| Had ghazal queen Begum Akhtar
been alive today, she would have sung her famous song as Aye
ghazal (instead of mohabbat) tere anjaam pe rona aaya ( I am
moved to tears on the fate of you, Ghazal). Purists complain
that the 20-minute-long ghazal has now been whittled down to
five minutes; the catchy beats, the emphasis on rhythm as opposed
to melody and instruments dominating the voice, have all adulterated
this unique art, which traversed from poetic chastity to popular
culture.
Talat Aziz, the versatile Hyderabadi singer, admits that
the charm for conventional style of ghazal languishes in the
absence of the right atmosphere. "Today I can sing a
heavy ghazal, but I don't, and I mix it with lighter stuff.
The audience wants it that way because there's a change in
perception. People's taste has changed."
Aziz says philosophically that it's just one of those things,
call it a circle of time. "For instance, my kids and
their generation are never going to be exposed to the kind
of music I was. So how will they appreciate it?"
Ghazal king Jagjit Singh points out that from Amir Khusro
in the 13th century to Begum Akhtar and the present day singers,
ghazal has come a long way changing itself with times. Once
composed in chaste Urdu it now has been so 'Hindi-ised' as
to be often mistaken for 'geet'.
The long route
Ghazal originated in Iran in the 10th century A.D. It grew
from the Persian qasida, which in verse form had come to Iran
from Arabia. It came to India with the advent and extension
of the Muslim influence from the 12th century onwards. The
Moghuls brought along with them Iranian culture, including
Iranian poetry and literature.
When Persian gave way to Urdu as the language of poetry and
culture in India, the ghazal found an opportunity to grow
and develop. Although it is said to have begun with Amir Khusro
(1253-1325) in Northern India, Deccan in the South was its
real home in the early stages. It was nursed and trained in
the courts of Golconda and Bijapur under the patronage of
Muslim rulers. Among many famous exponents, Wali Deccany (1667-1707)
may be called the Chaucer of Urdu poetry. Wali's visit to
Delhi in 1700 was historical as it was instrumental in synthesising
the poetic streams of the South and the North. The Persian-loving
North woke up to the beauty and richness of Urdu language.
The evolution of ghazal from a poetic form into a genre of
light classical music can be traced to the early 20th century.
Many of its early exponents were classically trained singers
who specialised in Khayaal and Thumri style of singing. However,
unlike classical music which to this day is perceived as elitist,
ghazals have become popular with the common man. The magical
combination of beautiful lyrics and dulcet voices has enabled
ghazal singers to leave an indelible mark on the hearts of
the listeners.
The Unforgettables
As to the present times, in the 60s, only a skillful singer
could whip up enthusiasm for ghazal, and nobody but a Begum
Akhtar or a Talat Mehmood could be self-confident enough to
sing the pure form of ghazal. However, film music directors
like Madan Mohan, Roshan, C Ramachandra and Naushad gave the
ghazal a fillip through films like Mirza Ghalib, Ghazal, Mughal-e-Azam,
Jahan Ara, and Mere Mehboob and ghazal was on the lips of
the masses. But then it languished.
The present day popularity of the ghazal can be attributed
to a few stalwart names in the field of ghazals. But the foremost
are Jagjit and Chitra Singh. With the release of their album
The Unforgettables, they pulled ghazals back from the very
brink of extinction.
Like a breath of fresh air, ghazals swept through the Indian
music scene, with ample encouragement and support being provided
by the great maestros from across the border - Ghulam Ali
and Mehdi Hassan. Talat Aziz and Pankaj Udhas played a big
role in making ghazals popular by selecting ghazals with simple
words and catchy tunes. Whether this was good or bad, only
history can tell. It did have the adverse effect of diluting
the ghazal gaayaki style embodied by Begum Akhtar and other
ghazal singers of that era.
The beginning of the 80s saw films heralding a new era with
light ghazals, like Nikaah (Salma Agha and Ghulam Ali), Saath
Saath (Jagjit and Chitra), Arth (Jagjit Singh), Umrao Jaan
and Baazar (Talat Aziz) and Jawaab (Pankaj Udhas). What was
pure poetry in Amir Khusro's times, with the touch of melody
aided by the tawaif (nautch girls) in the kothas (entertainment
centres), was now brought out from the ivory tower to the
man on the streets.
There's hope yet
Jagjit Singh, who has refined the taste of the common man
with his trimmed version of ghazal without profaning the art
form, says that if the popularity of ghazal seems to be over,
it is because people have become conscious of quality and
buyers more discerning. "It is a misconception that its
charm has declined. Ghazal has a definite place and never
depended on the ordinary listeners and never shall,"
the soulful singer asserts. "Even in the current music
scenario, ghazal will throb with life."
"Inshaallah! We will see it that it continues to throb,"
Aziz hopes, adding, "Traditions and trends keep changing,
they are never the same. What we sing today may be called
a tradition 50 years hence." For him, the sphere has
widened, the mahaul (atmosphere) has changed; but the mehfil
(poetic assembly) has not walked out yet.
Thus, Mir's definition of ghazal two centuries ago could
prove to be prophetic: Sher mere hain sab khawas passand,
par mujhe guftgu awam se hai (My couplets are the choice of
elite, but my address is to the common people).
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