Habib Wali Mohammad

I have been an avid fan of Habib Wali Muhammad since my childhood, Yeah I know its kinda weird but I actually chucked his cassettes out of my daddy`s music collection alongwith Beatles and Old is Gold volumes! I also read somewhere that he was an MBA from those early times when few were. HWM has been a source of inspiration perfect balance in all aspects of life and excellence in its true sense. I take pride in sharing my homeland with him. Thanks a lot Habib saheb, for all that you`ve given us, let it be pride, self esteem or good music of course!

I am new to Chowk, and am trying to get through to Dost-Mittar about some old Punjabi songs.

Dear Dostji,

You mentiond ``Dupatta Putla`` in an old post``.

I am looking for some songs from that time:

1. Ohde naal hon giyan taan gallan gurhian
2. Dupatta patla
3. Masya di raat
4. Dudh pai rirkan
5. Pind deya numberdara
6. Na chunni ley surmai
7. Munda main Jullundur da
8. Mitr pyare noon (certain version by female singer)
9. Chandi vangu chamak diyan

Any help will be great.

Regards,

Jay Koshal
Koshal@pgrahams.com

#Habib Wali Mohammad by Anis Shakur- 13 09 03

My apologies for some spelling mistakes in my earlier note.

Also,the correct wordings are `..Ashyan Jal Gaya` NOT `...Ashyan `lut` Gaya` .

#23

My apologies for some spelling mistakes.

Also,it is `...Ashyan JAL Gaya` NOT `..Ashyan LUT gaya`

Anis Shakur on Habib Wali Mohammad -13,September,2003

An interesting article.

I met Habib Wali Mohammad in Karachi long ago when I went to take his autograph on one of his 78-discs to give as a wedding present to my sister.He jokingly said to me `it will cost you`.(I had another disc autographed by Khursheed -one of the most popular singing stars of yester-years whose songs from the film `Tansen` are evergreen.She was living in PECH at the time.)

HWM`s voice and his style of singing was different to other Pakistani singers.I liked his Ghazals more than Mahdi Hasan`s.

I do not know how far was it true that he had an unfortunate affair with a Hindu girl which left a deep impression on him!

Sohail Rana,whom I followed from the days when he used to play Accordian in musical fuctions in Karachi.When Rana went to films,I thought that he would revolutionaise the film music which he did to a certain extent.He used HWM`s to good effect.I, however, felt his popular compositions were copied from those of Indian composers.Someone told me that when they cornered Rana in Lahore,he could not defend himself.

Just to give you two examples,I can tell you for sure that the tune of HWM`s `Ashyan lut gaya...` was a copy of Anil Biswas composition from `Fareb` (1953) written by Majrooh and sung by Kishore Kumar and Lata `Aa Mohabbat Ki Basti,Basaengey Hum`.Habib Wali Mohammad`s `Marne Ki Duaen Kyun Mangun...`was a copy of a song by Lata, poet - Shakeel,Music- Naushad, in the film `Shabab`- the tiltle being `Jo Mein Janti Bisrat Hain Sayyan...`


Wishing you well Habib Saheb.

Khamhwa: My style has not changed much in the past three decades. Thanks for your comments!!!

SameerJB: That is true, budding singers (at that time) were all inspired by Kundan Lal Saigol.

Cipram: We all wish him a happy, healthy life.

Anis saheb:
Thanks for this background about HWM. I always wondered why someone with such melodious voice was heard so little. His `Lagta nahin hai dil mera` is the most popular ghazal in India, but that is because I think he recorded it before he went to Pakistan. I have heard many singers sing Ghalib`s ``Yeh naa thee hamari kismet``, lekin Habib saheb ki adaayaegi mein jo chashani hai voh aur kisi aur ki adaaygi mein nahin. And in `Aaj jaane ki zid naa karo`, he really captures the pleading of the lover. That he could sing geet with equal ease was shown by his `gajra bana ke lay aaya`.
A few gems but they all have the shine of a crystal, clear solitaire.

SameerJB:
Isn`t it remarkable that many may try to copy, but the only one who make it in the end are those who break from the mould and come into their own? a copy will always be benchmarked against the original whether it is C.H.Atma, Suman Kalyanpur, Sonu Nigam or Anuradha Paudwal.

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sameerJB,

Sorry if my post was confusing. That was just a joke!

``Samajhne wale samajh gaye hain...``

khamkhwa (#14):
The last bit of my post, ``Aur kuchh log...`` was not a swipe at you...that was for another post that had nothing to do with this piece or any comment on it. Agree with you, of course, regarding the misra...I was merely polarising `ujarRna` and `satyanaas`.

nasahsaab (#13):
I am not sure if HWM passed away. And the article does not mention it either.
Thanks for your comment about my piece. ``More hard hitting``, did you say? Itna kehne par toofan uth gayaa...aur waisey, wahaan kyon nahin izhaar kiya apney khayaalon ko? I would have had at least one Indian Muslim agreeing with me...a powerful pen cannot merely spill ink/tears/blood...

Regards,
Farzana

Farzana, didn`t HWM pass away recently? -- or am I mistaken

btw that Shalom or Salaam piece of yours was a powerful somewhat restrained sophisticated article -- agree with everything you say -- you could in fact be a little more hard hitting --

lot of power to your pen.....

regards

Farzana Versey#8

``Aur kucch log jab kisi mehfil mein aatey hai kya woh sirf doosron ke lafson ko parakhtey hai aur ghair-zimmedari se maatam manaatey hai?``

The correct misra, as you probably know is: lagta nahiN hai jee mera ujRay dayaar meiN. Addition of ``is`` not only disturbs the metre (taqti`e) but is `azaafi` meaning unnecessary.My intention was not to deride and being petty but to bring out a very valid point about his most famous ghazal.
As for the ``maatam mananay ki baat``, I would ignore it coming from a ``creative writer``.
The satyanaas obviously referred to the bad taste in the mouth due to the above error.
BTW did you see me pointing out the....``Habib Saheb did possessed a unique voice.`` ;)

I was also confused by the `sad news` by nasah and `sincerest conolences to temporal` by ironman and checked the Pakistani news update but gladly did not find the sad news.

``Aey nigar-e-watan tooo salamat rahay....maang teri sitaroN se bhar deNge hum`` would be my top pick of him. Both wordings and rendition are superb. I wonder who could write such beautiful lines...besides me..:-).

Anyway, author missed mentioning this famous patriotic song as well as mentioning that in 1941, at the peak of K. L. Sehgal era of male singing, both Mukesh and Habib Wali Mohammad idealized him. Both copied Sehgal`s style of singing and greatly impressed the judges and public very much like Sonu Nigam and Kumar Shanus` copying the voices of Mohd. Rafi and Kishore Kumar respectively.

Sehgal`s death one day before partition of India and popularity of a different style of singer, Mohd Rafi, ended the dreams of many many Sehgal wannabes except Mukesh and Habib Wali Mohammad.

CHOWK STAFF,

Came back after a few weeks of tour of duty and find that the chowk has changed so much. The new format of rapidly vanishing artciles I am sure has reduced the hit rates. May be the new approach gives a lot of room for budding writers, but is not good for chowk. The articles are any how third rates interspersed with fourth rate poetry. Imporatant aspect of chowk is the interacts, most come here and if at all transfer of info about india and pakistan is through the interacts. With the rapidly vanishing articles, there is no time for interacts.
If hit rates point to the popularity of chowk, may be it is time to change, chowk is no place for thrid rate articles, it is the place fr first rate interacts, the essence of chowk, the proxy for the real chowks of india and pakistan.