Ghulam Ali & Talat Aziz Ghazal Concert in Chicago
What people are saying
As the date 30th April 2005 approaches closer, the atmosphere in Chicago’s and nearby states’ Indo-Pak community is getting electrified. People are getting in touch with their friends & family members and trying to get the best seats available for upcoming Ghulam Ali & Talat Aziz Ghazal Concert. On local radio channels, requests to air their songs are pouring in, and there is a possibility of having both artists’ live interview on radio channel before the show.
We asked some of the people what they think about these artists and their upcoming show. Here are their comments. Some of their comments are edited for brevity.
Dr. Sood, who has recently arrived in US from UK, was thrilled to know about the show. “Ghulam Ali is the best Ghazal singer”, he said, “I have followed him for 20-25 years. His style is inimitable. Even Jagjit Singh treats him as his Guru”.
Dr. Chandra feels that it’s a unique opportunity to see two giant artists perform together. “When I first came to know about it, I jumped on this opportunity”.
Saba Taqvi heard Ghulam Ali when she was in 5th grade. “I love his style and how he mixes classical music in urdu ghazals. Talat Aziz has a unique style too. His light style of singing ghazals makes common person to understand them easily. Listening them singing together will be something really new!”
Dr.
Birinder Marwah, a very well known personality in the community, wrote, “Ghulam Ali is known as the most versatile ghazal
singer ever. Along with Mehndi Hasan he revived the ghazals in the seventies,
when he sang " Faasle aise bhi honge, yeh kabhi
socha na tha". Listeners are always entertained when Ghulam Ali takes center stage and unlocks their emotions. The timeless poetry attains eternity when expressed by Ghulam Ali.
Raghu Baddi is one of the early ticket buyers. “I have listened to almost all songs of Ghulam Ali. There are many singers, but he really stands apart. He sings with classical base, and his songs always look so fresh, no matter how many times you listen to them. With his ability, he makes difficult-to-sing-songs sound so simple! I will be seeing him live first time. My friends, who are coming with me are equally thrilled!”
Dr. Ashok Phadke quoted very interesting example of how Ghulam Ali so easily connects to his audience. “Gaana-Pakaana kabhi ek na jaisa”, he said, “like a good cook – who knows what to cook differently for his different clients, Ghulam Ali also molds his style to his current audience. He has this great ability and he uses that to his maximum advantage, thus giving what his audiences are seeking. He is the best!”
Syed Kazi, a very good singer himself, had praises
for Ghulam Ali. "Ghulam Ali's niche is his capability of superb voice modulation",
he said, "he has very good mastery of voice control, and his musical compositions are great. Unki ek apni jagah
hai, ek apna mukaam hai."
Dr. Aliuddin is totally into music. He has many old records and albums of these 2 artists. “They are both are very renowned artists of Indo-Pak. When Talat Aziz sings, he creates waves – of love, passion of joy, of romance, and nostalgia. For Ghulam Ali, I would like to say this she’r of Majrooh which fits perfectly on him –
Rok sakta hamey zindaaney balaa kya majrooh
Hum to aawaaz hai.n, deewaar se chhann jaatey hai.n
Syed Mustafa said that ghazals are held very seldom in Chicago area. So it’s a privilege for Ghazal-pasand people to have this concert. “Both have an excellent voice. Their words touch my heart. In my opinion, they are 2 of the top 10 ghazal singers in last 50 years or so. I am looking forward to a beautiful evening!”
Vivek Modak wrote, “Ghulam Ali has popularized ghazals from persons in Diwan-A-Khaas to those in Diwan-A-Aam. Talat Aziz presents his Ghazals in attractive audiovisual manner. It will certainly be delight to listen to these two artists from the same platform
The concert is 2 months Ghazal tour organized by Dr. K.P. Singh, a professor in Washington University. Manjeet Rekhi, an ardent fan of Ghulam Ali, is organizing their Chicago Concert. “When I first heard the voice of Ghulam Ali back in 1980s, I was mesmerized. I had never thought of getting a chance to interact with him personally. So when I got this opportunity, I grabbed on it immediately. It’ll be a fun experience, organizing any show – at such a large level”, says Manjeet. The Chicago show is scheduled for 30th April, 2005 at Gateway Theatre, also known as Copernicus Foundation. The tickets are already on sale. The Concert information is available at Manjeet’s website at – http://www.rekhis.com/sada-e-ghazal. The tickets are available online at http://www.DesiTicketJunction.com & at various Indo-Pak Grocery Stores.
If you want these artists to sing any of your favorite ghazals, you can send your request to the following email addresses. All requests will be compiled and presented to artists –
Ghazal_Request@rekhis.com or Ghazal-Request@rekhis.com.
