There is nothing called Sufiyana music: Aziz

By Sumit Jha - Times of India - India
Monday, November 27, 2006

Ghazal singer Talat Aziz talks about his trip to Pakistan to meet Ghulam Ali, Sufi music as a marketing gimmick and his wife Bina.

The combination of his soulful ghazals and impressive persona has the power to hold audiences in a trance for hours. And that was quite the effect that Talat Aziz had on his audience in Kanpur, when he performed here recently.

Just back from Washington DC where he performed for a charity show, Aziz says, "People in the US appreciate good music." There was also news of the singer trained in the Kirana gharana being received very well in Pakistan. But Aziz has a different story to tell, "I don't know where this news came from. I never performed in Pakistan."

He elaborates, "First of all, I would like to clarify that Indian artistes are not allowed to perform in Pakistan. I was on a four-day visit to the country on a personal invitation extended by Ghulam Ali sahab. At one of the gatherings that I attended, the guests evinced a keen desire to hear me sing. And I obliged with a few ghazals. That's it."

Back on home turf, Talat has been conspicuous by his absence on the small screen where he has made a mark for himself. Why? "I am busy with national and international concerts. Though I have done serials like Ghulam, Manzil, Sahil, Sailaab, Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayee and Noorjehan, now I am maintaining a distance from TV. I feel that one should not do something for the sake of being in the limelight. So I'll return to the medium only if I get a powerful and sensible role," says the ghazal maestro.

As for his music, Talat draws the inspiration from wife and muse Bina, a well known painter. "Since she also has an artistic bent of mind, Bina helps me hone my skills. As a painter, I would say that woh apne rango ko mere suro me bharti hain!" he gushes.

So while singing ghazals remains his passion, does he feel that this genre of music is facing competition from Sufi music as it gains popularity in the country and abroad? "As far as I know, there is nothing called Sufiyana music; it's just a marketing gimmick of music companies.

The essence of Sufi kalaams of Mir or Ghalib have always been incorporated in ghazals, so I don't understand what's new that these Sufi singers are claiming to provide to music lovers with. Positioning artistes as Sufi singers is a marketing strategy to attract listeners," claims Aziz.