Mehdi Hassan

For other people with similar names, see Mehdi Hassan (disambiguation).
Shahenshah-e-Ghazal
Mehdi Hassan Khan
NI HI TI PP
مہدی حسن خان
Born(1927-07-18)18 July 1927[1]
Luna, Rajputana Agency, British India
Died13 June 2012(2012-06-13) (aged 84)[2][3]
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
NationalityPakistani
Occupations
  • Singer
  • music composer
Years active1957–1999
AwardsPride of Performance (1985)
9 Nigar Awards for Best Male Playback Singer
HonoursNishan-e-Imtiaz (2012)
Hilal-e-Imtiaz (2010)
Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (2004)
Musical career
GenresGhazal
Instrument
  • Vocals
Labels
Websitemehdihassan.com

Mehdi Hassan Khan NI PP TI HI (Urdu: مہدی حسن خاں; 18 July 1927 – 13 June 2012), known mononymously as Mehdi Hassan, was a Pakistani ghazal singer and playback singer of great renown. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential figures in the history of ghazal singing,[4][5][6] Hassan is referred to as the Shahenshah-e-Ghazal (شہنشاہِ غزل, "Emperor of Ghazal").[7][8][9][10][11] Known for his "haunting" baritone voice,[12] 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[13] to Parvez Mehdi.[14] He earned numerous awards and accolades during his lifetime and remained a leading singer of Pakistani film industry, along with contemporary playback singer Ahmed Rushdi; it is estimated that Hassan sang for over 300 films during his career.[3][15] For his contributions to the arts, Hassan was awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Pride of Performance, and Hilal-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan.[3]

  1. ^ "Mehdi Hassan interview without ghazals". YouTube.
  2. ^ "Mehdi Hassan obituary". the Guardian. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Death anniversary of Shahenshah-e-Ghazal Mehdi Hassan being observed today". www.radio.gov.pk. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  4. ^ Ken Hunt (16 June 2012). "Mehdi Hassan: Musician hailed as the maestro of the 'ghazal'". INDEPENDENT (UK newspaper). Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  5. ^ New Delhi – Volume 2, Part 2. Ananda Bazar Patrika. 1979. p. 35.
  6. ^ Russell, Ralph (1992). The pursuit of Urdu literature: a select history. Zed Books. p. 242.
  7. ^ "Mehdi Hassan - New Songs, Playlists & Latest News - BBC Music". BBC. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  8. ^ Dawn.com (13 June 2012). "End of an era as Mehdi Hassan passes away". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  9. ^ Khawaja, Mishal Abbas (18 July 2019). "'Shehanshah-e-Ghazal' - Mehdi Hassan's 92nd Birthday". nation.com.pk. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  10. ^ "Mehdi Hasan: A tribute to the Shahenshah-e-Ghazal". The Express Tribune. 8 November 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  11. ^ "Ghazal King Mehdi Hassan remembered". The News International. 19 June 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  12. ^ Mehdi Hassan profile on Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved 31 March 2018
  13. ^ Who was Mehdi Hassan NDTV website, Retrieved 31 March 2018
  14. ^ Rafay Mahmood (13 June 2012). "Mehdi Hassan: A sun amongst the stars". The Express Tribune (newspaper). Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  15. ^ News Desk (13 June 2019), "King of Ghazal: Mehdi Hassan remembered on 7th anniversary", Global Village Space. Retrieved 11 November 2019.