“Ghazal singing is far more than just a musical tradition.”- Ghulam Ali
20 min read
Ally Adnan sits down with renowned ghazal singer Ghulam Ali for an engaging interview that traces the maestro’s journey—from his early introduction to music and rich musical lineage to his first audition and the global acclaim he later achieved. What unfolds is a captivating conversation between a devoted ghazal enthusiast and a true legend of the genre.
One of the greatest ghazal singers of all time, Ghulam Ali is known for his mastery of raag, command of rhythm, ability to engage listeners, both seasoned and uninitiated, deep knowledge of Urdu poetry, extraordinarily vast repertoire, remarkable gift for composing ghazals, and, more than anything else, exquisite tone and timbre of voice. In an exclusive interview, the octogenarian speaks to Ally Adnan about his initiation into music, association with Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and his brothers, audition at Radio Pakistan, training in tabla, criteria for selecting ghazals, and love of Urdu poetry, as well as the importance of raag and taal in ghazal singing, the essential qualities of good ghazal singers and listeners, the future of ghazal singing, and much more.
Ally Adnan (A.A.): Who introduced you to music?
Ghulam Ali (G.A): My father, Daulat Ali, who was a singer and a sarangi player, was my first teacher of music. He introduced me to raag (melody) and taal (rhythm). He was an ardent admirer of the great Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and named me after him. I was fortunate enough to eventually become a student of the maestro.
A.A.: I believe you also studied with Baba Malang Hussain before becoming a student of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.
G.A: Baba Malang Hussain was a highly respected and accomplished musician in my village. As a child, I listened to his music and may well have been influenced by it, though I never became a formal disciple.
A.A.:It is said that you are not only a student of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan but also of his brothers Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan, and Ustad Amanat Ali Khan.
G.A: Yes, it is true that I learned from all four brothers, but my ganda bandhan, the formal ritual of tying the thread with a teacher, was with Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. He was immensely popular in both India and Pakistan at the time and used to travel all over the region to perform, leaving me with his brothers to learn music. He eventually migrated to India, entrusting my education to Ustad Barkat Ali Khan and Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan, but he would find time to teach me whenever he returned to Pakistan.
My teachers were truly gifted. I did not need formal lessons from them; I learned simply by listening to them sing. Even spending time with them was a learning experience.
A.A.: The four brothers had similar styles of singing but focused on different genres: Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan liked to sing khayal, tarana, thumri, and dadra; Ustad Barkat Ali Khan enjoyed singing thumri, ghazal, and geet; and Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan and Ustad Amanat Ali Khan mostly sang khayal and thumri. Did the four brothers teach you the specific genres they practiced?
G.A: You are absolutely right in saying that the brothers enjoyed performing different genres of music, but no, they did not teach me the specific genres they themselves performed. All four taught me classical music, and in a remarkably similar manner. They introduced me to the basic notes and explained tempo. I learned various raags and taals from them. They molded and shaped my voice, focusing on voice control, pitch accuracy, tonal clarity, breath support, and aesthetic expression. I was introduced to a number of alankaars, including meend, gamak, murki, zamzama, khatka, and phanda. They made sure I could render taans fluently and understood their various forms and types. They also taught me techniques like merukhand.
I think there is an important point to be made here: no matter what genre you intend to sing, if you are going to do it well, you need the solid foundational training of classical music. Once you have that, you can sing any and every genre capably. After completing my training, I chose to focus on ghazal, but I also sing thumri and dadra, and occasionally perform khayal, geet, and kafi.
A.A.: Melody and rhythm are both important elements of music, but ghazal singers typically focus more on melody. That is not the case with you.
G.A: Yes, I focus equally on raag and taal, and use both melody and rhythm to bring out the true character and meaning of a ghazal.
A.A.: Is that because you learned tabla for a few years?
G.A: Yes, of course.
I was always fascinated by rhythm and loved fitting my ghazal compositions tightly within the rhythmic cycles of our music. I studied tabla with the great Ustad Allah Ditta Biharipuriya, with whom I lived in Karachi for a few years.
