she was once driving around (late at night, of course) in Lahore with her then-husband Ejaz, and while passing a khokha she heard the words ‘Yeh dhuaan sa kahan se uthta hai’. “Stop the car!” she claims to have told Ejaz, who then indeed stopped it so that Madame could listen to the enigmatic male voice that was singing that particular ghazal.

But the truth is probably different. Noor Jehan knew of Mehdi Hassan and even recorded a song with him in 1958 for the film Qaidi. This was ‘Aik dewaney ne iss dil ka kaha maan liya’ and it was an instant hit. Soon after this success, Mehdi sang for the film Susraal. The song was ‘Jis ne mere dil ko dard diya’. It was composed by the talented Hasan Latif. This was the song that made Mehdi Hassan a big name in the world of Pakistani music: after this he never looked back.

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

Mehdi Hassan

By Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan

And success followed success. The next year, in 1959, Mehdi composed in the Rajasthani maand style a ghazal of then-rising poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. This ghazal was ‘Gulon mein rang bhare, baad-e-naubahar chalay’. It was to become a signature work for both singer and poet, and a lasting testament to the emotive power of that uniquely Pakistani form, the musical ghazal. This particular ghazal became wildly popular soon after it was aired on radio, and Mehdi sang it again and again, in private mehfils as well as public concerts, adding new touches and interpretations to its many intricate parts in the Rajasthani folk tune that issued from the very core of his soul and came to him like a first tongue.

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

Mehdi Hassan

By Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan

Now Mehdi Hassan was recognized as the foremost ghazal singer of Pakistan. But a word here about his pronunciation of Urdu words: it was Syed Saleem Gillani, former DG Radio, who taught Mehdi how to keep the words intact and clearly audible even while rendering them in the most complex raags. This is a lesson every ghazal singer, especially one who is trained in classical music, has to learn before he or she can do justice to that poetic form. And it is not easy, especially as the Persian and Arabic words that pepper the vocabulary of the ghazal often come with the un-nasal ‘Aaaa’, the breath-expendnig ‘Hhhay’ and the throat-clogging ‘Qaaf’.

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

Mehdi Hassan

By Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan

Every great artiste is made by the separate contributions of several teachers, actual or virtual. Some teachers appear like a commanding wind; the artistic mind bends to its modulations. And others try to impose themselves on the artiste, especially when he is young and still unsure of himself. One such teacher was the dhrupad singer Niaz Hussein Shami. A failed singer himself, the man was recognized as a genius among tune-composers. Once he composed a ghazal for Mehdi Hassan. It was ‘Patta patta boota boota haal hamara janey hai”. The ghazal was difficult to sing because of a change in the horizontal note. But Mehdi rendered it ably. (Even Lata Mangeshkar was compelled to acknowledge this.) Now Mehdi was so impressed by Niaz Hussein Shami that he began to treat him like an ustad. But Shami got over-excited and began to claim that he had even composed Mehdi’s great hit ‘Gulon mein rang bhare’. This annoyed Mehdi and he dropped Shami.

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

Mehdi Hassan

By Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan

In 1966 King Zahir Shah of Afghanistan came to Pakistan and a concert was held for him at Lahore’s City Gymkhana. The artistes performing at that event included Ustad Nazakat-Salamat, Ustads Amanat-Fateh, Iqbal Bano, Farida Khanum and Mehdi Hassan. The king was very fond of poetry and fancied himself a bit of an artist. He specially requested Mehdi to sing ‘Gulon mein rang bhare’. After that he invited Mehdi to visit him in Afghanistan, and Mehdi went on a 2-week state visit and came back to Lahore laden with enchanting gifts.

His fame grew and spread like the fast-filling colours he brought to life in Faiz’s legendary poem. It took him to America, England, Canada, the Middle East, Kenya, Mauritius, Tanzania, Germany and India. In 1985 the government of Pakistan awarded him the Pride of Performance medal. Another unlikely fan of his, King Mahendra of Nepal, honoured him with a Commander-in-Chief’s belt.

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

Mehdi Hassan

By Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan

And now a little about the man himself. Unlike most other artistes of his calibre, Mehdi is a tough, simple, truthful man with a strong willpower. He has crossed many rivers to get where he is; and he wears his life’s experience like a skin. He never gave up his practice of classical music and memorized many obscure astai-antaras to enrich his repertoire. He is also bold and somewhat reckless. Once he was driving through the Sindhi countryside late at night and was stopped by a band of brigands who intended to rob him. But they recognized him, served him dinner and eventually let him go off in his old Chevrolet.

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

Mehdi Hassan

By Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan

Another example of his avdenturist personality is to be found in this anecdote: Mehdi was scheduled to receive the PP medal in 1971. But the ceremony was delayed indefinitely by the war. And when, after many years, the bureaucrats in charge of such things realized their blunder, they hastily arranged for the award ceremony. It was 14 years later. Mehdi was an even bigger star. He agreed to take the award but wore his Commander-in-Chief belt to the ceremony, the one given him by the Nepali king, just to show the king here (General Zia in those days) that he was facing no be-taaj baadshah!

