ON Mehdi Hassan’s 92nd birthday (July 18), I would like to remember the great ghazal and playback singer with some fond memories.

Mehdi Hassan, also known as the King of Ghazal, was born on July 18, 1927, in a village in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. Later, he migrated from India to Pakistan.

The legendary ghazal singer belonged to a family of musicians. He was trained by his father Ustad Azeem Khan and uncle Ustad Ismail Khan who were both traditional Dhrupad singers.He was also a poet.

His first performance was on Radio Pakistan in 1957. He was known for his baritone voice and is credited with bringing ghazal singing to a worldwide audience. He is known for his unique and melodic patterns and maintaining integrity of the ragas in an innovative manner.

Muna Manzoor
Turbat

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2019