A.A.:The student of Mian Nabi Baksh Kalra.
G.A: Yes, that is correct. He was a distant cousin and close friend of my father, who loved him like a brother.
A.A.: Your ghazals are almost always set in the Dadra, Roopak, and Keharwa taals which are six-, seven-, and eight-beat rhythmic cycles, respectively.
G.A: Not only mine, but those of most, if not all, ghazal singers.
A.A.:Why is that?
G.A: Urdu ghazal is based on specific meters drawn from Arabic and Persian prosody. These meters lend themselves most naturally to the rhythmic cycles you mentioned. It is possible to sing ghazals in other, more complex taals, and I have sung a few in the ten-beat Jhaptaal, but doing so rarely adds to the beauty of a ghazal. Listeners of ghazal are most comfortable with Dadra, Roopak, and Keharwa taals, and I do not see any benefit in challenging their rhythmic sensibilities.
A.A.: When did you start singing ghazals professionally?
G.A: It was in 1960 at Radio Pakistan Lahore.
A.A.: How did you secure the opportunity of singing at Radio Pakistan Lahore?
G.A: Shaad Amritsari, who was a senior officer at Radio Pakistan Lahore, used to frequent the baithak (studio) of Ustad Barkat Ali Khan. He heard me sing there once and arranged an audition.
I think there is an important point to be made here: no matter what genre you intend to sing, if you are going to do it well, you need the solid foundational training of classical music.
Ghulam Ali
A.A.: How was the audition?
G.A: It was traumatic. Truly nerve-wracking. Shaad Amritsari was there, along with the program producer, Muhammad Azam Khan, and the station director, Agha Basheer. Several musicians were present as well. I had prepared a khayal, with great care and diligence, for the audition but had barely sung for a few minutes when they asked me to stop. I was convinced I had failed and told Ustad Barkat Ali Khan about the botched audition. My teacher smiled and said that connoisseurs of music can gauge the quality of a singer within just a few minutes, and told me not to worry. He was right. A few days later, I received a letter from the station informing me that I had been selected to join Radio Pakistan as a vocalist.
A.A.: I believe that the first ghazal you sang at Radio Pakistan Lahore was Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi’s Shaam Ko Subah-e-Chaman Yaad Aayi. It is a very complex composition in Raag Shivranjhini. Who composed it, and did you find it difficult to render?
G.A: I composed the ghazal myself and, Alhamdulillah, I had received the right training in music that allowed me to sing it with confidence and composure. God bless my father and my teachers for having laid the foundation that, as I said earlier, makes it possible to sing any and every genre capably.
A.A.: How did you find ghazals to compose and sing in the early years of your career?
G.A: In my youth, I used to spend time in the company of poets like Sufi Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum, Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi, Muneer Niazi, and Nasir Kazmi. They would read their ghazals to me and explain their meaning, essence, and mood in great detail, often offering philosophical context and significance as well. I would then compose and sing them. With time, I developed an understanding and appreciation of Urdu poetry myself as well and started reading the works of classical poets of the language.
A.A.: Has your process of selecting ghazals changed over time?
G.A: Yes, it has. Over the years, I have fallen in love with Urdu poetry and developed a deep understanding and appreciation for its language, depth, and nuance. I have spent a great deal of time reading the works of classical and modern poets, and continue to do so. Mirza Ghalib, Hasrat Mohani, and Mir Hassan are among my favorites. I select ghazals that resonate with me intellectually, emotionally, and philosophically. It is difficult to sing ghazals that do not speak to me.
A.A.: The meter of each couplet in a ghazal is identical and typically determines the taal of the composition. However, the mood, meaning, and emotional tone of each couplet, which influence the choice of raag, often vary. How, then, do you select a single raag for an entire ghazal?
