Adil Najam
I just heard that Asad Amanat Ali Khan died of a heart attack, in London. The news leaves me sad. Death of such talent at such a young age is always tragic. Just as it was when his father (Ustad Amanat Ali Khan) died, also relatively young and also abundantly talented.
For me - as for so many others - this scion of this Patiala gharana of classical singing was always his father’s son.
Asad Amanat Ali Khan was himself immensely talented, thought probably not as innovative in delivery as his father, but in many ways he was never able to come out of his father’s shadows. This was neither his fault nor his father’s. If anything, it was the fault of fans like myself who coudl never get themselves to listen to him without thinking of Ustad Amanat Ali Khan. But let it also be said that this was a compliment not only to Ustad Amanat Ali Khan but also to Asad Amanat Ali. He did his father proud. He made his the Patiala gharana proud.
In his memory let me share three memorable songs - the first two by Asad Amanat Ali Khan and the third by his father; all three are part of the legacy of both men. They also demonstrate how the memory of each can be so poignantly evoked by listening to the other.
First, Piyar nahin hai surr se jiss ko, woh morakh insaan nahin, by Ustad Asad Amanat Ali Khan.
Next, Kal chaudhvien ki raat thi, shab bhar raha charcha taira, also by Ustan Asad Amanat Ali Khan.
Finally, Insha Ji Utho, abb kooch karo, iss shehr mein dil ko lagana kiya by Ustad Amanat Ali Khan.
It’s horribly sad indeed. And shocking. He wasn’t an old man; it reminds me of what happened to his father even though I wasn’t even born then. To be honest, I never respected him or his singing as much as I loved his father’s but you’re right that maybe it’s being unfair, as fans, to compare the two whenever you hear one of them. But maybe it’s just natural. Nevertheless, he was an awesome artist in his own right, and it’s a devastating loss.
I have been humming “laagi re toh se laagi najar sayyan laagi” ever since I heard of his passing.
A sad news indeed. May he rest in peace.
Its sad and shocking too. His ” umraan langyan pabaan paahr”..was one of the most popular.
Allah bless his soul.
How sad. I was a big fan of Asad Amanat Ali.
To your point Bilal - South Asians are prone to heart diseases due to a combination of hereditary factors and our diet / life style. Heart problem is so prevalent in Pakistan that it should be really scary .. lack of awareness and education about this is sad. On top of it many of us have a fatalistic attitude towards these things.
Please correct the spelling of Ali in headline. The ‘l’ is missing.
Of course life and death is in the hands of Allah, but may I also point out how often we hear about young men and women dying of heart attack? Why are we, as a society, so prone to it? Is it our diet, too much cholestrol, our genetics, our lifestyle (no exercise), the hypertension in our society, or environmental factors?
I asked myself this question when Nusrat Fateh Ali passed away, and now I ask again.
He was a great singer, and among the few good looking men who appeared on TV singing classical music (my childhood/teen-age memories) - even better than many TV/film actors. He could have easily made the move to modern fusion music had he so wanted. But he was a purist who stayed true to the artistic roots of his gharana.
Sad news indeed. They say that when an old man dies it’s like a library burning down. I guess that when a musician of his caliber passes away, it’s also like a part of our musical heritage disappearing with him. Others will take up things after him, but he will be missed. May he rest in peace.
ps: Hamid, thanks for sharing that gem!
Very sad indeed — for me, his biggest hit was not in Urdu, but in Punjabi — kalam of Ghulam Fareed, “Umraan Langian Pubbhan Paar” — a real gem! You can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt-P3KDxQsQ