The tradition of Ghazal in Indian vocal music

Ghazal is originally the Persian form of poetry and was originated in Iran in 10th century A.D. It grew from the Persian Qasida (meaning songs of praise), which was a panegyric written in praise of the emperor or his noblemen to later deal with the whole spectrum of human experience; though its central concern is love. Ghazal is an Arabic word, which literally means ‘talking to a woman’. Since woman is most poets’ muse and the topic of conversation is love, love with its complexity of emotions, notwithstanding the plaintive tone of unrequited desires, became the dominant theme of Ghazal.

The 18th and 19th century may be regarded as the golden period of the Urdu Ghazal, for it was during this time that the Ghazal developed and attained its high stature. This mode of poetry is also famously set to vocal music in multiple variations, including, semi classical, folk and pop forms of music.

Despite the fact that there has been a noticeable decline in the percentage of people who know the Urdu language in India, there is no dearth of Ghazal lovers here. On the contrary it has gained a considerable recognition over the recent years.

There has been a remarkable revival of interest in Ghazal, with the unmistakable rise of Indo-Pak singers performing on television and even at live concerts in India. The cultural gathering of such events and the music CDs are hugely popular, despite the barrier of language for those who are not well versed in Urdu and Persian.
Anyhow, since music speaks a universal language, nowhere is it more evident than at the musical concerts or a Mushaira ,where you could catch the Ghazal enthusiasts unfamiliar with the Urdu script, eagerly jot down their favourite verses in the language they know well, so that they could return to the experience and understand the renditions at their full import at leisure.

It is surprising to note that two decades ago Ghazal was considered the domain of older generations. Ghulam Ali , Mehdi Hasan, Farida Khanam and not to forget the ultimate Ghazal queen Begum Akhtar were the singers who sang for the retired persons and the old school gentlemen/ladies who would diligently attend Mushairas (poetry recitation) while their kids boogied to Rock and Pop at discotheques. With the progress of time and cultural globalization Ghazal is understood and accepted by the young along with the old. Inevitably, the hard rock, heavy metal and pop are still there- but a certain enjoyment has crept in the ongoing tradition of Ghazal in Indian vocal music for the young listeners too and they are not just tolerating it but listening with interest.

In India, Ghazal became popularized by Urdu language and gave birth to the talents of eminent poets like Mir Taqi Mir, Mirza Ghalib, Zauq, Sauda, Momin, Daagh Dehlvi and many more. Though these poets used generous sprinkling of Persian, Farsi and Arabic words in their poetry, their work is used freely in the vocal singing by the famous Ghazal singers of India and Pakistan such as, Jagjit Singh, Pankaj Udhas, Gulam Ali, Mehdi Hasan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parveen.
Due to the popularity of these musicians, the influence of Ghazal has spread fast, notwithstanding the dearth of Urdu-knowing people in India.

However, there are many other Indian languages such as Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Sindhi and Kashmiri that have espoused the Ghazal in their music due to its aphoristic and quotable quality.

In the 70’s when Begum Akhtar’s ‘Aye muhabbat tere anjam pe rona aya’ (the end of love makes me weep) resonated in our house, I used to wonder where exactly is the magic that my Dad eulogizes about? I found her singing boring, melancholic and almost morbid in her cries of unrequited love. But with this new tradition of Ghazal infused in the modern music, her voice and rendition has received a fresh lease of interest. I recently listened to her tracks and was truly impressed with the underlying tenderness in her famous husky voice. Whenever you mention Ghazal, Begum Akhtar stands synonymous with this tradition.

Recently, in the late 90’s when Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan sang the soulful ‘husne jaana ki taarif mumkin nahin’ (impossible it is to describe the beauty of my beloved) every young boy wanted to sing it for the object of his desire, even though the song is replete with many Urdu and Farsi words.

Many people, young and old alike, love listening to Abida Parveen, though her renditions are mainly about divine love and the Sufi form of music. Most of her lyrics are by the well known Urdu poets mentioned above and their works have got elevated from the yellowed pages of old books to become popularized with the generic crowd, posthumously by the sheer force of her stunning voice and beautiful music.
Ghazal is a source of aesthetic and intellectual delight, and with its accompanying insight into the human mind, this poetic form has become a popular tradition in Indian vocal music.
And finally, since Ghazal deals primarily with passion and love, which is exempted of barriers such as age, caste or class, it faces no threat of losing its strong appeal.

Also posted at:
http://www.indianmusiclovers.com/2010/07/30/the-tradition-of-ghazal-in-indian-vocal-music/
by Nazia Mallick
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