G.A: A raag usually has a dominant mood, one of the nine emotions known as the navras, defined since ancient times. Capable musicians, however, are often able to invoke other emotions within the same raag. The primary rasa of Raag Bhairavi is karun (pathos), but it can also be rendered with singhar (romance) and shant (peace), for example. So, while retaining the primary raag, a singer can invoke varied emotions while singing different couplets.
A.A.: It is also permissible to employ multiple raags in a single ghazal.
G.A: Yes, it is permissible, but it is easier said than done.
A.A.: Why is it easier said than done?
This gets into the depth of singing ghazal, and I am glad you asked the question. In a raagmala, multiple raags are sung in succession to demonstrate a singer’s mastery over various melodic modes. That is not the case in ghazal singing, where additional raags are employed to enhance the meaning, mood, and essence of individual couplets, and sometimes even a single hemistich.
This requires a refined understanding of both music and poetry, together with deep aesthetic sensibility. A singer must transition from the primary raag to a secondary one, employ it judiciously, and then return to the primary raag confidently with fluidity, delicacy, and grace. The movement between raags must be assured, intentional, and confident. Otherwise, the singing will become aawara (wayward).
A.A.: I have noticed that you have sometimes sung the same ghazals in different raags at different times.
G.A: Which ones?
A.A.: Agha Bismil’s ghazal Mehfil Mein Baar Baar Kisi Par Nazar Gai, for one. In the 1980s, you used to sing it in Raag Darbari, but moved to Raag Megh at the turn of the century, and recently sang it in Raag Brindabani Sarang.
G.A: That is correct. As one grows older, one’s understanding of poetry changes as well. That is probably what happened with the ghazal you just mentioned. Its meaning, as I understand it today, is best explored through the five notes of Brindabani Sarang. In other cases, a change in raag may have been prompted by the mood of the mehfil (gathering), the make-up of the audience, the singer’s current emotional state, or even the weather. Our music is traditionally not written down, but always improvised. It lives and breathes in the moment, and that is what makes it beautiful.
A.A.: Your ghazal style is very different from that of your teacher, Ustad Barkat Ali Khan.
G.A: Yes, it is.
A.A.: Why do you not sing in his style?
G.A: There are two reasons. First, my teachers always encouraged me to develop my own individual style. Second, and more importantly, I simply cannot sing as well as he did, and would not be able to do justice to his compositions.
A.A.: In my opinion, you have sung some of his well-known songs, like Chiragh Hasan Hasrat’s mahiya, exceedingly well and to great popularity.
G.A: Yes, God is kind and sometimes allows a trace of my teacher’s wonderful style to shine through in my singing. That said, I must be honest and admit that I can never be as good as he was.
A.A.: What is the significance of laggi in ghazal singing?
G.A: All the couplets of a ghazal are typically sung in a similar style. Laggi serves as a tabla interlude that introduces variation, injects energy, adds interest, and helps prevent monotony. Since the couplets of a ghazal are often independent in thought, the break afforded by laggi creates a deliberate and helpful separation between the verses. It is a feature of ghazal that listeners have come to appreciate and enjoy increasingly over the years.
A.A.: How has laggi evolved over the years?
G.A: The laggi employed in ghazal has become more complex and energetic over time. It has come to be regarded as an integral part of classical ghazal singing and is now characterized by increased rhythmic density, syncopation, speed, deviations from the underlying taal, tempo variations, rhythmic variety, and impromptu expansions. The laggi of thumri, on the other hand, has remained largely unchanged.
A.A.: The laggi we hear in early recordings of thumri and ghazal is very often in sixteen beats, even when the composition is set in a different number of beats. Today, however, laggi almost always follows the rhythmic cycle of the composition. Is that a part of the evolution of laggi?
G.A: Yes, early laggis were often set in teentaal, but not because tabla players of the time lacked the ability to compose and play them in other cycles. It was simply the rivaaj (custom) at the time. That practice has changed, and laggi is now typically set to the same taal as the composition.
A.A.: Speaking of laggi, tabla player Abdul Sattar Khan Tari is widely credited with having singlehandedly developed, redefined, and popularized the laggi for ghazal. He is also regarded as one of the world’s finest ghazal accompanists. The two of you had a long and successful professional association, as well as a close personal friendship, before famously falling out. What happened?
