Ghulam Ali

Ghulam Ali (born 1940) is a famous Pakistani ghazal singer of the Patiala Gharana. He is not to be confused with the eminent classical vocalist Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (of whom he was a disciple) or Chhote Ghulam Ali, who is another Pakistani singer, but in the qawwali style.

Ali was born in the village of Kaleke in the Sialkot district of Punjab, British India (now in Pakistan). He belongs to a musical family; his father was a vocalist and a sarangi player who gave him early training. At the age of 15, he became a student of the legendary Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, who was a master of the Patiala Gharana (Patiala School) of Hindustani music. His actual training was provided mainly by Bade Ghulam Ali Khan's three brothers: Barqat Ali Khan, Mubarak Ali Khan, and Amanat Ali Khan, in Lahore. All these great teachers of classical music taught him the finer nuances of classical music and his solid foundation of classical music included studying Thumri and learning to sing ragas.

Ali started singing for Radio Lahore in 1960. Ghulam Ali's father named him "Ghulam Ali" after Bade Ghulam Ali. Along with singing ghazals, Ghulam Ali composes music for his ghazals too. His compositions are raaga-based and sometimes include a scientific mixture of raagas. He is known for blending gharana-gaayaki into ghazal and this gives his singing the capability to touch hearts. He beautifully sings Punjabi songs too. Most of his Punjabi songs have been extremely popular. Though from Pakistan, Ghulam Ali remains as popular in India as in Pakistan. He burst into the Indian scene with a Hindi film song "Chupke Chupke raat din" in B. R. Chopra's movie, 'Nikaah'. Other popular ghazals include "Hungama hai kyon barpaa" and "Awaargi, yeh dil yeh paagal Dil mera", and many more. On being questioned about Pakistani pop groups, Ghulam Ali replied, "Frankly, I am really bewildered at their style of singing. How can you sing a song by running and jumping around the stage? The stage is meant for performing not for acrobatics."

Ali has also sung some beautiful ghazals like Kina Kina Timro Tasveer, Gajalu Tee Thula Thula Aankha, Lolaaeka Tee Thula and Ke Chha Ra Diun in Nepali language with Narayan Gopal, a wellknown Nepali singer, and composer Deepak Jangam. These songs were compiled in an album entitled Narayan Gopal, Ghulam Ali Ra Ma, and are popular among Nepali music lovers to this day.