Ghulam Ali’s ghazals captivate

For those who love the ethereal combination of verse and melody, the Ghulam Ali concert held recently in Robert Blackwood Hall, Clayton was a journey transcending various emotional directions. Vocal improvisations of poetry in the maestro’s rich honeyed voice affected listeners on a visceral level, even those who were not familiar with his ghazals and style.

Ghulam Ali is one of the most talented and respected artists from Pakistan, and a living legend in the world of ghazals. His expertise lies not only in singing, but in bringing out the hidden literary beauty of each stanza as he conveys the meaning effectively to the audience.

It was this sharing of knowledge that had the audience mesmerized and rapt through his various renditions. He started the concert with the classical ‘Gori Tore Naina’ in Thumri, Raag Pilu followed by Ustad Mirza Ghalib’s ghazal ‘Har ek Baar kehte ho tum ki tu kya hai’. According to Ghulam Ali, if you can sing Ustad Ghalib’s ghazals renowned for their magical, albeit complex poetry, then you can sing anything. To prove it he sang the tough composition, being equally sensitive to the rhythm and technical virtuosity of the ghazal. Over the course of the evening he sang ghazals composed by many writers including his personal favourite, Ahmed Faraz’s ‘Phir kisi rehguzar pe shaayad hum kabhi mil sake shaayad’.

Ghulam Ali was born in 1940, at village Kaleke, district Sialkot, which is now a part of Pakistan. It was under Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan that he learnt to recognise ragas and other basics. With time, his inclination towards ghazal, thumri, dadra grew, and he decided to take them up professionally.

At 15, he became a student of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, a master of the Patiala Gharana of Hindustani music. Due to the busy schedule of Bade Ghulam Ali, he was trained mainly by Bade Ghulam Ali Khan’s three brothers, Barqat Ali Khan, Mubarak Ali Khan, and Amanat Ali Khan, all renowned musicians in Lahore. He later learnt classical ragas and basics from Ustad

His most popular ghazal Hungama hai kyon barpa, Dil mein ek leher si uthi hai abhi, Chupke Chupke Raat Din, Heer, Humko Kiske Gham Ne Mara etc. At the Melbourne concert he did not sing all of his famous ghazals, choosing instead to sing songs requested by the audience. This included of his popular ghazal, Chupke Chupke the film Nikaah got to hear extra verses that were not included in the commercial recording for the movie. With his ghazal ‘Dil mein ek leher si’ he offered an amazing, almost playful, rendition leaping through octaves while his Heer (Waris Shah) continued the

Rhapsodic Mood

As a true master of his art Ghulam Ali tried to keep the traditional compositions of great poets of Urdu and their poetry in mind, yet embellished the music with contemporary treatment. Accompanying him on harmonium and keyboard were his two sons Amir Ghulam Ali and Nazir Ali. Melbourne’s renowned musician Radhey Shyam Gupta accompanied him on the sitar, often complementing him, but it was Ghulam Ali’s melodic voice that ruled, and not the instruments. Those who were disgruntled with the late start and seating issues soon forgot their grudges, to enjoy the masterful and special synthesis of ghazal According to Jayesh Panchal from Saregama Entertainment who was the main organizer of the show along with Ramesh Sharma from Sydney, their intent to bring artists like Ghulam Ali to Australia is to relive the talent of original and traditional artists. “It is an attempt on our part to reconnect people to their heritage not through vulgar pop culture, but through true art in its unadulterated pure form,” said Jayesh. According to him, besides all those who supported the event, a special mention needs to be made of Karim Shah, from Nawaab Palace restaurant in Carnegie, who sponsored the catering for the event.

The concert went on till quite late, however the audience seemed content to keep listening. Ghulam Ali’s reverence and love of shayari, the poetry that forms a ghazal was summed up beautifully by Jayesh Panchal. Quoting Bahadur Shah Zafar he said, “Aadhiyan jo banti chalengi to mein sawar jaaoonga, mein teri zulf nahin jo bikhar jaaoonga, mujhe sooli pe Chadhane ki zaroorat kya hai, meire haath se kalam le lo to khud mar jaoonga, mujhko Zafar kaun mita sakega, mein to shayar hoon kitabon mein utar jaoonga.” Translated, this means: There is really no need to hang me to kill me, just take away my pen from me and that will be my death. I will not cease to exist even after I die, as I will remain immortal through the books that contain my verses

Preeti Jabbal