Shahenshah-e-Ghazal Mehdi Hassan Khan | |
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مہدی حسن خان | |
Born | 18 July 1927[1] |
Died | 13 June 2012 (aged 84) |
Nationality | Pakistani |
Occupations |
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Years active | (1957–1999) |
Awards | Pride of Performance (1985)
9 Nigar Awards for Best Male Playback Singer |
Honours | Nishan-e-Imtiaz (2012) Hilal-e-Imtiaz (2010) Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (2004) |
Musical career | |
Genres | Ghazal |
Instrument |
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Labels | |
Website | mehdihassan |
Mehdi Hassan Khan NI PP TI HI (Urdu: مہدی حسن خاں; 18 July 1927[2] – 13 June 2012)[3][4] known as Mehdi Hassan was a Pakistani ghazal singer and playback singer. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential figures in the history of ghazal singing,[5][6][7] Hassan is referred to as the "Shahenshah-e-Ghazal" (Emperor of Ghazal).[8][9][10][11][12] Known for his "haunting" baritone voice,[13] Hassan is credited with bringing ghazal singing to a worldwide audience. He is unique for his melodic patterns and maintaining integrity of the ragas in an innovative way.
Born into a family of Kalawant musicians, Hassan was naturally inclined towards music from a young age. He influenced generations of singers from diverse genres, from Jagjit Singh[14] to Parvez Mehdi.[15] He earned numerous awards and accolades during his lifetime and remained a leading singer of Pakistani film industry along with another contemporary playback singer Ahmed Rushdi, and it is estimated that Hassan sang for over 300 films during his career.[4][16] For his contributions to the arts, Hassan was awarded with the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Pride of Performance, and Hilal-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan.[4]