LAHORE: Prominent classical, semi-classical and ghazal singer Asad Amanat Ali (1952 – 2007) is being remembered today (Monday) on his death anniversary.
Asad was born in the famous Patiala (family) on September 25, 1952.
The Patiala family popularized classical music starting with Amanat Ali Khan, who not only sang classical but also semi-classical in the form of ghazals.
He quickly made a place for himself with a much larger audience than traditionally follows such specialized branches of music.
He sang Punjabi folk poetry in a classical style, appealing to the large Punjabi speaking audience. He also sang Urdu ghazals with such concentration and emphasis on the vocals that you hardly saw him open his eyes and look at the audience when he was singing.
A good looking man, he also dabbled in films where he didn’t find a lot of success, except as a singer.
He sang many songs for movie soundtracks and gained further mass popularity; again, very unusual for a classical singer.
In fact, he was among those early few artists whose talent was spotted from across the border and he got the opportunity to perform for Indian audiences as well.
Asad was a giant in Pakistani music. He took what his father started and made it larger than life for Pakistani music listeners, making himself and his family unforgettable.
On April 8, 2007, Asad passed away while in London, seeking treatment for a heart condition.
