Ghazal Rhapsody

Talat Aziz’s latest album promises to be his most versatile so far
It's been a while since ghazal singer Talat Aziz burst on the Indian classical music scene with the melodic Baat phholon ki and Zindagi jab bhi teri bazm from Umrao Jaan. Aziz’s stirring voice now returns with Carvaan-e-Ghazal, a nine-track album produced by Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Music that will release in January 2009.

Aziz’s previous album, Silver Jubilee Concert, in 2004, met with lukewarm response. This album, he says, follows a more contemporary sound. Aziz has been lately accused of tampering with the original ghazal sound and blending it with jazz and other forms. “I don’t see anything wrong with experimenting with sound especially at a time when Urdu as a language is fading,” says Aziz.

“It is important to make youngsters relate to this form of singing.” Aziz acknowledges the dwindling audience for ghazals, but is optimistic that things will improve. Interestingly, the singer has chosen completely unknown verse by his favourite poets- like Ghalib, Zafar and Faiz Ahmad Faiz for this album.

“So far Ghalib has overshadowed most Urdu writers. But there are many other great poets as well,” he says. One of the tracks from the album is a duet with playback singer Sonu Nigam. Talking about interactions between Pakistani and Indian singers coming to a halt post the Mumbai attacks, Aziz says, “We can’t hamper the musical relationship that has been shared for decades, just because of a few crazy men.”