The “Teri yaad yaad” and “Kal Chaudhvin Ki Raat Thi” singer Ustad Ghulam Ali was a disciple of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Chhote Ghulam Ali. Ghulam Ali is considered to be one of the best ghazal singers of his era. His style and variations in singing ghazals has been noted as unique, as he blends Hindustani classical music with ghazals, unlike any other ghazal singer. Highly popular in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, as well as among South Asian diaspora in the United States, the United Kingdom and the Middle Eastern countries. Many of his hit ghazals have been used in Bollywood movies. His famous ghazals are “Chupke Chupke Raat Din”, “Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa”, “Chamakte Chand Ko”, “Kiya Hai Pyar Jisé”, “May Nazar Sé Pee Raha Hoon”, “Mastana Peeyé”, “Yé dil yé pagal dil”, “Apni Dhun Mein Rehta Hoon” and a ghazal by Nasir Kazmi, “Ham Ko Kis K Gham Ne Mara”. His recent album ‘Hasratein’ was nominated in the Best Ghazal Album category at the Global Indian Music Academy Awards 2014. He has a daughter Manjari Ghulam Ali. He has been invited by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee and Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav to come and perform in India. He has performed in Lucknow, New Delhi, Trivandrum, Kozhikode and Kerala. ‘How can you sing a song by running and jumping around the stage? The stage is meant for performing not for acrobatics’ Ghulam Ali started singing for Radio Pakistan, Lahore in 1960. Along with singing ghazals, Ghulam Ali composes music for his bhajans. His compositions are raga-based and sometimes include a scientific mixture of ragas. He is known for blending gharana-gaayaki into ghazal and this gives his singing the capability to touch people’s hearts. He beautifully sings Punjabi songs too. Most of his Punjabi songs have been extremely popular. Though from Pakistan, Ghulam Ali remains as popular in India as in Pakistan. Asha Bhosle has done joint music albums with him. He was introduced to Bollywood with film song “Chupke Chupke Raat Din” written by the poet Hasrat Mohani in BR Chopra’s film ‘Nikaah’. Other popular ghazals include “Hungama Hai Kyun Barpa” and “Awaargi”. He has always selected the ghazals of famous poets. One of his ghazal “Hum Ko Kis Ke Gham Ne Mara” written by Masroor Anwar was a top hit. On being questioned about Pakistani pop groups, Ghulam Ali replied, “Frankly, I am really bewildered at their style of singing. How can you sing a song by running and jumping around the stage? The stage is meant for performing not for acrobatics.” Ghulam Ali has also sung some beautiful Nepali ghazals like “Kina Kina Timro Tasveer”, “Gajalu Tee Thula Thula Aankha”, “Lolaaeka Tee Thula” and “Ke Chha Ra Diun” in Nepali language with Narayan Gopal, a well known Nepali singer and composer Deepak Jangam. Those songs were written by King Mahendra of Nepal. These songs were compiled in an album titled ‘Narayan Gopal, Ghulam Ali Ra Ma’ and are popular among Nepali music lovers to this day. One of his memorable concerts was at the Taj Mahal. On being asked about the future of ghazal singers, he said he enjoyed popular ghazal singer Adithya Srinivasan’s ghazals, who performed the opening act at his concert in 2012 at Bangalore. Ghulam Ali is the only Pakistani ghazal singer to have performed at the Taj Mahal Recently, in February 2013, the maestro became the first person to receive the Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Award. Commenting on this, he said, “I am indebted to the Indian government for giving me this award. For me, it is the greatest award I have received because it is named after my guru.” He also got the first Swaralaya Global Legend Award at Trivandrum, Kerala, India. Ghulam Ali was also the selected singer of choice for His late Majesty the king of Nepal Mahendra Birbikram Saha Dev. Ghulam Ali sang numbers of super hit songs written by King Mahendra that are still considered the best in Nepal. He is the proud recipient of the Pride of Performance Award in 1979 by the president of Pakistan as well as the Sitara-i-Imtiaz Award (Star of Excellence) in 2012 by the president. Achievements TOP OF HIS GAME Ghulam Ali is considered a legend in ghazal singing and one of the best ghazal singers of his era. He was also the selected singer of choice for His late Majesty the king of Nepal Mahendra Birbikram Saha Dev INTERNATIONAL HITS Ustad Ghulam Ali is highly popular in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, as well as among South Asian diaspora in the US, the UK and the Middle East. Many of his hit ghazals have been used in Bollywood movies. He has been invited by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee and Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav to come and perform in India. He has performed in Lucknow, New Delhi, Trivandrum, Kozhikode and Kerala. Asha Bhosle has done joint music albums with him. He was introduced to Bollywood with film song “Chupke Chupke Raat Din” written by the poet Hasrat Mohani in BR Chopra’s film ‘Nikaah’. RAKING IN THE AWARDS His recent album ‘Hasratein’ was nominated in the Best Ghazal Album category at the Global Indian Music Academy Awards 2014. In 2013, the maestro became the first person to receive the Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Award. He also got the first Swaralaya Global Legend Award at Trivandrum, Kerala, India. He is the proud recipient of the Pride of Performance Award in 1979 by the president of Pakistan as well as the Sitara-i-Imtiaz Award (Star of Excellence) in 2012 by the president. Published in Daily Times, August 25th 2018.