Mehdi Hassan


Mehdi Hassan Khan , known as Mehdi Hassan, was a Pakistani ghazal singer and playback singer of great renown. Known as Shahenshah-e-Ghazal, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential figures in the history of ghazal singing. Known for his "haunting" baritone voice, 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 Jagjit Singh to Parvez Mehdi. He earned numerous awards and accolades during his lifetime and remained a leading singer of Pakistani film industry, along with contemporary playback singer Ahmed Rushdi; it is estimated that Hassan sang for over 300 films during his career. For his contributions to the arts, Hassan was awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Pride of Performance, and Hilal-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan.

Early life

Hassan was born on 18 July 1927 into a mixed Pathan-Mughal family in the village of Luna, then located in the Jaipur State of the Rajputana Agency in British India but now in the Indian state of Rajasthan, into a family of traditional musicians. He claims to be the 16th generation of hereditary musicians hailing from the Kalawant clan of musicians who have been ustads and teachers to royal families, including the kings of Nepal. Hassan started singing at the age of 4-5 and writing lyrics and composing music at the age of 6 but began his formal musical training in Hindustani classical music at the age of 8, completing it with his father Ustad Azeem Khan and uncle Ustad Ismail Khan who were both traditional dhrupad singers. Hassan started performing at a young age, his first professional performance being before the Maharaja of Baroda at the age of 8; by the time he was 18 years old, Hassan is said to have mastered the classical singing forms of dhrupad, dadra, thumri, and khayal, and started performing at royal courts with his brother Ghulam Qadir. Hassan started his career primarily as a thumri exponent. His first concert of dhrupad and khayal with his elder brother is reported to have been held in Fazilka Bungla, near present DC House of undivided Punjab. His elder brother Pandit Ghulam Qadir also was instrumental in sharpening his skills. Instruments he would master include the harmonium as well the jal tarang.
Hassan credited his aristocratic upbringing and early training with instilling discipline and physical stamina that shaped his musical career. He stated that, despite not completing formal education due to the demands of music, his daily routine involved rigorous physical exercise, religious observance, and extended hours of vocal practice. Hassan recalled that his father emphasized physical fitness and discipline as essential to becoming a successful singer, and he attributed this regimen to his ability to sing continuously for up to 52 hours without experiencing breathlessness.
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. Despite the financial hardships, he kept up his singing practice on a daily basis.

Singing career

In 1957, Hassan was again given the opportunity to sing on Radio Pakistan, primarily as a thumri singer and later as a ghazal performer, which earned him recognition within the musical fraternity. He had a passion for Urdu poetry, and therefore, he began to experiment by singing ghazals on a part-time basis. He cites radio officers Z.A. Bukhari and Rafiq Anwar as additional influences in his progression as a ghazal singer. He first sang on Radio Pakistan in 1952. His first film song was "Nazar Milte Hi Dil Ki Bat Ka Charcha Na Ho Jaye" film Shikhar in 1956. This song was written by poet Yazdani Jalandhari and its music was composed by Asghar Ali M. Husain. In 1964, his ghazal for a film Farangi, "Gulon mein rang bharay, baad-e-naubahar chale" written by renowned Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz and composed by Rasheed Attre, gave him a major breakthrough into the Pakistani film industry and he never looked back after that. Even the original ghazal poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz stopped reciting it in his 'mushairas' 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.
In October 2010, Saregama 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. 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. He also received treatment for lung, urinary tract, and chest ailments at several hospitals in Pakistan for about 12 years prior to his death. Towards the end of 2000, he suffered his first stroke while in Kerala, India. In 2005, he was taken to India for ayurvedic treatment where he was welcomed by 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 and limited his physical mobility. Hassan developed a severe chest infection and breathing difficulties in the days preceding his death. He died of multiple organ failure on 13 June 2012 at Aga Khan [University Hospital, Karachi|Aga Khan University Hospital] in Karachi.

Tributes

Hassan is widely regarded as one of the greatest singers in the sub-continent and is said to have revolutionized the way ghazals were sung. In 1977, Indian playback singer Lata Mangeshkar was so moved by his dulcet vocals during a New Delhi concert that she reportedly said, "Aisa lagta hai ke unke gale mein bhagwan boltein hain". On 18 July 2018, the day of his 91st birthday, Google featured Hassan on its homepage doodle. Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani paid tribute to Hassan, calling him "an icon who mesmerized music lovers" for decades. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated that Hassan "brought the sub-continental Sufi sensibilities to life through his songs," 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."

Musicians and his students worldwide

Some of the musicians who are associated with him :
  • Ustad Pir Bakhsh, Tabla player
  • Ustad Mohammed Hussain
  • Ustad Tari Khan, Tabla player
Some of his students are:

Family

Mehdi Hassan had 14 children. As many as 8 of his sons were active in the field of music. Unfortunately two of his sons passed away.
List of his sons.
  • Tariq Mehdi Hassan
  • Arif Mehdi Hassan was Classical Tabla Player
  • Asif Mehdi Hassan was a Playback & Ghazal Singer
  • Kamran Mehdi Hassan Playback & Ghazal Singer)
  • Imran Mehdi Hassan
  • Faizan Mehdi Hassan.
  • Sajjad Mehdi Hassan
  • Shahzad Mehdi Hassan
  • Waris Hassan Mehdi
  • Sadiq Mehdi Hasan

Awards

Civilian honours

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

The Government of India

The Government of Nepal

The Government of Pakistan

Nigar Awards

He had been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions: 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. Besides the Nigar Film and Graduate Awards from Pakistan, he was presented the Saigal Award in Jalandhar, India, in 1979, whereas the Gorkha Dakshina Bahu Award was given to him in Nepal in 1983. Latterly, 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
  • Naqsh-e-Faryadi
  • Mehdi Hassan VOLUME 1
  • Mehdi Hassan Sings Punjabi Film Hits
  • Mehdi Hassan VOLUME 2
  • Mehdi Hassan & Ghulsm Ali Eternal Jewels Live At Ras Barse On Zee TV