![]("/images/Nisar-Bazmi-1.jpg")
Adil Najam
The last few weeks have not been good. Its one bad news after the other. The fiasco of the Chief Justice’s removal; government high-handedess with protesting lawyers and then the media; Pakistan being kicked out of the Cricket World Cup; Bob Woolmer’s death in what we now know to be a murder; Inzimam’s retirement; and, now, I just heard that Nisar Bazmi has died.
According to The Daily Times:
Nisar Bazmi, one of Pakistan’s greatest music composers, passed away at around midnight on Thursday at the Aga Khan University Hospital. He was 83. Bazmi had been re-admitted about a week earlier with kidney problems amongst others. Last month, Daily Times had interviewed an extremely ![]("/images/Nisar-Bazmi-2.jpg")
weak Bazmi when he was earlier admitted to the same hospital with heart problems. While doctors had advised him against talking too much, he could not help but express his love for music. “I want to be involved with music till my last breath,� he said. “Meri saansein moseeki se bandhi hui hain. Mere rag rag me surkha samandar behta he.� Bazmi said that in his opinion, not even Lata could match Noor Jehan’s voice. Born in 1924, in Bombay, India, to a family with no musical inclination, Bazmi’s interest in the art caught the eye of Khan Saheb Aman Ali Khan who taught the talented 13-year-old. He worked for All India Radio but swept into the limelight in 1944 with some songs he composed for the drama ‘Nadir Shah Durrani’. His career spanned 40 films during which time he composed for Runa Laila, Noor Jehan and Mehdi Hassan. He won numerous awards as best composer.
Bazmi sahib’s death is, of course, not comparable to the other events – he had been sick, he lived a full life of a rich and long life that deserves to be celebrated. But his passing leaves a hole in the heart just like the passage of poets Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi and Munir Niazi had.
I had the pleasure of meeting him a few times and interviewing him on television once. He was a sweet and wonderful man; much like his music. From his demeanor one would not have guessed the classics he had composed: which included, ‘aise bhi hain mehrban‘ (Ahmad Rushdie), ‘kuchh loag rooth kar bhi‘ (Ahmad Rushdie), ‘Abhi dhoond hi rahi thi‘ (Noor Jahan), ‘Kaatay na katay‘ (Runa Laila), ‘Ranjish hi sahi‘ (Mehdi Hassan), ‘Bol re guriya bol‘ (Nayarra Noor), ‘Hum chale to humaray‘ (Alamgir), and many many more.
Probably my all-time favorite song from him is the national song Yeh Watan Tumhara Hai by Medhi Hasan. The best video version of the song is the latest one which you can view here, and about which I had written here. Unfortunately, the version found on YouTube is probably the least interesting one of the three versions I know of. It is, nonetheless, very inspiring. Especially today, on Pakistan Day.
One of his great film hits,
kuch loag rooth kar bhi…
And this Alamgir classic,
hum challey tou humaray sang sang nazaray…
One of Mehdi Hasan’s great ghazals,
ranjish hi sahi, which was once a movie song
Seven By Seven / Seven things you need to know by 7 a.m. in our site livingston county news
The Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY) August 30, 2010 1. The Jackson Browne show with David Lindley tonight in Shea’s Performing Arts Center is sold out. Fans who couldn’t get tickets might take the Browne-Lindley live “Love Is Strange” CD out for another spin, but only about half the songs from those 2006 dates in Spain show up on the current set list. In Baltimore last week, the set included such biggies from Browne’s early years as “Fountain of Sorrows,” “The Pretender” and “Rock Me on the Water.” 2. The Bisons return to Coca-Cola Field tonight to open up their final homestand of the season against their Thruway series rivals the Syracuse Chiefs (7:05, 1520 AM). The Herd still has a chance to make the playoffs, the weather couldn’t be finer, and it’s Ollie’s Bargain Night, with $7 admission, $1 popcorn and ice cream and discounts in the gift shop.
3. Readers of the Batavia Daily News probably won’t notice a difference, but starting today their paper is being printed by the same presses that print this newspaper. Under a five-year agreement with Batavia Newspapers Corp., The Buffalo News will print the Daily News, which publishes Monday through Saturday, plus its two weekly publications — the Drummer Pennysaver and the Livingston County News. The Batavia paper decided to shut down its printing operation after it lost its contract to print local copies of USA Today.