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

Mehdi Hassan

By Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan

Alas Mehdi spent a lot of the money he earned on drinking and smoking. He was never a drunk, though; he remained alert and agile even when he had consumed a considerable amount. Once in the 1980s I was sent to fetch him for a concert in Faisalabad. He was staying at the Rio Hotel. In his room I learned that he had already drunk a bottle and a half. But instead of tripping him up, it vitalized him: on stage he announced that he was going to present a new ghazal of Ahmed Faraz that he had just composed in the dark and delicate Raag Kirmani. He began his alaap and rendered the bass Pa of the lower octave with such clarity, power and resounding beauty that the hall burst into applause. That unforgettable ghazal was ‘Shola tha jal bujha hu, hawaayein mujhay na do’.

And it is that same ghazal I remember when I think of Mehdi now. He is an old man, ill and bed-ridden, unable even to speak, let alone sing. At a tribute concert arranged for him recently in Islamabad, he appeared in a wheelchair, looking frail and sad. His family has done nothing to help him in this period of his life. Neither, sadly, has the government or business elite of this benighted country. For a man who has given us so much, and whose recordings are sure to inspire generations of singers to come, I am sure we can all do a lot more.

Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan lives in Lahore

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

quote:

That unforgettable ghazal was ‘Shola tha jal bujha hu, hawaayein mujhay na do’.

POET : AHMAD FARRAZ
SINGER: MEHDI HASSAN

THE VIDEO: SHOLA THA JAL BUJHA HUUN, HAWAAYEIN MUJHAY NA DO

Shola tha jal bujha huun hawaayein mujhe na do
Flame I was,burnt n died already,dont try to revive me,
Main kab ka ja chuka huun sadaayein mujhe na do
I am long gone, dont call out to me.

Jo zahar pii chuka huun tumhin ne mujhe diya
The poison that is killing me, is given by you,
Ab tum to zindagi ki duaayein mujhe na do
Now at least you dont start to pray for my life.

Aisa kabhi na ho ke palat kar na aa sakuun
Let it never so happen that, I am unable to come back to you,
Har baar duur ja ke sadaayein mujhe na do
Dont call out to me only after I have gone very far.

Kab mujh ko aitaraaf-e-muhabbat na tha faraaz
When did I not plead guilty to the charge of being in Love?
Kab maine ye kaha tha sazaayein mujhe na do
When did I say, please dont punish me for it?

Shola tha jal bujha huun hawaayein mujhe na do
Flame I was,burnt n died already,dont try to revive me,
Main kab ka ja chuka huun sadaayein mujhe na do
I am long gone, dont call out to me.

Trans:

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

Interview with KalPoint.com

KalPoint.com (KPDC): Please tell us briefly about yourself, your education, brought up.

Mr. Mehdi Hassan (MH): I belong to a traditional musician’s family and was born in the village of Luna in Rajasthan, India in 1927. I am the 16th generation of musicians hailing from the Kalawant, i.e. I am from family of teachers who used to teach music to Kings and Royal families. I was trained by my father, Ustad Azeem Khan and uncle Ustad Ismail Khan who were famous classical musicians of their times and experts of dhrupad singing. They taught me the art of thumri, dhrupad, khayal and dadra at young age of eight.
After the partition, our family migrated to Pakistan. We had to face severe financial hardships at that time and so to make both ends meet; I began working in a bicycle shop and afterwards became a car mechanic. However, I kept on practicing classical music and finally got the chance to perform at Radio Pakistan in 1952 as a thumri singer. That was the time when Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, Begum Akhtar and Mukhtar Begum were top names of ghazal gayaki. I sang ghazals of all the renowned Urdu poets and by the grace of Allah my fans appreciated my style too.
At present I live in Karachi . However, whenever I visit Lahore most of my time is spent with family members.


KPDC: In this time of pop music what future do you predict for the classical music in Pakistan?

MH: Pop music no doubt seems to dominate the classical music these days. However, if you really pick any piece of music and observe carefully the base is derived from classical beats. But we can say that this true essence needs some attention. I believe we need to have good musical institutes like NAPA (National Academy of Performing Arts) etc. where the individuals should be taught this great art. Media also needs to play an important role here. Unfortunately, classical music is being ignored these days. I think if we really want to protect this art from losing its value, we should promote it.

KPDC: These days a trend has been started of merging pop music with classical beats. How do you find this combination?

MH: Fusion of classical beats with pop ones is not absolutely a negative approach. But yes, this is an art too. Merging two different styles needs to be done carefully and professionally. Here, the responsibility gets doubled. An individual doing so needs to make sure that this fusion should not affect the grace of classical beats and present the thrill of pop style at the same time. We have so many singers in Pakistan who have experimented with fusion and they are doing good job no doubt. A little more professionalism and involvement is needed to improve further.

