The Great Mall Concerts - Talat Aziz

Organizing a ghazal night at a mall is not perhaps the greatest of ideas. There are too many extraneous sounds and disturbances to relish the music, and it inconveniences the performer and the listeners equally. And it makes the performer exclaim, "Can I have reverb in the monitor, please? It's very dry."

Richly clad in a royal black Jodhpur coat, our very own Hyderabadi hunk, Talat Aziz, still gave his best today at the Necklace Road. The down-to-earth, experienced and broad-minded musician just loves Hyderabad, and, as he puts it, needs to just cook up a bahana to be in this city. And after being a witness to his talent, you feel it needn't even be that way.

Now the Mall might appear rather early for its time, but the Hyderabadi seldom is. It was a typical Hyderabadi beginning with people hurriedly moving around well after the scheduled time, and not caring to sit even after he began. And his first song was just apt for the scene and the venue: "Ab kya ghazal sunao tujhe dekhne ke baad…"!

Next was a farmaish composed by Khayyam. Its tune sounded quite similar to Aandhiyaan in Hariharan's album "Kaash". A fast number that sounded playful with sharp tabla beats followed this. He rendered 4 to 5 rounds of swaras, and by the fifth song, his power to entice worked wonders on the audience, who turned completely mellow and suave.

Sathiyaa… is worth mentioning. An ideal song to listen to while journeying, it is styled in a typical Arabian manner, and sounds great coming from his soft, soothing and velvety voice. Bahut Yaad Aaye Bulathe Bulathe… in raag Chaarukesi (Carnatic) was enthralling, too, and surprises you with how ghazals can also be sung in South-Indian raagas.

Aziz officially wound up his concert with the background score that he did for the TV series Sailaab, and unofficially with Phir Chadi Raat…, upon request.

Like the famous artiste and actor opines, ghazals are not just shabaab and qabaab (literally meaning beauty and the minced salty meat cake, which are the symbolic expression for a luxurious, licentious and liberal way of life), there is plenty of finesse of thought that makes for class. Good music is based on melody backed with hummable and poetic lyrics. And there was indeed some great shaayari (poetry) in his songs that portrayed mainly the beauty of women. It sure must have stolen the hearts of all the lady folk present there. I know at least one for the Lost And Found!

SV