A Review for the Ghazal lovers !!
Kapu Prabhakara
>
> CONCERT BY THE KING OF GHAZALS : GHULAM ALI
> (at Columbia, SC)
>*********************************************************************
> There is only one word to describe this KING OF GHAZALS-
>MESMERIZING! He was totally awesome, captivating and simply fabulous.
>Did I say one word? There aren't enough words to describe the richness
>of his voice or the depth of feeling it conveys or the ease with which
>he traverses from one difficult raag to another. Ever experimenting
>with new raags and dhuns for even his old ghazals, his concert was a
>real treat for both classical music lovers and ghazal lovers with
>just the right blend of semi-classical and light ghazals.
>
> He started off with the semi-classical ghazal 'Gori thori
>naina' based on a night raag. It sounded like a very difficult piece,
>but looking at Ghulam Saheb singing it, one would think music just
>flowed from deep within him somewhere, with absolutely no effort
>whatsoever, another characteristic feature of this Ustad. One minute
>the pitch was so low, you could feel it rumbling from somewhere deep
>below and the next moment it reached an incredible crecsendo - who
>else but Ghulam Ali can manage that!! Kahte hain Ghulam Ali Saheb,
>"waise yeh bahut mushkil hain gaana, aap humari shakl dekhke yeh na
>sochiyega ki bade aaram se ga rahe hain, bahut mehnat karni padti hain
>is ke liye".
>
> Before one could recover from this master piece, he treated
>us to a ghalib ghazal from a recent album 'Lamha-Lamha' that he
>recorded this year. Though he has been around since the 60's, it took
>a film to make Ghulam Ali really popular !! Which ghazal collection
>or concert is complete without the golden hit, 'Chupke chupke raat
>din'? Though recorded a few years before the film version ( in
>'Nikaah') came out, this ghazal became really popular only with
>'Nikaah'. As always, he had something new to add to it and one had to
>look time and again at his smiling face to believe that the person
>singing this beautiful ghazal was not writhing in pain - so great was
>the feeling conveyed by his rich voice. It was received with
>thunderous applause.
> He transformed the audience into a different mood very deftly with
> 'Mehfil mein baar baar kisi par nazar gayi'
> Jitne pyaare unke ghazal, utni hi unki ada ! The serious
>ghazal singer transformed with ease into the 'aashiq' who says
>with a naughty smile -
> "Teri ek nazar ke saath mein, mere sab iraade badal gaye "
>(from the ghazal 'kabhi aah lab pe machal gayi')
>
> He also sang a few ghazals on 'farmayish'. Especially
>beautiful was one that originally came out in the 80's. Badi muddat se
>yeh ghazal sune ko ji chaah raha tha, aur apni taqdeer aisi ki jab
>sunne ko mila to khud Ghulam Ali saheb se sunne ko mila ! Ghazal hai
> "Itni muddat baad mile ho, kin soccho mein ghum rahti hon"
> This ghazal is always remembered as one of his best. It's
>lyrics are simple to the point of being prosaic! Yet this legend who
>exudes simplicity and modesty, has given it a beauty that words can
>not describe.
>
> Farmayish to aur bahut aa rahi thi magar Ghulam Ali saheb
>ne muskuraate hue kaha, " classical ghazal ke liye hum itni mehnat
>karte hain, is mein humari dikhawa bhi hoti hain, to aap yeh suniye.
>Kyon ki classical ke bina to duniya ki koi geet nahin ho sakti hain".
>
> The ghazal "Ranj ki jab guftugu hone lagi, aap se tum, tum se
>tu hone lagi" based on Raag Bhopali was excellent. Not only were the
>lyrics beautiful ( which he explained from time to time!) but so was
>the ghazal even to the untrained ear. He even sang a touching'Thumri'.
>How talented is this artiste that can mould ghazals to classical raags
>with such finnesse !!
> It was a mootable point as to whether the audience would have
>let me go if he hadn't sung this ghazal!! With a cute, soft smile and
>a shake of his head, puchte hain saheb Raag Drabari mein,
> 'Hungaama hain kyo barpa, thodi si jo pi li hain'?
>
> All good things must end and so did the concert. The king made
>a very meaningful exit with
> Humko kiske gham ne mara
> Yeh kahani phir sahi
> Kisne todo dil humaara
> Yeh kahani phir sahi
>
> I could go on and on about this great man that left me totally
>awe-struck, but he has got to be heard to be believed !! Yet I
>remember with a pang, that the auditorium was half-empty ! Alas!!!
>I bow in revernce to this great artiste !
>--
>Bhuvna
> ////////////////////////////////////////////
> | It's a funny thing with life that if |
> | you insist on NOTHING BUT THE BEST, |
> | you get it ! |
> | - Somerset Maugham |
> ////////////////////////////////////////////
>
>
>ps: Also accompanying Ghulam Ali was his son, Nazar Abbas Ali who
>sang a couple of ghazals. The fact that I remembered him as an
>after-thought speaks volumes, I guess!
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Thanks for this wonderful article, I felt as though I was there.
Prabhakara