13th June marked the 10th death anniversary of Mehdi Hassan Khan, the renowned ghazal singer who was known as the ‘Shehenshah-e-Ghazal’ (Emperor of Ghazal). He was one of the most influential and popular singers of ghazal, a form of classical poetry sung with music. He captivated millions of fans in Pakistan and India with his more than 25,000 songs and ghazals.
Mehdi Hassan came from a family of musicians who were descendants of the Kalawant clan of singers. He was born in Rajasthan, India, on July 18, 1927. He started learning music from his father and uncle at the age of eight and mastered various forms of classical music such as dhrupad, dadra, thumri, and kayak.
He moved to Pakistan with his family after the partition of India in 1947 and faced many hardships before he got a chance to sing on Radio Pakistan in 1957. He soon became famous for his unique style of singing ghazals, which combined classical music with modern sensibilities.
He sang for many Pakistani films and collaborated with famous poets such as Faiz Ahmad Faiz. He received many awards and honors from the Government of Pakistan, including Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Pride of Performance, and Hilal-e-Imtiaz.
Mehdi Hassan died on June 13, 2012, in Karachi after a long illness. He left behind a legacy of music that continues to inspire generations of singers and listeners. His voice is considered to be one of the finest expressions of ghazal singing in history.
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