G.A: There is no doubt that Tari is an exceptionally gifted tabla player. He accompanied me all over the world, and we had hundreds, if not thousands, of very successful concerts together. Over time, however, he became arrogant and developed an exaggerated sense of his own importance. He also became less professional and stopped valuing punctuality. I found him increasingly difficult to work with and, eventually, decided to part ways.
A.A.: Do you ever miss performing with Tari?
G.A: Of course I do. A whole lot. He has a remarkable ability to elevate the performance of a musician, especially a ghazal singer, but I cannot work with someone who is not reliable and respectful.
A.A.: You have composed the vast majority of your own songs but have, on occasion, sung compositions by other musicians. Do you find it difficult to sing music composed by someone else?
G.A: I find it difficult only when the composition is not good.
A.A.: What do you do in those circumstances?
G.A: I discuss the song with the composer and suggest changes. When that is not possible, I sing the song as best as I can and hope that I am wrong in not liking the composition. Fortunately, that has happened very rarely in my career. People have composed excellent songs for me.
A.A.: You were born, raised, and trained in Pakistan but arguably found greater fame, fortune, and fan-following in India. Does the current animosity between the two countries bother you?
G.A: I have received great love, generosity, and kindness in India, just as I always have in Pakistan. Yes, the increasing hostilities between the two countries trouble me deeply. I hope they will end, and that peace will prevail eventually.
A.A.:You have performed all over the world. Where did you find the best listeners?
G.A: Calcutta. The people of the city are knowledgeable, discerning, and deeply appreciative of music. They listen with rapt attention and complete focus, and never miss a single nuance in the music.
A.A.: Do they understand lyrics of Urdu poetry?
G.A: Not always, but they enjoy the music of ghazal immensely.
A.A.: Classical music is said to enjoy greater popularity in India than in Pakistan, and the country is home to many exceptionally talented classical vocalists, instrumentalists, and accomplished exponents of popular music. Yet, India has not produced ghazal singers of the caliber of Mehdi Hassan, Farida Khanum, Iqbal Bano, or yourself. Why do you think that is?
G.A: Pakistanis, and Punjabis in particular, are deeply emotional people. They have strong feelings about love, loss, betrayal, longing, and devotion. These are the very themes of ghazal, which is probably the reason for the popularity of the genre among Pakistani singers.
Moreover, Urdu is the national language of Pakistan, and its people know it better than most Indians. This allows them to connect with ghazal more readily and may be another reason for its greater popularity in Pakistan.
It may be a broad generalization, but I sometimes feel that Pakistanis tend to do better in forms like ghazal, kafi, and qawwali, which require intense emotional expression, whereas Indians are more adept at genres such as khayal and dhrupad, which need high musical precision.
A.A.: You collaborated with one of India’s most celebrated singers, Asha Bhosle, on two albums titled Meraj-e-Ghazal in 1983 and Generations more recently. What was that experience like?
G.A: Asha Bhosle is a phenomenal artist with extraordinary talent, a remarkable voice, and sound training in classical music. After recording thousands of songs for films, she had a desire to record an album of ghazal because she loved the genre but had not had an opportunity to sing it due to her focus on cinema. I believe she also wanted to showcase her versatility by recording an album of ghazals. She was very motivated and worked diligently with me to sing ghazals I had composed. The album was a huge success and features some truly excellent songs. Generations was equally special and allowed me to revisit the successful partnership and work with the renowned songstress together with my son, Aamir Ghulam Ali, who contributed to the collaboration.
I had great fun working with Asha Bhosle and, during the course of our time together, also learned that she was a very good cook. We share a love of food and enjoyed some fantastic meals together while working on the two albums.
A.A.: You are also known to be very fond of Noor Jehan’s cooking.
G.A: I do not just like Noor Jehan’s cooking. I adore it, and I love her food almost as much as I love her music.
