Mehdi Hassan is a famous Pakistani ghazal singer who is well known as “King Of Ghazal”.
Personal Life of Mehdi Hassan
Hassan was born in the village of Luna in Jhunjhunu district in Rajasthan in 1927 into a Sunni Muslim family of traditional musicians. He claims to be the 16th generation of hereditary musicians hailing from the Kalawant.
His father Ustad Azeem Khan and uncle (’chacha’) Ustad Ismail Khan were notable classical singers of their time. Mehdi Hassan started learning classical music and voice production within the framework of classical forms of Thumri, Dhrupad, Khayal and Dadra, at a very young age from his father.
It is said Mehdi Hassan started to perform with his elder brother Ghulam Qadir Khan as Darbari Gawayya and the first concert of Dhrupad and Kheyal at the darbar of Maharaja of Barodah.
After the independence, 20 years old Mehdi Hassan and his family migrated to Pakistan and settled in Cheecha Watni, district Sahiwal. He is married and his son Asif Mehdi is also a ghazal singer.
Undisputed Emperor of Ghazals
His unsurpassed vocal range and his mastery over even the most difficult of raags makes him the undisputed emperor of ghazals. His popularity, appreciation and continued success among masses over five decades makes him on par with Noor Jehan in the league of the greatest Pakistani singers of all time.
Mehdi Hassan also had a passion for Urdu poetry and started 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. They gave him ample opportunities to display his mastery over the ghazal on radio. He sang ghazals of all the renowned Urdu poets and soon his innovative style was soon appreciated by both the masses and discerning audiences.
Awards and Recognitions
He has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions. The government of Pakistan has awarded Mehdi Hassan the pride of performance as a recognition to his services rendered to music, and he was also recently awarded a life achievement award by Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation.
Besides the Nigar Film and Graduate Awards from Pakistan, he was presented the Saigal Award in Jalandhar, India, in 1979, whereas the Gorkha Dakshan Bahu Award was given to him in Nepal in 1983.
