The Magic Of Mehdi Hassan

Cheeniya · Nov 6, 2019

Listening to Mehdi Hassan is the best way to recover your lost soul. The first Gazal of his that I heard was Bhooli Bisri Chand Ummedein way back in '60s. He became my musical staple diet since then. At my advanced age when I tend to feel lonely more often than ever before Mehdi Hassan helps me to feel blissful.
Mehdi Hassan (1927-2012) Known as Shahanshah-e-Ghazal he ruled over this romantic form of music and became immortal.
In 1977, Lata Mangeshkar was so moved by his dulcet vocals during a New Delhi concert that she’s reported to have said, “Aisa lagta hai ke unke gale mein bhagwan boltein hain,” (It feels like God is singing through his voice). Our famous Hariharan is his student.
Let us now listen to some of his gazals:

This is the first Gazal of his that I listened and got instantly mesmerized.

PYAR BHARE DO SHARMILE NAIN! So romantic!

Yeh Dhuan SA KAHAN SE UTHA HAI. A fan says: Khan Sahib , Without you, Ghazal would be a big mistake ! Thank you so much !

abb ke hum bichray..
I am from INDIA and believe that music has no boundary.
Salute One of the best ever singer, Mehdi Hassan Sahab. Says an Indian fan.

Rafta Rafta Woh Meri. 7 million views!
Subtly and gradually, she became a part of my personality
First my life, then the love of my life, then she became the beloved of my life
Subtly and gradually, she became a part of my personality

peartree · Nov 7, 2019

@Cheeniya sir... thank you for this thread. I remember we used to have a cassette back when I was a child - a TDK cassette - full of ghazals by various singers - Pankaj Udhas, Anup Jalota and Mehdi Hassan, Runa Laila. The names did not mean much to me then, except that I used to thoroughly enjoy the music. My parents used to play them at night sometimes! Listening to it in the dark at our little flat in Madras in one of my best childhood meories. I guess it is them I have to thank for the wide exposure to all kinds of music they provided me with. It wasn't until much later, when I was in college when I discoverd this genius man was Mehdi Hassan, when I was going through a phase of realizing just how beautiful the langugage of Urdu is and heard "Ranjish Hi Sahi". To hear it in Mehdi saab's voice was just a completely different experience. I remember just being stunned at how much more beautiful the already beautiful words sounded in his voice!

Ranjish Hi Sahi

Cheeniya · Nov 7, 2019

@peartree
Dear peartree
What can I say! I least expected this kind of response to this thread. It is so thrilling to come across a fellow-lover of Gazals. A music connoisseur once told me that a person could be judged by his musical taste. According to him, the Gazal lovers came first in his ranking. I have attended several live Gazal concerts of leading singers and would sit in a trance.
Ranjish Hi Sahi is one of his great renderings. This is how Asha Bhosle honoured the great singer by singing it:

Thank you peartree
Sri

peartree · Nov 9, 2019

@Cheeniya sir. Indeed, ghazals are something! The beauty of the language, the serenity of the music... it just does something. I feel it is the genre of music that perfectly fits the phrase "soul-stirring". Other than Mehdi Hassan's, this is one of my favorite versions of this beautiful ghazal! I wish India and Pakistan would stop fighting and just collaborate and make lots of music!