Kindgom of Ghazals loses its King

— by Parmita Borah | Bangalore

After Jagjit Singh another golden voice has departed from the world of Ghazal with Mehdi Hassan's demise.

Mehdi Hassan (July 18, 1927 - June 13, 2012)

Born into a family of traditional musicians, Mehdi Hassan was the 16th generation of hereditary musicians hailing from the Kalawant clan of musicians. He started performing at a young age and the first concert of 'dhrupad' and 'kheyal' with his elder brother is reported to have been held in Fazilka Bungla.

After the Partition of India, 20-year-old Hassan and his family migrated to Pakistan and suffered severe financial hardships Mehdi started working in Chichawatni, in a bicycle shop. He later became a car and diesel tractor mechanic.Hassan's passion for music however was never deterred by his personal struggles. Hassan's struggles gradually ceased after receiving an the opportunity to sing on Radio Pakistan in 1957, primarily as a 'Thumri' singer, which earned him recognition within the musical fraternity.

Mehdi Hassan is a recipient of multiple prestigious awards and honours: the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz granted to him by Gen Ayub Khan; the Pride of Performance bestowed on him by Gen Ziaul Haq; and the Hilal-i-Imtiaz conferred by Gen Pervez Musharraf. He received the Saigal Award in Jalandhar, India, in 1979, and the Gorkha Dakshina Bahu Award was given to him in Nepal in 1983.

This Indian born Pakistani Ghazal maestro breathed his last after battling with a prolonged illness on on 13 June 2012.

Comments

10 music fests in North East India you don't want to miss

— compiled by Debjani Hazarika Northeast India is known as the land of festivals and culture. From the beginning, people of this part of the world have been indulging in merriment and diversion. Hence, the music, dance and other forms of art are the integral parts of everyday life. Apart from traditional festivals, since the commencement of television and social media, many young enthusiasts came up with the idea of organising different music events and festivals where local and acclaimed musicians can showcase their talents. Some of the festivals are funded by the state governments while the rest organised with the help of private sponsorship. Here is a list of some of the music and cultural fests we thought you would love to attend if you are into music and adventure. Hornbill Festival (Nagaland) Hornbill Festival 2012, Nagaland (photo: Sudeepta Barua) WHAT? Hornbill Festival WHEN? December WHERE? Naga Heritage Village, Kohima, Nagaland The Hornbill Festival is a celebra

16 Rock Bands from North-East India you don't want to miss

North-East India is very rich in music, dance, tradition and culture. All the eight states of North-East India have something to offer for rock music lovers. Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, is also known as 'Rock Capital of India'. Some of the festivals promoting rock music of the region like Hornbill Festival of Nagaland and Ziro Festival of Music in Arunachal Pradesh are quite famous among music lovers. The region gave birth to many well known and respected Rock bands since the 60's. We have compiled a list of 16 (sixteen) comparatively new bands we love listening to all the time. Of course, there are various other bands apart from these sixteen bands who have made their mark on the Rock music scenario of India. We will post about those bands in our next segment. The Vinyl Records (Arunachal Pradesh) | photo: Facebook The Vinyl Records (Arunachal Pradesh) - Formed in February 2010, The Vinyl Records is an All-girl Rock band. They have performed in well

Gaurav Choudhury | Assam | ChaiTunes Artist

Gaurav Choudhury | ChaiTunes Gaurav Choudhury is a guitarist and a versatile singer. He has been playing the guitar for many years and composed songs in English and Assamese. He joined the team at ChaiTunes Project in 2017 and has worked for different collaborative projects like Anuron and Niyoror Xur with musicians from around the globe. Gaurav is an Engineer by profession. Gaurav's ChaiTunes Videos Anuron (live & unplugged) is recorded & shot live at the Eastern Fare Studios in Guwahati. It is the first of ChaiTunes Series' unplugged numbers & fourth of ChaiTunes series of music videos. The song is written and composed by Jim Ankan Deka and features Rupam Bhuyan, Veda V Sarma, Prabal Gogoi, Gaurav Choudhury & Jenie. Marvin Gaye (live & unplugged) is recorded & shot live at the Music Malt Studios in Guwahati. It is the first of ChaiTunes Series' unplugged cover numbers. The song features Catherine Khiangte, Jim Ankan Deka, Veda V Sarma, Prab

Music Malt | culture, festivals and more

Search This Blog