Pankaj Udhas` profession as a ghazal singer spanned over 4 many years. He sang numerous melodies in these years, a few of that are evergreen and can at all times stay etched within the reminiscences of music lovers. His journey to the head of success as a ghazal singer had a humble begin. Born in Jetpur in Gujarat, he neither knew Hindi nor Urdu. His household, which hails from a city named Charkhadi close to Rajkot, had no musicians both.
Recalling his journey into music, Udhas had stated, “I come from Gujarat, so, my mother tongue is neither Urdu nor Hindi. Gujarati was the only language spoken around me. But, two things played a role in getting me interested in music. My father was fond of it, and would come home from work and play the Esraj, because he liked it. As a child, I would look forward to that. Also, my brothers had already started singing. That is what attracted me towards it. At some point, it became a passion.”
Listening to legends
Listening to different singers reside additionally acted as an inspiration for him. “As a young kid in Rajkot, I had the chance to listen to Mukeshji, Manna De, and Talat Mahmood sa’ab, live. I would insist on going to their concerts even though I didn’t know them to be [the maestros that they were]. I was influenced by the radio, which would be on when I’d return from school. In off-peak hours, they’d play ghazals, and that would excite me,” he recalled.
Moving to Mumbai
Udhas discovered Urdu after transferring to Mumbai. “When I came to Mumbai, I was exposed to maestros and started learning Urdu. I fell in love with the language. People can’t write off this form of music [ghazals]. My blood boils when people ask why Ghazal didn’t get its rightful place. I am inspired to keep working towards furthering the genre since we must prove that this is not the case,” he stated.
Advice for younger artists
“You need to have an understanding of [who you are] as an artiste,” he had stated. “Playback singing is different from singing ghazals, but whether you learn Western or Hindustani music, you have to love and learn the craft. Practicing daily is essential. You need to have the kind of passion that a warrior does when pursuing whatever it is that you choose; perseverance and patience will take you far. The average kids today are very talented. After singing in reality shows, they tend to think they’ve arrived, and stop working on enhancing their craft. That’s when things take a turn for the worse.”
Source: www.mid-day.com
