Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Transcending man made borders

Ghulam Ali tells K. PRADEEP that the flow of music from across the border has shifted from ghazals to pop and rock groups

Hum tere shahar me aaye hai musafir ki tarah... (I have come to your town like a traveller). Ghulam Ali came by, quietly, traveller-like, sang and flew back even before the city woke up from the nasha of the previous evening's concert.

Kochi was a first time stopover in Ghulam Ali's long, musical journey. And the traveller seemed to be weary. The delayed flights, long, cold wait at the airport and a rush to beat time was evident right from the time he began his concert. There were many in the audience left sighing, wondering what had happened to that silkily flexible voice. That baritone, mellifluous voice; the inimitable style of rendering his ghazals seemed to have been overpowered by a sense of fatigue. 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.

Training

"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 during snatches of conversation squeezed out before the concert.

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. That was evident in the rendering of the ghazal Dil me ek lahar si uti hai abhi... where he went on to paint varied designs on the lafz or the key word lahar.

Chupke chupke...

Ghulam Ali began humming again. And there was a sudden, spontaneous burst of applause. Ever since this ghazal was sung for the first time it has happened every time, everywhere. Hasrat Mohani's Chupke chupke raat din... has stood the test of time, an eternal favourite. But Ghulam Ali found his voice unyielding. He paused in between, ran his magic fingers on the harmonium. "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." He then turned towards Jitesh Sundaram, trained under Anup Jalota and added, "Here is one of those promising singers. And he belongs to your place."

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 and ever since, despite some unpleasant memories, has been to strike a strong bond.

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."

Singing his way through some of his popular ghazals Ghulam Ali chose to conclude with a thumri, Ka karoo sajni... Composed by his `guru' Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. "What I'm today is only because of the Almighty and my guru. It was my father's insistence and my good fortune that the great man 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.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail