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Poetry from Pakistan

Noted ghazal singer Ghulam Ali tells K. PRADEEP that the flow of music from across the border has moved on from ghazals to pop and rock groups

PHOTO: VIPIN CHANDRAN

UNALLOYED CLASSICISM Mastery over classical music is Ghulam Ali's forte

Ghulam Ali was never like the other ghazal singers of his time. His style was never simple; it was one that tended to grow on you, not the sing-along kind. It had a classical flavour making it rich. Perhaps it was that solid classical training that helped him wade through even when the going was tough on stage.

"It took me twenty years of classical training before being allowed to sing on stage. These days singers want to reach the stars in twenty minutes," the singer said.

The mastery over classical music has always been the hallmark of Ghulam Ali's style. Powerful enunciation, purity and transparency of swara have been his forte. Yet his ghazals never bore the stamp or feel of heavy classicism. It remained lyrical, sweet cadences, with subtle variations. "Some ghazals, like the singers, are favourites," Ghulam Ali said. "People keep asking for them. There are so many good, young singers back home in Pakistan and also here in India. But they keep asking only for the popular, or the famous."

Pop and rock groups

One of the most versatile ghazal singers ever, Ghulam Ali has played, along with Mehdi Hassan, a pioneering role in reviving this form during the early 70s. He remains one of the most influential ambassadors from across the border. "In the beginning it was not easy to travel to India or for someone from here to come and perform in Pakistan. But now all that has changed. Some of the great masters from here have come and graced Pakistan. And many from our own land have performed here. The only difference is that in the earlier days it was mostly ghazals and classical musicians. Now we have pop and rock groups," notes Ghulam Ali who came to India for the first time in 1980.

What makes Ghulam Ali's compositions special is his perfect understanding of the poetry, the soul of a ghazal. Fusing this with his mastery of classical music he has been able to bring this complex amalgam to the easy reach of all.

"I have sung poems of so many great poets right from Mirza Ghalib, to Aamir Khusro, Ahmad Fayaz, Qateel Shifai, Fahat Shahzad, Gulzar, Akbar Allahabadi... There are so many others whose names don't come to mind. I have always remained faithful to the poems, never trying to change them. I was taught to enter the heart and aesthetics of ghazals. To recite the `shers' effectively, without distorting the beauty of the poetry. In fact, these changes are usual in film songs."

"What I'm today is only because of the Almighty and my guru. It was my father's insistence and my good fortune that Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan agreed to train me. Three of my guru's brothers, Barqat Ali Khan, Mubarak Ali Khan and Amanat Ali Khan, taught me the finer details of classical music, including the thumri and the various ragas. Nothing is complete without a tribute to my guru," believes Ghulam Ali.

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