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Guess where ghazal lovers will meet this Sunday? At Shaam E Ghazal –– produced and managed by Heartbeatz Communications in association with t2 and supported by Rituparna Sengupta –– which will feature Bhupinder and Mitali Singh, Pankaj Udhas and Ghulam Ali. In the countdown to the February 16 Nicco Park programme, the Chitthi aai hai singer spoke to t2.
What’s your first memory of performing in Calcutta?
My first concert in Calcutta was in 1980. I had just begun my career and there were these young college boys who had heard my music. Then I had only one album to my credit… called Aahat. I sang at a school auditorium… I think it was at Vidya Mandir. Calcutta has an audience that’s a cut above the rest of the country, and I’m not being biased. There is a difference in listening to music casually and with passion. When it comes to music the people in Calcutta are passionate.
Besides Ghalib, your music explores the works of contemporary poets. Any young poet whose work interests you?
In India we have so many wonderful contemporary poets. In Urdu we have Ustad poets like Mirza Ghalib, Daagh Dehlvi or Mir Taqi Mir. Apart from Ustad poets, there are so many young talented contemporary poets, brilliant writers. If you look at the volume of my work since 1979-80, I’ve spent a lot of time singing the works of contemporary poets. For example, there is Tahir Faraz, who has written some outstanding poems and ghazals. Recently I have recorded one of his compositions called Maiee. Wherever I go, people request it. I also have a great desire to record the poems of Firaq Gorakhpuri, an outstanding poet from the last century. Also, I would like to sing the compositions of Jigar Moradabadi. The list goes on… I had done an album involving some of the works of Omar Khayyam. It was called Rubayee (1990). Till date it remains one of my favourite albums and a popular choice with listeners. I am toying with the idea of a Part Two. There is so much of Omar Khayyam’s work that’s unrecorded.
The focus on ghazals is not as strong as it was back in 1980…
As far as I am concerned, I still enjoy the same patronage, the same adulation and numbers. But I do agree that the focus or spotlight has shifted from ghazals. Let’s put it this way… why only ghazals, if we look at music, we have reached the lowest point. There was a time a number of genres prospered. We speak of devotional, qawwali, ghazal, folk, rock, pop… Where are the rock musicians today? And there are few devotional singers around. Our foundation is classical music. The classical performances are getting fewer and fewer because what we mostly hear today in the name of classical, is actually fusion. Music is suffering. We have something of a Bollywood mania. I don’t know when we are going to get over this Bollywood hangover.
Also, the music industry has changed…
Well, it’s a vicious circle. Most FM channels have a playlist of 20-25 songs and it’s played for 24 hours. Why has this happened? Previously music companies were recording young artistes who were not part of Bollywood. And people appreciated them because there was a steady supply of singers who were not part of Bollywood. That supply has stopped. Most audio companies have stopped recording young artistes. I don’t blame them. They just don’t have the budget. If you want to launch a new artiste, you need Rs 40-50 lakh. When you spend that much money, how do you recover it? Piracy and free downloads have killed the music industry.
Coming to Sunday’s Shaam E Ghazal, do you still get nervous before a concert?
Believe it or not, I still have butterflies in my stomach before concerts. I am a musician who always strives to improve. I have always been very critical of myself. Before a concert one must eat the right food, rest, and do light riyaaz on the morning of the concert. I also like to rest two-three hours before concerts. And then in the evening, just before I leave for the venue, I like to do some light riyaaz for 30-odd minutes.
Finally, your thoughts on sharing the stage with Ghulam Ali and Bhupinder-Mitali Singh…
It’s a privilege because I’ve grown up listening to Ghulam Ali saab and Bhupinderji. It will be a great moment rubbing shoulders with them. When I was in school, I didn’t imagine performing on the same stage with them. It’s a great moment for me.
Mathures Paul
Who is your favourite ghazal singer? Tell t2@abp.in
