By Avantika Seth
Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho, kya gam hai jisko chupa rahe ho?
Awestruck?
I’m sure.
Jagjit Singh does this to me every time. The melancholy and rhythm is the basic essence of any Ghazal. With deep structured lyrics, a ghazal has the capacity to captivate your mind and numb your soul. Ranging from the famous ‘tum itna jo muskura rahe ho’ to ‘ye kagaz ki kashti’, a Ghazal aims at striking your memories and imagination. Being a great listener of ghazals, I write this article to bring to your notice all the essentials you need to know about this type of music.
It came to India with the advent and extension of Muslim advent from the twelfth century onwards. It is a short poem of more than a dozen couplets in the same metre. Ghazal or “Gayaki”, the art of singing or performing the ghazal in Indian classical tradition, is very old. Singers like Ustad Barkat Ali and many other singers in the past used to practice it, but due to the lack of historical records, many names have been anonymous. It was with Begum Akhtar and then Mehdi Hassan, that classical rendering of ghazals became popular amongst the masses. The categorization of ghazal singing as a form of ‘light classical’ music is a misconception. Classical ghazals are difficult to render because of the varying moods of the “shers” or couplets in the ghazal. Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Begum Akhtar, Mehdi Hassan, Jagjit Singh, Farida Khanum and Ustad Ghulam Ali, Moinuddin Ahamed, are popular classical ghazal singers.
Being an avid listener of ghazals, I’ve found immense attachment and depth in its lyrics. Unlike the typical Bollywood music, a ghazal has a sense of emotional force that makes you feel the depth and pain of a relationship. They say you need to actually feel the pain if you want to express it. Right after the death of Jagjit Singh’s eighteen year old son in a road accident, started the advent of his career. There was a lot of agony rightly felt after listening to his ghazals. The way its lyrics hit, are capable enough to make your emotions stir and with itself take you to another world. Ghazals like, ‘Jhuki jhuki si nazar’ have been an all-time favourite!
So, if you’re not really into ghazals but prefer soft music then my sheer advice to you would be an immediate attention towards some ghazals. It’ll make you feel what you’ve wanted to feel since a lot of time. An attachment, some melancholy, pure music and the joy of loving and being loved!