Hariharan

How close ghazal singing is to Indian Classical Music, very close, they are almost same you would say if you listen to Hariharan's recitation. He is awesome(his brilliance and mastery over classical music is almost intimidating). Probably his compositions are the toughest(even if you keep great Ghulam Ali in mind). He uses gamaks almost at every word. He voice has limitless capability which flows through three octaves with unbelievable ease. Some of his ghazals are meant only for connoisseurs(albums like Vishaal). Only problem I have with him is that we do not listen to him much and off late experimenting too much. His recent albums like "Kaash" or "Waqt par bolna" leave a slight sense of disappointments among his ghazal fans. After all heavy duty Hariharan staffs like Vishaal, Haazir or Qarar are something which keep us longing for more.

Some of my favourites are:

1. Koi sayaa jhilmilaya
2. Kab tak yunhi rulayegi
3. Nazaar shanas tha
4. Hawa ka zor hi
5. Usne jab mujh se kiya

Mehdi Hassan

The Big Daddy of Ghazal. His gayaki is probably the best. It ranges from simple, soulful to heavy duty classical. His voice is unique, his rendition is sublime and his choice of lyric is impeccable. He is an idol to all ghazal singers(is there any student of ghazal who has not learned "Ranjish hi sahi"?). He has a beautiful balance between soulfulness(like Jagjit Singh) and technique(like Ghulam Ali). His voice is full of pathos which is enchanting(listen to "Dekh toh dil ki jaan se uthta hain" and you will know what is pathos). He has a great sense of discipline unlike many other singers he never goes over board on his harkats & laykari. Very rarely he will use bol taans in his rendition. His voice has a limited range (or may be he does not stretch his voice to higher octaves like Ghulam Ali) but he put all a listener may ask for within that limit itself. His choice of raga acts as a perfect foil to his choice of shers. A career ranging over 50 years produced countless number of unforgettable ghazals. However some of my personal favourites are:

1. Beqarari Si beqarari hain

2. Keya toota hain andaar andaar

3. Kaise Chhupaoon raaz-e-gham

4. Baat karni mujhe

5. Gulon mein rang bhare

Ghulam Ali

Sharp contrast to Jagjit Singh's style. Very unique. His mastery over classical music is always evident in his rendition. Ghulam Ali's ghazal can be a showroom on hindustani classical music for music students. He can blend multiple ragas in one ghazal without spoiling the mood. However he does all his harkats & laykari with a unique playfulness which even a novice listener can also enjoy. His compositions are tough yet catchy and he gives lot of importance on taal & lay. Ghulam Ali in concert is an experience to live for.

Although he is mostly loved for popular ghazals like Chupke Chupke, Hungama or Awaargi; some of my personal favourites are:

1. Faasle Aise Bhi Honge.

2. Bichhad Ke Bhi Mujhe Tujhse.

3. Koi Samjhaiye Keya.

4. Zakhm-e-tanhai Mein.

5. Meri Nazar Se Na Ho Dur.

I will post my reviews on his ghazals. Postings are welcome from all.

Jagjit Singh

One of the best in the trade. Very unorthodox ghazal singer. His rendition is simple but soulful. His composition has his signature(some say they are monotonous) simplicity. His soothing baritone voice compliments his compositions nicely. In spite of being a well trained in hindustani classical music, Jagjit does not believe in burdening his rendering with repeatative harkats(improvisations) or unnecessary laykari(playing with tempos). His style of singing has strong influence of Ghazals from Old Hindi Films sung by greats like Talat Mehmood, Md. Rafi & the likes. Jagjit is not only a great composer he is a brilliant music arranger as well; he uses both Indian & Western Instruments in his compositions; & blend them with ease. He is a master of rendering soulful lyrics; where most ghazal singers restrict them in singing about saqi & sharaab, Jagjit chooses poetry on life & philosophy.

Although most of his compositions are awesome here are some of my personal favourites:

1. Baat Niklegi To Phir (Unforgottebles)
2. Hazaron Khwahishen Aisi( Mirza Ghalib)
3. Kaal Choudvi Ki Raat Thi
4. Duniya Jise Kehete Hain
5. Aye Khuda Ret ke Sehara Ko

In this blog I will try to review his albums one by one. Postings from others are also welcome

Welcome Ghazal Lovers

Welcome to all connoisseurs of Urdu Ghazals. In this blog we will be discussing about ghazals sung by maestros like Jagjit Singh, Ghulam Ali, Mehdi Hassan, Hariharan and the likes. This blog welcomes posting about ghazals on topics like album review, discussion on singers, translation of shers etc.

Personally I will be posting my reviews on ghazal album with my ratings(Of course these will be my personal opinions and recommendations).

Despite being a die hard Jagjit fan I will try to as objective as possible.

Also please note that any negative comment towards any artist, cast, community, country, religion is completely unacceptable and the postings will be immediately removed.

Thanks