GHAZAL singing, the most popular and versatile poetic-musical art form in the Indian subcontinent, has traveled to the different parts of the world with Indian diaspora. Last week, Khalid Iqbal, an Indian ghazal singer, presented a unique and enchanting style of ghazal singing at a concert in Riyadh. The occasion was the 10th anniversary celebration of Deccan Cultural Association. Iqbal, who has a large number of fans in India, particularly in Hyderabad and Bombay and including Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar and director Mahesh Bhatt, drew a full house at the Saudi German Hospital auditorium. Iqbal comes from a family of scholars and has Urdu poetry in his blood and an inventory of countless couplets of classical and contemporary poets in his memory. As a result he is able to aptly interpose many couplets (asha'ar ) to supplement the theme and mood of each ghazal he sings. Unlike in classical music where music is of utmost importance, in ghazals lyrical beauty has equal footing. For ghazal compositions, classical music modes (raag) are blended (misher-mel) to find the right rhythmic pattern matching the poetic meter and capturing the mood intended. Ghazal has come a long way and so have ghazal singers like Iqbal. Traditionally ghazal was sung with tabla* and sarangi**, then came the harmonium and now there is complete orchestra with it, including sitar, violin, and guitar. Jagjit singh was the first ghazal singer to incorporate the western guitar in ghazals. Cassius Khan, a young Canadian talent, is the only ghazal singer in the world who can accompany himself on the tabla. Iqbal got his music training from Vitthal Rao, a famous ghazal maestro from Hyderabad. It took Iqbal over a decade to develop his unique singing style. Using charm, modulation of voice and an interactive and dramatic style of presentation, he fully engages his audience. At the concert he presented many delightful and melodious ghazals composed by Saqib Kamal Faridi who accompanied him on the harmonium. Others in the troupe were Mohd, Sardar Khan on tabla and Mohd. Yaseen Khan on violin. Yaseen Khan, a seasoned violinist from the Bollywood orchestra circles, played beautiful preludes and interludes with ghazlas and, on public demand also played a few solos of popular film songs. Indian Ambassedor M.O.H Farooq inagurated the concert as chief guest. Hifzul Rehman, Embassy secretary for Information & Culture, and Ratan Ghosh , Air-India country manager, were the guests of honor. Abdul Aziz Shameen Khan, chairman of the association welcomed the guests. Ziaur Rehman, the president , presented a beautiful memento to the singer. Mirza Majeed Baig was the master of ceremony. * A pair of small hand drums attached together, used in Indian music; one is slightly larger than the other and is played using pressure from the heel of the palm to vary the pitch. ** An Indian bowed musical instrument about two feet high, with three or four main strings and up to 35 sympathetic strings. __
