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Queen of ghazals
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The transition from ghazal to pop was not difficult for Penaz Masani as her Parsi culture helped her to take up pop in the stride, writes Sumit Bhattacharjee
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Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam
Enthralling the audience Penaz Masani
“With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, She shall have music wherever she goes” is how Penaz Masani describes herself and her music. After having captivated the Ghazal world with her debut in 1981, the singer strode into the hearts of many with her mellifluous voice in different genres.
She was here recently as part of her nationwide concert tour to highlight the issue of female infanticide, sponsored by Steel Authority of India, and she once again the touched the hearts of the Vizagites with her remixes.
Speaking about her whirlwind tour she said, “I am working against female infanticide with a concerned group of people. We have created a song titled ’Beti’ against female infanticide. I am also fighting against malnutrition of children, which is plaguing 47 per cent of the children in our country,” she revealed.
Recently awarded with a Padma Shri, Penaz said that it was a great honour to be bestowed with the national award. “Recognition comes for all good work done. And it calls for more hard work and responsibility,” said she with her trademark infectious smile.
Having made her debut in 1981, she has dished out over 20 albums in ghazals, remixes and pop. She also worked as playback singer in over 50 Bollywood movies.
On her transition from ghazal singer to pop and remixes, she said, “The transition was not difficult. My Parsi culture helped me to take up pop in the stride. I am comfortable with dancing on stage and pop culture. Music is universal and as long as it can touch somebody in the inner core it is justified, irrespective of the genre.”
She made a sensational debut in the pop world with the album ‘Tu dil de deh’ in 1997 and had never looked back. Her remix album ‘Lakeerin’ with music director Shantanu Moitra topped the chart. But ‘Yaadien’ was the album that propelled her as hot property in the remix world.
Despite getting into the groove of remixes and pop, Penaz still holds ghazals as her forte. “I am currently working with poet Dushyant for a new ghazal album,” she revealed.
She had her early grooming in Hindustani classical from her father, who happened to be a disciple of Ustad Faiyaz Khan of Agra gharana. “My father was a classical singer in the royal court of Sayaji Rao Gaekwad of Baroda and he was my first teacher,” she informed.
Penaz later learnt the nuances of Hindustani classical from Ustad Amanat Hussein Khan and was baptized into the realms of ghazal by the famed ghazal exponent Madhurani.
The combo of ‘little girl lost in the woods, look and voice as sweet as nectar’ caught the imaginations of composer Jaidev when she won the Sur Singar singing competition in 1978. And after the break in 1981 she never looked back.
Apart from cutting out record breaking albums and doing playback singing, Penaz Masani has been crisscrossing the world to give concerts. “The world is my stage and I have given over 500 solo performances in over 20 countries,” she said.
She also has been the celebrity judge in many of the reality shows in television like Sa Re Ga Ma, Movers and Shakers and Antakshri.
Padma Shri Penaz Masani was also awarded ‘Shehazadi-e-Tarunam’ in recognition for her ghazal singing.
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