Mehdi Hassan

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Shahenshah-e-Ghazal
Mehdi Hassan Khan
Pakistani
Occupations
  • Singer
  • music composer
Years active(1957–1999)
AwardsPride of Performance (1985)
9
Hilal-e-Imtiaz (2010)
Nishan-e-Imtiaz (2012)
Musical career
GenresGhazal
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
Labels
  • PTV
  • Radio Pakistan
Websitemehdihassan.com
For other people with similar names, see Mehdi Hasan (disambiguation).

Mehdi Hassan Khan

singer and playback singer. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential figures in the history of ghazal singing,[5][6][7] Hassan is referred to as the "Shahenshah-e-Ghazal" (Emperor of Ghazal).[8][9][10][11][12] Known for his "haunting" baritone voice,[13] Hassan is credited with bringing ghazal singing to a worldwide audience. He is unique for his melodic patterns and maintaining integrity of the ragas
in an innovative way.

Born into a family of Kalawant musicians, Hassan was naturally inclined towards music from a young age. He influenced generations of singers from diverse genres, from

Pakistani film industry along with another contemporary playback singer Ahmed Rushdi, and it is estimated that Hassan sang for over 300 films during his career.[4][16] For his contributions to the arts, Hassan was awarded with the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Pride of Performance, and Hilal-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan.[4]

Early life

Hassan was born on 18 July 1927

khayal, and started performing at royal courts with his brother Ghulam Qadir.[20] Hassan started his career primarily as a thumri exponent.[21] His first concert of dhrupad and khayal with his elder brother is reported to have been held in Fazilka Bungla, near present DC House (1935) of Undivided Punjab. His elder brother Ustad Ghulam Qadir also was instrumental in sharpening his skills.[19]

After the partition of India in 1947, the 20-year-old Hassan and his family migrated to Pakistan, carrying little with them by way of material belongings. The family proceeded to his paternal aunt's house who lived in a village, Chak No 111/7R, near Chichawatni. They suffered severe financial hardships in their new country. Hassan initially started working in nearby Chichawatni, in a bicycle shop Mughal Cycle House and later became a car and diesel tractor mechanic.[22] Despite the financial hardships, he kept up his singing practice on a daily basis.[13]

Singing career

In 1957, Hassan was again given the opportunity to sing on

Pakistani film industry and he never looked back after that.[24][25] Even the original ghazal poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz stopped reciting it in his 'mushairas' (poetry reciting events) and, instead, recommended that the audience ask Hassan to sing it for them because the poet jokingly used to say that the ghazal belonged to Hassan after its popularity.[19]

In October 2010, HMV Label released "Sarhadein" in which his first and last duet song Tera Milna featuring Hassan and Lata Mangeshkar was released. This song was composed by Hassan and written by Farhat Shahzad. Hassan recorded it in Pakistan in 2009, and Mangeshkar later heard the track and recorded her part in India in 2010, and the song was later mixed for a duet. The same duet was also sung by Hassan and Noor Jehan.

Following a severe illness in the late 1980s, Hassan cut back on his singing, eventually stepping down from playback singing altogether.[21] Later, due to the severity of his illness, he completely departed from music.

Death

Hassan suffered from a serious chronic lung condition for a few years before his death.

A.B. Vajpayee, Dilip Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar and many of his Indian fans. He suffered his second stroke soon after he returned from India which left him with speech impairments[29] and limited his physical mobility.[26] Hassan developed a severe chest infection and breathing difficulties in the days preceding his death.[18] He died of multiple organ failure[30] on 13 June 2012 at Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi.[22]

Tributes

Hassan is widely regarded as one of the greatest singers in the sub-continent

Yousuf Raza Gilani paid tribute to Hassan, calling him "an icon who mesmerized music lovers" for decades.[22] Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that Hassan "brought the sub-continental Sufi sensibilities to life through his songs,"[35][36] and that "the influence of his passion for Urdu poetry and initial grooming in Dhrupad tradition earned for him a special place in the world of music."[30]

Musicians in his group and his students

Some of the musicians who are associated with him :

Some of his students are:

