I AM deeply enlightened by the views of Parvez Rahim (Feb 12), whom I have known as a very good singer and musicologist. Apparently he got intrigued and came forward with his views on the letter of Zafar Rahmani (Feb 5).

I am also a student of music and performer (vocalist) also in all genres of music, including classical music. There are two issues raised by Parvez Rahim one, the apathy of disgruntled classical musicians of Pakistani music scene and, two, comparison of the great singer of blue mood Talat Mahmood with pop singer Atif Aslam.

Blue mood to my comprehension means a mood that creates pathos in one`s feelings, whether romantic or otherwise.

On the first issue I would submit that whatever growth classical music saw in the 1950s to date has mostly been due to the personal efforts (local concerts and foreign tours) of the followers of the classical gharanas whether mirasis (inheritors) or atais (God-gifted ones).

The 50s and 60s saw state encouragements from Radio Pakistan and the PTV that created the awe of duos such as Ustad Nazakat Ali Khan and Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Roshan Ara Begum, and some others.

As time passed, when pop culture and electronic instruments invaded our music scene, the only respite was the PTV`s Raag Rang and Radio Pakistan`s Aahang-i-Khusrovi, the former disbanded a few years though the latter still continues from Lahore Radio Station`s (the classical music performers are grateful).

The only survivals are Ustad Ghulam Shabbir Khan, Ustad Ghulam Hassan Shaggan, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan and a few more but they are very few. Classical music seems to have a very low prioriy at the state, as well as at the entrepreneur, level.

Thus, the dissatifaction of Ustad Salamat Ali Khan who had refused offers from Lata Mangeshkar and Raak Kapoor to settle in India in the 1960s had some valid grounds.

Anyhow, commercial music, film music and serious music (folk, ghazal, kafi, qawali and the classical one) have been kept at balanced growth in the neighbouring county due to dozens of music academies and TV programmes but we seem to have fallen at the lowest level to save our heritage in all these genres.

It is time to earn from the commercial music and invest for preservation of the serious music. It is time for commercialising our music heritage, as available, at all centres of Radio Pakistan, as well as at Lahore`s Classical Music Research Cell,by making arrangements with a foreign recording company. There are many admirers of this type of music at the international level.

In the 50s, 60s and 70s the commercial music had some academic value also in terms of lyrics and music compositions.

I had the pleasure of meeting Talat Mahmood in 1992. His music had a lot to do with his cultural background, the way life was spent in Lukhnow and the education he had received before he could render ghazals in blue mood.

The slight waves in his voice were an exception as a positive quality, though Ustads want us to avoid any waves. His film songs, private `geets` and `ghazals` create pathos in our hearts.

That is why the great Dilip Kumar mostly mimed his songs in his movies. Any comparison with pop singer Atif Aslam, whose wavering voice goes haywire in his songs, is unreasonable.

DR AMJAD PARVEZ

Lahore