The two-day event in Mumbai last weekend brought together ghazal artistes from all over India. Proceeds from the show went to the Cancer Patients Aid Association and the Parents Association Thalassemic Unit Trust.
Udhas spoke to Syed Firdaus Ashraf about the damage caused to the ghazal by remixed music.
Why do you organise this event every year?
Between 1983 and 1988 we organised a festival called Khazana so that people could hear new talent. Satellite television did not exit in India those days. From 1988, a lot of music companies came into the picture and Khazana lost its initiative. Now we realise we used to have healthy competition [then], and therefore good music.
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We decided in 2000 that we should revive that concept.
The ghazal has given us so much so we wanted to give all that we earn back to society.
Has the ghazal lost out to remixed music?
When remixes started, people liked it because they felt it was a new concept. It caught on well and started doing well.
Now it is like a herd mentality -- everybody wants to do remixed songs. It has gone from bad to worse.
It is now an insult to music.
How do you feel when your songs are remixed?
I feel extremely bad.
My song Chandi jaisa rang hai tera, sone jaise baal, ek tu hi dhanwan hai gori baaki sab kangal -- half the lyrics of this song were written by Pakistani poet Qatil Shifai, the other half by Indian lyricist Rashid.
We composed and recorded it in six months. I had sleepless nights bringing it out. If you remix it sitting in a studio in four hours anyone will feel bad.
Don't ghazal albums sell?
No, they are selling. [My recent] album In Search Of Mir recently sold more than any remix album.
Last year, a compilation of my old ghazal albums called Life Story sold 350,000 sets. There were two compact discs in it and it sold nearly 700,000 CDs.
Why do music companies then go in for remixes?
I think they have a view that youngsters between 15 and 25
Another big problem is that most of the music marketing [personnel] don't have an Indian cultural background. They don't understand ghazals and classical music. They don't understand the Indian ethos and prefer remixed music.
Do you think songs like Chitti aayi hai from Naam will work in the age of e-mail?
That song is still popular. People still go crazy when I sing that song today.
I am sure the music companies must have done research and discovered that remixes are the way to grow. Why would they single out the ghazal?
I will give you a counter agreement. Why is the T-series music company doing well? Because it is the only company which markets all kinds of music. They market Lucky Ali, Adnan Sami, Pankaj Udhas and Jagjit Singh. They are doing well because they know what kind of music sells. They know exactly what is a ghazal, what is pop and what is a geet. It is important that are qualified people in music marketing who have a clue about what Indian music is all about.
Would you agree that youngsters have changed -- that they are hardly the kind who would go in for ghazals?
Yes, youngsters have changed. But the point is I made an album called Stolen Moments in 1998, a lyric-oriented album. It appealed to everyone at that time. The song Aur ahista kijye battein did very well.
[Music] companies have to market it [ghazal albums] well; they have to see that ghazals become a hit.
If the marketing guys feel ghazals are not doing well they can keep them aside. They cannot sell ghazals this way. They need to give a different profile to ghazals. Just market ghazals well for six months and it will bounce back.
Today there is a panic in the cinema and music industry. Everyone wants good lyrics. Everybody is tired of ding-dong lyrics.
I am confident the ghazal will bounce back.
Do you think ghazal singers have not marketed themselves like remix artistes?
Ghazal singers cannot do that. A ghazal singer can only stand straight and sing. It is a dignified part of music. He can only work in particular parameters. You cannot expect him to dance on stage or do marketing stunts.
Will ghazal singers become history if something is not done urgently?
Stolen Moments did very well, so there is a market for ghazals. Music companies must create videos and market them well.
When Shaan sings Tanha dil, it does well. The video was serious and there were no cheap stunts. I will call Tanha dil an extension of a ghazal.
I agree ghazal artistes will have to change here and there. But you cannot expect them to do cheap things like remix dancers.
Are there no new ghazal singers?
There are many new ghazal singers. They are good singers. But they are very disappointed because music companies don't promote them. They are looking for greener pastures because nobody listens to them in the music industry. They are drifting towards some other profession.
Nobody knows about them?
That is my effort -- to see they get a platform through Khazana.
The Urdu language is so beautiful. Though it is not my mother tongue, I have tried to keep it alive with many other ghazal singers.
We watch Hindi films and if you see Shah Rukh Khan's films, Hindi and Urdu words are used. I feel the ghazal and Urdu are part of our culture and will survive.
Will ghazals be extinct in 25 years?
I don't agree. The ghazal will bounce back because everyone is tired of remixes and fast music. People want soothing music.
When people return home tired they need music that is pleasant to their ears. They will go back to the ghazal. It is only a matter of time.