  • Pervaiz Mehdi
  • Talat Aziz
  • Rajkumar Rizvi
  • Ghulam Abbas
  • Salamat Ali
  • Afzal, Munni Subhani
  • Rehan Ahmed Khan
  • Shamshad Husain Chanda
  • Shahnaz Begum (Bangladesh)
  • Yasmin Mushtari (Bangladesh)
  • Irshad Ali Mehdi
  • Hariharan
  • Tari Khan
  • Amir Yaseen

Family

Mehdi Hassan had 14 children.[37] As many as six of his sons are active in the field of music. They are:

  • Tariq Mehdi Hassan (Versatile Playback Singer)
  • Arif Mehdi Hassan (Classical Tabla Player & Promoter)
  • Asif Mehdi Hassan (Playback & Ghazal Singer)
  • Kamran Mehdi Hassan (Playback & Ghazal Singer)
  • Imran Mehdi Hassan (Classical Tabla Player & Versatile Singer)
  • Faizan Mehdi Hassan (Versatile Ghazal Singer).
  • Sajjad Mehdi Hassan (D.S.P Traffic police)
  • Shahzad Mehdi Hassan ( Ghazal Singer)
  • Waris Hassan Mehdi ( Pop Singer)[29]

Awards

Pride of Performance Award Recipient
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Websitehttp://www.mehdihassan.com/ Edit this on Wikidata
Hilal-i-Imtiaz Award Recipient
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Websitehttp://www.mehdihassan.com/ Edit this on Wikidata
Nishan-e-Imtiaz Award Recipient
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Websitehttp://www.mehdihassan.com/ Edit this on Wikidata

Civilian honours

The following civilian honours have been conferred on him, in chronological order.[38]

The Government of India

The Government of Nepal

  • 1983–
    Gorkha Dakshina Bahu[19]

The Government of Pakistan

Nigar Awards

  • 1964–
    Nigar Award
    for Best Male Playback Singer for Farangi
  • 1968–
    Nigar Award
    for Best Male Playback Singer for Saiqa
  • 1969–
    Nigar Award
    for Best Male Playback Singer for Zarqa
  • 1972–
    Nigar Award
    for Best Male Playback Singer for Meri Zindagi Hai Naghma
  • 1973–
    Nigar Award
    for Best Male Playback Singer for Naya Rasta
  • 1974–
    Nigar Award
    for Best Male Playback Singer for Sharafat
  • 1975–
    Nigar Award
    for Best Male Playback Singer for Zeenat
  • 1976–
    Nigar Award
    for Best Male Playback Singer for Shabana
  • 1977–
    Nigar Award for Best Male Playback Singer for Aaina
  • 1999–
    Nigar Award
    Special Millennium Award

He had been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions: the

Gorkha Dakshina Bahu
Award was given to him in Nepal in 1983. Recently, he travelled to Dubai to receive yet another award.

Albums

Some of his albums are:

  • Kehna Usey
  • Nazarana
  • Live at Royal Albert Hall
  • Andaz-e-Mastana
  • Classical Ghazals vol. 1, 2, 3
  • Dil Jo Rota Hai
  • Ghalib Ghazals
  • Ghazals For Ever Vol 1
  • Golden Collection Of Mehdi Hassan Vol 1, 2
  • Golden Greats
  • In Concert
  • Khuli Jo Aankh
  • Life Story
  • Live at Khambays
  • Live Concert in India
  • Mehdi Hassan
  • Mehdi Hassan Ghazals Vol. 1
  • Sada E Ishq
  • Sarhadein
  • Sur Ki Koi Seema Nahin
  • The Finest Ghazals
  • The Legend
  • Yaadgar Ghazalen Vol. 1
  • Tarz (with Shobha Gurtu)
  • Naqsh-e-Faryadi
  • Mehdi Hassan (EMI-Pakistan Released) VOLUME 1
  • Mehdi Hassan Sings Punjabi Film Hits (EMI-Pakistan Released)
  • Mehdi Hassan (EMI-Pakistan Released) VOLUME 2
  • Mehdi Hassan & Ghulsm Ali Eternal Jewels Live At Ras Barse On Zee TV