KPDC: Classical music is unfortunately losing its value. How can this true essence of music be revived?

MH: Media can play very important role here. It should present musical programs projecting classical music in particular. Classical music has strength in itself. It does not need glitz and glamour to create an impact. I believe classical music leaves its own image on the mind of listener.

KPDC: You have sung number of great ghazals. Which one did you enjoy most?

MH: There are lots and lots of numbers, which I really enjoy. Infact I like them all. Being a ghazal singer, an individual has to actually feel what he is singing. Otherwise he can’t perform. I have always sung while feeling the words and that made me love each of my ghazals.

KPDC: Please give any message for our youth.

MH: Classical music is a great art. You can learn it only if you can feel its true value. Infact any form of art can only be learnt if learnt through heart. When it comes to music, I will advise you to involve your heart into music whether it’s classical or pop style

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

We are getting to Mehdi Hassan Ghazals, of which we shall feature a number of 25 with Audio MP3, with Lyrics supported by English Translations and most importantly we shall be listing the names of the Poets that penned those compositions.

Prepare for a treat, with one of the leading Ghazal vocalist of that era, Mehdi Hassan has added a further dimension to this art form of Ghazal singing. Mehdi's voice and unique performance skills in ghazal singing were unmatched in the world of South Asian music. The 60s and 70s can be named Mehdi Hassan's decades', as there was hardly any hero in the Pakistani musical scene on whom Mehdi Hassan's songs were not filmed.

The Ghazals that we will be presenting are:

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

SINGER: MEHDI HASSAN

POET : DAAG DEHLVI

1) DUNIYA KISSISE PYAR MEIN JANNAT SE KAM NAHIN:
The world is nothing less than heaven if one is in love

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

SINGER: MEHDI HASSAN

POET : FAIZ AHMAD FAIZ

2) GULOAN MEIN RANG BHARAY. BAAD-E-NAUBAHAAR CHALAY
Filled with colourful flowers, the early spring is on its way

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

SINGER: MEHDI HASSAN

POET : TASLEEM FAZLI

3) KHUDA KARE KE MOHABAT MEIN YE MAKAAM AAYE
With God's blessing, may my love attain such height

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

SINGER: MEHDI HASSAN

POET : WAJEEH IRFANI

4) GUNCHA -E-SHOUQ LAGA HAI KHILANE
The garden of desires has again started to bloom

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

SINGER: MEHDI HASSAN

POET : AHMAD FARAZ

5) RANJISH HI SAHI DIL HI DUKHANAY KAY LIYAY AA
Let it be anguish, come still to torment my heart

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

SINGER: MEHDI HASSAN

POET : FIRAQ GORAKPURI

6) CHIRAAG-E-TUUR JALAO BARAA ANDHERAA HAI
Unveil your face my love and light up the place

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

SINGER: MEHDI HASSAN

POET : KWAJA PERVAIZ:

7) PYAR BHARE DO SHARMILE NAIN
Those shy eyes are brimming with love

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

SINGER: MEHDI HASSAN

POET : QATEEL SHAFAI

8) ZINDAGI MEIN TO SABHI PYAR KIYA KARTE HAIN
In a lifetime, everyone loves someone

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

SINGER: MEHDI HASSAN

POET : BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR:

9) BAAT KARNE MUJHE MUSHKILL KABHI AISI TO NA THI
It was never as difficult for me to talk, as it is now

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

SINGER: MEHDI HASSAN

POET : TASLEEM FAZLI

10) RAFTA RAFTA WOH MERI HASTI KA SAAMAN HO GAYEY
Slowly and steadily, she became the part of my identity

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

SINGER: MEHDI HASSAN

POET : OBAIDULLAH ALEEM

11) TERE PYAR MEIN RUSWA HO KAR JAAYEIN DEEWANAY LOG
After ruining their reputation in your love, where are these crazy people
supposed to go?

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

MEHDI HASSAN:

POET:QATEEL SHAFAAI

12) YUN ZINDAGI KI RAH MEIN TAKRA GAYA KOI
I ran into someone on the road of life

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

MEHDI HASSAN:

POET: AHMAD FARAAZ

13) AB KE HUM BICHDE TO SHAAYAD KABHI KHAWABON MAY MILEY
This time if we part, then we may meet in the dreams

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

MEHDI HASSAN:

POET:MASROOR ANWAR

14) MUJHAY TUM NAZAR SAY GIRA TOU RAHE HO
I know that I am falling, in your estimation

.

MEHDI HASSAN: SHAHENSHAH- E- GHAZAL

SINGER: MEHDI HASSAN:

POET : UNKNOWN

15) TUM ZID TO KAR RAHAY HO HUM KYA TUMHE SUNAAYE
You are forcing me but what should I sing for you?

.