A Legend Leaves His Haunt

RIP Mehdi Hassan. 

As your Soul departs, an age ceases to exist. Ghazal, neither a song sung, or a poem recited, neither a composition of musical notes. An art that has its origin in Iran, captured essence of the Persian and Arabic. Yet its popularity gained momentum in Mogul Courts in India, and Amir Khusroo mad that evolve.

Ranjish He Shahi

As the written it is stanzas of couplets with one lead couplet, but the art is distinctive by being unique in combining voice, emotive lyrical expressions and the background gentle and soft music. It may build from a low to the high or in its reverse, but the audiences is more charismised by the skills of the singer who singularly drives the orchestra of this form of music.

Mehdi Hassn pioneered the following of Ghazal in the modern era, engaging the interests of the post Independent India and Pakistan.  He did that with aplomb, with a voice that was unchallengingly Divine, as its formats attracted the younger generation of the 1960s and beyond. Mehdi continued his single handed campaign to raise the standards of this historic art, amidst other artists of his time and age: Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Begum Akhtar, Mehdi Hassan, Jagjit Singh, Farida Khanum and Ustad Ghulam Ali.

It is difficult to pick his best, as each one had life, passion and excellence packed. Yet some that would haunt are:

Pyar bharey do sharmiley nain

Zindagi main to sabhi pyar kiya kartay hain

Ranjish hi sahi

Bohat yaad ayen ge wo din

Mohabat karney waley Kam na hongay, teri mehfil may lekin hum na hongay

Gulon may rang bharey

Kubako phail gai baat shanasai ki

Raqs Zanjeer pehan kar bhi