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Gentle guru of ghazals

JAGJIT SINGH is generally credited with ushering in the ghazal wave in India. Anup Jalota took it a step further by combining ghazal singing with folk songs and devotionals. But the one to demystify the genre and popularise it among the youth is the utterly low profile, yet highly respected Pankaj Udhas.

Over 22 years, he has come out with albums like Aafreen, Naayab (a triple platinum hit), Rubayee, Mehfil, Pankaj Udhas Live at Albert Hall, Nasha, Life Story... all of which have been major chart-busters. The number Woh ban savar kar chale from his latest album Muskaan is already ruling the airwaves.

He has also been singing in films like Saajan (Jiye to jiye kaise) and Naam (Chitthi aayi hai), besides appearing in television programmes like Khazana, along with other ghazal singers like Talat Aziz, Peenaz Masani, Rajendra-Nina Mehta, Bhupinder-Mitali and Anup Jalota.

"But it is at concerts and while singing live in front of a young audience that I derive most satisfaction," says the singer, who has made it his mission to popularise ghazals. "I like to go to any extent to strike a chord with the youth because they are the ones who would take this tradition forward."

One way to achieve this has been to give ghazals a very contemporary sound. For instance, in his album, Muskaan, he deliberately offsets the effect of traditional instruments like sitar, santoor and taar shehnai with modern rhythms and electronic beats, without compromising on the essence of Zafar Gorakhpuri’s lyrics.

The second way has been by simplifying the lyrics: "I did my own bit of research between 1994 and 1998 to find out why our youngsters are blank about this beautiful genre of music," he narrates. "The general reaction was that ghazals are tough because the language and its nuances went above their heads."

That made him think: "I wondered why they felt so when Urdu is such an easy language to understand and is much appreciated in film songs. Moreover, the melody is so Indian. That is when I decided to try out lyrics that both the young and old could relate to. My album Stolen Moments, which had the hit song Aur aahista kijiye baatein, was the first attempt in this direction."

Udhas has also made the most of the possibilities music videos offer so long as they help meet his objective. Without resorting to vulgarity or cheap gimmicks, he has combined the appeal of visually arresting frames with imaginative storyboards to convey the magic of his music.

In Stolen Moments, for instance, he came up with a memorable video of a foreigner falling in love with an Indian girl. "I wanted to show that love has no language," he explains. "That’s why the love between an Indian girl and an Australian boy is understood from the heart. After the release of this video, I noticed a whole lot of 12 to 16-year-olds attending my concerts."

He cites another example of how he filmed a ‘tricky song’, Phir Haath Mein Sharaab Hai... "When we were working on the video, I was quite clear about the fact that we were not going to murder the ghazal by showing a guy dead drunk and staggering on the screen.

"Instead, we came up with the idea of a story about a father who bonds with his daughter after his wife passes away. The video worked so well that it is remembered even today. It only goes to prove that if you have substance to offer, it will be acceptable."

But isn’t Indi-pop giving a bad name to non-film music, including ghazals?

Udhas is not one to get easily agitated. "I am not against any genre or kind of music," he replies in his soft, mellifluous voice. "I like pop, and am a big fan of the Beatles. I have grown up listening to them. Beatles pioneered pop music. All their numbers are mind-blowing, in terms of poetry, sound and singing."

As for Indi-pop, he says Indian singers need to get serious about pop music. "Anything goes in the name of pop, there’s no content in pop albums and anybody can cut an album. Singers are singing in mechanical voices. A voice should touch your heart. Like Bob Marley, who’s my all-time favourite. He is the one who introduced reggae to the world. His lyrics are very powerful!" (MF)