Home | January '99 Index

A recent impulse purchase - a double cassette album of 
ghazals by Amanat Ali Khan - brought several previously
unheard ghazals to my notice. Here is a ghazal from the 
album:

Date: 27-Jan-99
Poet: Abdul Hameed Adam

jab gardisho.n me.n jaam the
kitane hasii.n ayyaam the

[ayyaam = days]

ham hii na the rusavaa faqat
vo aap bhii badanaam the

[rusavaa = notorious; faqat = only )

kahate hai.n kuchh arsaa huaa
qaabe me.n bhii asanaam the

[asanaam = idols]

a.njaam kii kyaa sochate
naa-vaaqif-e-a.njaam the

[naa-vaaqif-e-a.njaam = unaware of the consequences/inexperienced]

ahad-e-javaanii me.n "Adam"
sab log gul-a.ndaa.m the

[gul-a.ndaam = people with bodies like flowers]


Amanat Ali Khan has a nice voice. The style 
of singing is reminiscent of Mehdi Hasan, the 
voice being similar in texture, though nowhere 
near the velvety perfection of the ghazal maestro.

However, the compositions, on the most part, 
fail to capture one's imagination.