4. With the days dwindling down to a precious few before the September primaries, two political challengers says they will make important announcements today. County Legislator Timothy Kennedy, who is running against incumbent State Sen. William Stachowski, D- Lake View, will team with anti-texting advocate Kelly Cline for an announcement at 2 p.m. in his West Seneca campaign headquarters. Meanwhile, Joseph Golombek, who is challenging incumbent Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, D-Buffalo, plans to announce his plans to reform Albany on the steps of the Mahoney State Office Building at 11 a.m. here livingston county news
5. The saga of that Niagara Square landmark, the Statler Towers, reaches another milestone today as the court-appointed bankruptcy trustee and his attorney conduct a sale in the offices of the U.S. trustee in the Olympic Towers nearby. There are just two bidders — an unnamed California investor and a partnership between local businessmen Mark D. Croce and James J. Eagan. A sale hearing will follow, and Judge Carl L. Bucki will decide between them. Then the purchaser has 60 days to decide whether to go ahead with the deal.
6. Depending on how you look at it, the Treasure Hunters Roadshow, which opens for a weeklong stay today in the Hilton Garden Inn, 4201 Genesee St., Cheektowaga, could be a bonanza. After all, they are offering to pay money for those antiques and collectibles that otherwise would continue gathering dust around the house. But sellers should do their research, too. They might begin with the monthlong investigation into Treasure Hunters Roadshow earlier this year by a newspaper in Beaumont, Texas.
7. Major tennis tournaments always arrive with more than their share of dramatic possibilities, and the U.S. Open, which begins today in Forest Hills (1 p.m. and 7 p.m., ESPN2), is no exception. Rafael Nadal will try to complete a career Grand Slam, Andy Murray will seek his first major title, and Andy Roddick will aim to end an American drought. Then then there’s Roger Federer, who has reached every final since 2004. As for the women, it’s anyone’s Open. Serena Williams is out due to foot surgery, and Justine Henin is done for the year with an elbow injury.
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I did not know about him at all. But I know all these songs so well and love them.
Specially the milli naghma ‘Ye Watan Tumhara Hai’ is a favorite and I also loved the posts you did on this some earlier. You are right the new version that was done last year as an advert is the best of the lot.
Nisar Bazmi was a great musician and has given great songs to Pakistani film and music industry.So many songs sung by Noor Jahan, Mehndi Hasan, Runa Laila, Alamgir, Akhlaq Ahmed and so many others are composed by him. He was also the man behind Alamgir’s huge success in the late 70s and 80s. He was no doubt one of the greatest musicians of the subcontinent and has worked along with the best musicians of both Pakistan and India.
May Allah SWT rest his soul in peace, ameen.
Oh this is great, I have always tried so hard but never been able to find ‘Hum Chalay Tau Hamaaray’ anywhere on audio, its great to see it on video which gives me further hope of locating it on audio at some point as well.
So many of these tunes are amongst my favourites but I wasn’t aware that they were composed by Nisar Bazmi Saahib, though of course I know he is a great composer but unlike singers I just am never as well aware of who has composed a certain song. I wish composers were given their due on album covers.
I used to listen to a lot of Sahib Nisar Bazmi’s compositions in the 70′s when I was first introduced to Pakistani film music. There was a time when I would actually go out to the few shops that sold Pakistani records in the UK at that time and would seek out those soundtracks which were composed by Sahib Bazmi. Sadly I don’t have those records any more, but thanks to YouTube I can once again enjoy those compositions. Thank you Sahib Nisar Bazmi for the pleasure you gave me with your music…! May you rest in peace – God Bless!
OFF COURSE HE WAS UNIQUE’ SPEACIALLY HIS WORK WITH ROONA LAILA AND MELODY QUEEN MALKA-I- TRANUM NOOR JEHAN IS UNFORGETABLE SPECIALLY FILM LIKE ;LAKHOON MAIN AIK’ NAG MANI ; UMRAO JAN ADA ‘ETC
IS THERE ANY WAY IF I CAN DOWNLOAD ALL
THE SONGS SUNG BY RUSHDI IF SOMEONE
CAN GIVE ME A WEBSITE FOR THAT.
THANKS
@ Bazmi’s music was not only charming but had a
unique quality of settleing inside your heart forever,
I have a special corner in my heart for his “dhuns” sung
by legendary Noor Jehan or Ustad Mehdi Hassan, he had
a very very special melody detectable in only his tunes.
Whenever he used sitar in his dhuns it was extraordinary.
As Arif mentionned Lakhon mein aik, Nag mani, Umrao
jan ada, but many others, believe me as I hav’nt seen any of these movies, but can tell you if its Bazmi or not.
Another rare talent has gone.
Allah Hafiz hay Pakistani Music ka.
When the most twinkled star has ever died, regrettably others, brightness has such as dim and fed either, which has left lot of soreness and grieves, Mohtram Nisar Bazmi Sahab is one of them.
May Allah (SWT) Keep soul of excellency, in Jannatulfidos Amin.