Pankaj Udhas
Enduring - .Pankaj Udhas' career could best be described in this one word. he led the ghazal revoluting by the hand at the time when people were most unfamiliar with that genre. He also made an effortless transition to playback singing, and gave us memories to remember. In a constantly changing music milieu, Pankaj Udhas has remained a comforting presence. The rigours of commercialism have not affected his musical quality.
Udhas' tryst with singing started at the age of six. He belonged to a musical family, and his father pyated the dilruba as a hobby. His brothers, Nirmal and Manhar, also had a musical bent of mind. Udhas started tabla lessons when he was 10. But his first real brush with fame was when he sang Lataji's soul-stirring Aye mere watan ke logon in front of 5000 people, when he was barely 11.
Udhas carried his passion for music to St Xavier's College in Mumbai, from where he graduated in Botany and Chemistry. He made a mark at inter-collegiate music competitions, and took home a bushel of awards. he really made his mark when he won the first prize in the inter-collegiate singing competition and received an award from Shankar-Jaikishen.
Udhas released his first album of ghazals, Aahat, in 1980. This was only the beginning. In a long career spanning over 20 years, Udhas has made ghazal singing a loved and recognised art. He also played a major role in the revival of people's interest in Urdu. He contributed to the revival of poetry in music. Udhas' stupendous popularity has not been on the wane ever since.
Udhas achieved many milestones, but the most notable among them was being the first to achieve Triple Platinum Status for his album Aafreen in 1986. He also received the K L Saigal award, and holds the distinction of being the first artist in India to have his voice on a CD. The album, Shagufta, was released by Pandit Ravi Shankar in 1987.
Udhas has also made an effortless translation into film music, and his ghazal from Naam, Chitti aayi hai, is hummed by music lovers years after its release. In fact, this song was chosen as one of the 100 best songs of the millennium by Mid-Day.
Udhas remains one of the true messengers of the ghazal mode, enriching the genre with his body of work to this day
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