A.A.: Did she cook for you often?
G.A: Not often enough.
A.A.: Tari Khan once told me about a time when Noor Jehan was in London and invited the two of you over for dinner. Do you remember that evening?
G.A: Of course, I do. How could I not? It was one of the most memorable evenings of my life.
Madam Noor Jehan was visiting London during a difficult time in her life. Her ex-husband, Ejaz Durrani, had been incarcerated in the United Kingdom for attempting to smuggle contraband, and she was there trying to help him. She asked Tari Khan and me to come see her because she needed “good company” and “good music” to take her mind off her troubles, and promised to cook for us herself.
She had made bhunni hui murghi, aaloo ki bhujia, but karelay, and fresh chappatis. Her longtime companions, Achi Mian and Majeedan, were present as well, along with one of her daughters. The food was incredibly delicious. I still remember the bhujia. She sprinkled a mix of dry-roasted spices over it just before serving the dish. The aroma filled the room. The potatoes were crisp on the outside, soft inside, and perfectly spiced. I still remember their unforgettable taste.
After dinner, I sang a few ghazals for her with Tari Khan accompanying me on tabla. Later, Madam Ji sang two songs herself. First, Tera Kisi Pe Aaye Dil, and then Sajna Re. It was a truly magical evening. There really was no one like Noor Jehan. God had blessed her with a singing ability that was entirely her own.
A.A.: What was special about Noor Jehan’s singing?
G.A: I think it was the accuracy with which she rendered all twelve notes of music. Her pitch was perfect, and her notes were simultaneously strong and delicate. She had a distinctive nasal voice and truly understood the poetry she sang. She had the solid foundational training in classical music that I mentioned earlier and that I believe is absolutely essential for anyone who wants to sing well. She was also a deeply sensitive person, someone who felt things intensely, and was able to bring a rare emotional depth, meaning, and expression to her songs. This rare quality is often missing in the songs of even the most competent of singers.
A.A.: What kind of relationship did you have with Noor Jehan?
G.A: It was a strong and meaningful relationship, built on shared values, a deep love for music and poetry, and mutual respect. We were both students of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, and that, I believe, created a spiritual bond, if you will, which was deeply personal.
Madam Noor Jehan could be very warm, loving, and kind. She had a strong personality, but beneath it was great softness and generosity, especially toward people she loved, respected, and cared for. She also had a delightful, and rather wicked, sense of humor and, when in the right mood, could make people laugh for hours on end. I appreciated that greatly.
She was a mentor to me in many ways, a confidante, and, above all, a friend. I could speak to her openly, and she would often give me advice, not only about music, but about life as well.
A.A.: Did you ever sing together?
G.A: No, I do not think we ever did.
A.A.: There is the title song of Heer Ranjha.
G.A: Yes, but it was not a duet. It was recorded in two separate sessions. Nonetheless, I have always felt great pride in having shared Khwaja Khurshid Anwar’s composition of Heer with her. I remember she arrived at the studio while I was in the middle of recording and listened to me very intently. Later, she praised my singing with tremendous generosity and warmth. Her encouragement meant the world to me.
A.A.: It is a very special composition.
G.A: It absolutely is! Heer is usually sung without rhythmic accompaniment, but Khwaja Khurshid Anwar set it to a four-beat cycle, a slow variation of the traditional Keharwa, which brought something new to the traditional form and gave it a dignified, somber gravitas.
A.A.: You have composed and sung well over two thousand ghazals. Do you have any favorites of your own?
G.A: Tamam Umr Tera Intezar Hum Ne Kiya by Hafeez Hoshiyaruri is a personal favorite.
A.A.: I believe it is in Raag Puriya Dhanashree.
G.A: Yes, it is. The raag was not part of my training. I first heard it in a recording by Ustad Vilayat Khan. The raag fascinated me, and I decided not only to learn it but also to set a ghazal to it. I sang the ghazal at the barsi of Fateh Ali Khan in Lyallpur and received immense praise from the audience, especially from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who, after hearing the composition, declared me the Ustad Salamat Ali Khan of ghazal.
