Daily Times

Hearing the news of Ustad Nazar-e-Hussain’s demise from Asghar Zaidi, the veteran broadcaster of Radio Pakistan, Lahore, left me in deep shock on Sunday.

I call Ustad Nazar-e-Hussain a great music composer because he was very unique in making his music compositions. He was facing respiratory problems for some time now with a lung infection diagnosed as cancer at a much later stage. He left behind his wife Arifa Siddiqui who was a singer cum actress. He is survived by a daughter.

Whenever I used to come across him at Radio Pakistan Lahore’s premises, he greeted me in a sweet manner. He was humble and soft spoken. He was an employee of the Central Production Unit from where he retired. Though Madam Noor Jahan always preferred to sing his tunes but Nazar-e-Hussain also gave his compositions to many other singers to sing as well. I was one of those lucky singers who sang his few tunes for PTV and radio.

Ustad Nazar began his career from Hyderabad and then moved to Karachi and then to Lahore. He was a proficient Sarod player also. He mentioned that after he had heard a lady playing Sarod at All India Radio, he discontinued playing it and concentrated on his first love, which were music compositions

Pakistan has produced many top class music composers in its music history for films and otherwise but Ustad Nazar stood out as a composer with his unique identity of applying typical “meends” and breaks in rhythmic patterns. Actually there are four types of ornaments used in our music compositions, which are Kan, Meend, Andolan and Gamak. Meend in its simplest form can be compared to a glide between two notes. But, this glide can be between two notes or between two notes in two different octaves. Ustad Nazar had a unique way of using Meends while connecting Antara with Asthai. In Madam Noor Jahan’s rendering of Dagha Dehlvi’s ghazal “Lutf Woh Ishq May Paye Hain Keh Ji Janta Hai, Ranj Bhi Aise Uthaye Hain Keh Ji Janta Hai”, the slight pause/break between the words Ji and Janta create amazing impact. If you have not heard this ghazal before, then tune into it and you shall fully enjoy the essence of what I said.

Ustad Nazar started his career from Hyderabad, moved to Karachi and then to Lahore. He was a proficient Sarod player also. He mentioned that after he had heard a lady playing Sarod at the All India Radio, he discontinued playing it and concentrated on his first love, which were music compositions.

No one can render Majeed Amjad’s compositions the way Ustad Nazar did. After much persuasion, he agreed to create an album for Sachal Studios, which featured tracks composed and sung by him

He was a proficient singer too. Site virtualWOMEX states that Ustad Nazar’s music compositions were highly original, innovative and complex. Ghazal composition was his forte but he could also compose songs with a delicate and sophisticated touch: one such song, produced by Sachal Studios, ‘Chait Charhya” is a major hit in audio and video versions. In September 2008, Sachal Studios released a video titled ‘Ustad Nazar Hussain Unplugged’ in which he seen performing his own compositions by the great poet Majeed Amjad.

No one can render Majeed Amjad’s compositions the way Ustad Nazar did. After much persuasion, he agreed to create an album for Sachal Studios, which featured tracks composed and sung by him.

Ustad Nazar used notes and rhythm from his own angle. His composition “Kis Ke Anchal Ki Hawa Le Ke Bahaar Aai Hai, Phool Mehke Hain Tou Khushbu-e-Bahar Aai Hai” vouches for this statement.

One of his fans in India, Shayamal Mitra states, “A sarodiya from the line of Ustad Hafizullah Khan of Gwalior Gharana as well as a vocalist from the Patiala Gharana being direct disciple of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Sahib. His own style of ghazal singing was traditional and meticulous. To hear his rendition of Pakistani poet of repute Salim Gilani’s lyric in his own composed music, ‘Kiske Aanchal Ki Hawa Le Ke Bahaar Aayi Hai’ is a heavenly experience.”

Ustad Nazar’s compositions for Noor Jahan’s PTV series ‘Tarannum’ had been appreciated tremendously in Mumbai’s music circles. Hari Haran sang two ghazals; Amjad’s “Dil Se Har Guzari Baat Guzari Hai” in Raag Pat Deep and Nasir Kazmi’s ghazal “Diwanawaar Un Se Mulaqat Ho Na Ho”.

To me and his other music fans, he shall be remembered for his music compositions he left behind, for decades to come.

The writer is an award-winning musician and author. He Tweets at @amjadparvez and can be reached at doc_amjad@hotmail.com

Published in Daily Times, January 23^rd 2018.