DURING the golden period of ghazal-singing in Pakistan, when the likes of Mehdi Hasan, Farida Khanum and Iqbal Bano, ruled the roost, one song written by Qateel Shifai, composed by Master Inayat Husain and rendered by Iqbal Bano, touched the hearts of music-lovers in the subcontinent.

It was the everlasting ‘Payal mein geet hain chhum chhum ke’ which was sensitively composed in Raag Bageshri with a touch of ‘tivar gandhar’ of Rageshri.

Recently, I heard this song in a different format on YouTube: a video produced by Yousaf Salahuddin and rendered by my favourite singer Wahdat Rameez.

I could not help wondering if this vocalist was born before Iqbal Bano and had sung this composition before her time, would Iqbal Bano and Master Inayat be able to make it any better than the one orchestrated and rendered in the said recording?

Of course, such performances are not presented on our television channels, but for those still enamoured of high-class music should celebrate that there is no dearth of talent in this country.

So, despite the ‘experimental’ music in vogue at the channels, there is no need to lose hope for the revival of exquisite voices and compositions of yore.

S.M. Shahid
Karachi

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2020