A.A.: What are some of your other favorite ghazals?
G.A: I love Dil Mein Ik Lehr Si Uthi Hai Abhi by Nasir Kazmi. It is in Raag Pahari. Riaz Khairabadi’s Bata Do Tum Humein Bedad Karna in Raag Sindh Bhairavi is another favorite. I am also very fond of Momin Khan Momin’s Thi Wasl Mein Bhi Fikr-e-Judai Tamam Shab, which I composed in Raag Kaushik Dhun.
A.A.: I think you embellish that one with Raag Marwa.
G.A: Yes, and with Raag Sohini.
A.A.: What are the essential qualities of a good ghazal singer?
G.A: A good ghazal singer must have a sound knowledge and understanding of language, along with mastery of correct diction and pronunciation. He must be familiar with the themes, traditions, and motifs of Urdu poetry. He should possess perfect pitch and a strong sense of tempo, as well as a solid grasp of raag and taal. He must be able to choose appropriate raags and taals when composing ghazals. A commanding stage presence and the ability to connect emotionally and intellectually with a wide range of listeners are also essential. Finally, he must have a solid understanding of meter.
A.A.: Are you referring to the nineteen behers of Urdu prosody?
G.A: Yes, I am. Ilm-e-Arooz (knowledge of prosody) is difficult to acquire, but is essential all the same.
A.A.: And what are the essential qualities of a good listener of ghazal?
G.A: It is not easy being a good listener of ghazal. In fact, it is more difficult to be a good listener than a good singer of ghazal. One must possess the same understanding of music and poetry as the singer, and perhaps even more. He should be able to focus, pay attention, and listen with care. A good listener must know how to engage with the singer and appreciate the performance in a way that brings out the very best in the artist. He must be cultured and refined. He must have good manners. And, more than anything else, he must know how to respect both himself and the artist.
A.A.: Ghazal is sung on radio and television, and occasionally featured in movies. It is performed at musical seminars and conferences, and included in barsis (death anniversary commemorations) of musicians. It is also sung in private and public mehfils (gatherings) held in auditoriums, halls, and homes. In your opinion, what is the best forum for ghazal?
I believe the best forum is a small, intimate mehfil held at a private residence, with a limited number of discerning listeners.
A.A.: The singing of ghazal has continued to grow in popularity since the early nineteenth century. Do you believe this trend will continue?
G.A: No, I do not.
A.A.: Why?
G.A: I think audience tastes are changing, and not for the better. Listeners no longer seem willing to invest the time, effort, and energy needed to cultivate a real appreciation of ghazal. Singers today often lack the patience, discipline, and lifelong commitment required to truly master the art form. The dwindling popularity of ghazal makes me profoundly unhappy.
Ghazal singing is far more than just a musical tradition. It is a living archive of our collective history, identity, and literary heritage. It preserves subtle nuances of language, emotion, and cultural values that define us as a society. And it brings great pleasure to those who listen.
Allowing ghazal singing to fade away would be a veritable tragedy. Yet things seem to be headed that way. It is a sad state of affairs, but one can always hold onto hope that, through divine grace, the devotion of music lovers, and the commitment of sincere vocalists, this cherished art form will be preserved. Allah, in His infinite power, can reverse its waning popularity in an instant.
I hope that He will.
Note: Photographs by Noor Akbar Chishti
Interviewer’s Bio
Ally Adnan is a US-based writer of Pakistani origin who writes on culture, art, and history. He is a regular speaker and commentator on television, radio, cultural festivals, and academic symposia around the world, and has been writing for more than thirty years. His work has appeared in Daily Times, Dawn, Express Tribune, The Friday Times, The Herald, Minute Mirror, Newsline, The Nation, Page 3, The Pakistan Observer, and many other publications. He is an accredited film critic and a member of FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) and the Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association. He tweets @allyadnanjanjua and can be reached at allyadnan@outlook.com.
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