Ghazals

See also

References

  1. ^ "Mehdi Hassan interview without ghazals". YouTube.
  2. ^ "Mehdi Hassan interview without ghazals". YouTube.
  3. ^ "Mehdi Hassan obituary". the Guardian. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Death anniversary of Shahenshah-e-Ghazal Mehdi Hassan being observed today". www.radio.gov.pk. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  5. ^ Ken Hunt (16 June 2012). "Mehdi Hassan: Musician hailed as the maestro of the 'ghazal'". INDEPENDENT (UK newspaper). Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  6. Ananda Bazar Patrika
    . 1979. p. 35.
  7. ^ Russell, Ralph (1992). The pursuit of Urdu literature: a select history. Zed Books. p. 242.
  8. ^ "Mehdi Hassan - New Songs, Playlists & Latest News - BBC Music". BBC. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  9. ^ Dawn.com (13 June 2012). "End of an era as Mehdi Hassan passes away". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  10. ^ Khawaja, Mishal Abbas (18 July 2019). "'Shehanshah-e-Ghazal' - Mehdi Hassan's 92nd Birthday". nation.com.pk. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  11. ^ "Mehdi Hasan: A tribute to the Shahenshah-e-Ghazal". The Express Tribune. 8 November 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  12. ^ "Ghazal King Mehdi Hassan remembered". The News International. 19 June 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  13. ^ a b c d Mehdi Hassan profile on Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved 31 March 2018
  14. ^ Who was Mehdi Hassan NDTV website, Retrieved 31 March 2018
  15. ^ Rafay Mahmood (13 June 2012). "Mehdi Hassan: A sun amongst the stars". The Express Tribune (newspaper). Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  16. ^ News Desk (13 June 2019), "King of Ghazal: Mehdi Hassan remembered on 7th anniversary", Global Village Space. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  17. ^ "Mehdi Hassan interview without ghazals". YouTube.
  18. ^ a b c Khan, Omer Farooq (13 June 2012). "Ghazal singer Mehdi Hassan passes away - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  19. ^ a b c d e f Devesh Sharma (10 August 2012). "Mehdi Hassan: The Master of Melodies". Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  20. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  21. ^ a b "Mehdi Hassan passes away in Karachi - Times of India". The Times of India. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  22. ^ a b c "Pakistani singer Mehdi Hassan dies". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  23. ^ "A tribute to Ghazal maestro Mehdi Hassan". Hindustan Times. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  24. ^ a b c d e King of Ghazal Mehdi Hassan remembered The News International (newspaper), Published 13 June 2016, Retrieved 31 March 2018
  25. ^ "Why ghazals owe their life to Mehdi Hassan". www.dailyo.in. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  26. ^ a b "Mehdi Hassan to be discharged, family unable to pay bills". The Economic Times. 22 March 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  27. ^ "Ghazal king Mehdi Hassan dies in Karachi". NDTV.com. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  28. ^ Noorani, Asif (13 June 2012). "Who killed Mehdi Hassan?". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  29. ^ a b Asif Noorani (13 June 2012). "Mehdi Hassan: 1927 – 2012 – the passing of a legend". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  30. ^ a b "Mehdi Hassan brought Sufi sensibilities to life: PM". DNA India. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  31. ^ "Remembering Mehdi Hassan - the Pakistani maestro who captured hearts on both sides of the border". DNA India. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  32. ^ "Mehdi Hasan: A State of Perpetual Melody". Daily Times. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  33. ^ "Mehdi Hassan's death anniversary goes unnoticed". The Express Tribune. 13 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  34. ^ Mehdi Hassan's 91st Birthday Google Homepage Doodle, Published 18 July 2018, Retrieved 11 February 2019
  35. ^ "Mehdi Hassan changed ghazal singing to become its undisputed shahenshah". The Indian Express. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  36. ^ Raina, Pamposh (13 June 2012). "Singer Mehdi Hassan Dies At 84". india.blogs.nytimes.com. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  37. ^ "Mehdi Hassan". www.mehdihassan.com. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  38. ^ "Mehdi Hassan- A legend passes away". Dawn (newspaper). 14 August 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  39. ^ Mehdi Hassan's Nishan-e-Imtiaz Award info on Dawn (newspaper) Retrieved 31 March 2018
  40. ^ a b c d e f Mehdi Hassan: Achievements as a playback singer The Express Tribune (newspaper), Published 14 June 2012, Retrieved 11 February 2019

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mehdi_Hassan&oldid=1216136955"