Habib Wali Mohammad: Difference between revisions

{{short description|Pakistani singer (1921 - 2014}}

{{Use Pakistani English|date=December 2020}}

{{Infobox person

| death_date          = {{death date and age|df=y|2014|9|03|1921|1|1}}

| birth_place        = [[Rangoon]], Burma (now called [[Myanmar]])

| known_for               = [[Ghazal]] singing

| years_active        = 1934 – 2014

| awards    = Special [[Nigar Award]] in 1970

({{lang-ur|{{Nastaliq|حبِیب ولی محمد}}}}), (16 January 1921 –  3 September 2014) was a Pakistani [[ghazal]] and film playback singer.<ref name=Tribune>{{cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/757730/habib-wali-muhammad-passes-away-at-93|title=Habib Wali Mohammad passes away at 93|newspaper=The Express Tribune (newspaper)|date=4 September 2014|access-date=20 December 2021}}</ref>

Habib Wali Mohammad was born on January 16, 1921 at [[Rangoon]] to a conservative [[Memon people|Memon]] family, which later moved to [[Mumbai]] where he grew up. His family, Tabani, an industrial house has large business holdings in [[Pakistan]].<ref name=Tribune/><ref name=Dawn/>

He received his MBA from [[Syracuse University]], New York in 1947, and then lived in [[Mumbai]] for about 10 years before moving to [[Pakistan]]. His brother [[Ashraf W. Tabani]] was the governor of the province of [[Sindh]], [[Pakistan]] during 1988. He died on 3 September 2014 in Los Angeles, US.<ref name=Dawn>[https://www.dawn.com/news/1129834 Ghazal singer Habib Wali Mohammad passes away at 93] Dawn (newspaper), Published 4 September 2014, Retrieved 20 December 2021</ref> The Tabanis belong to the [[Gujaratis|Gujarati]]-speaking [[Memon people|Memon]] community.<ref>[https://pakistanlink.org/Commentary/2010/Feb10/05/04.HTM Pakistan ’s Memon Benefactors] Pakistan Link (magazine in the United States), Published 10 February 2010, Retrieved 21 December 2021</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Pakistan and Gulf Economist, Volume 6, Issues 1–26|publisher=Economist Publications|date=1986|page=145|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LQgXAQAAMAAJ|quote=Mr. Tabani belongs to the Gujrati speaking community which has a strong hold on the commercial sector of the country.}}</ref>

As a youth, Habib Wali received classical music lessons from Ustad Latafat Ali Khan, a nephew of noted musician Ustad [[Faiyyaz Khan]] (1880 &ndash; 1950).<ref name=Dawn/><ref name=Dawn2/> In college, he became active in the musical functions of [[Ismail Yusuf College]], gaining the nickname 'Taan Sen'. He completed his bachelor's degree in Bombay.

In 1941, Habib Wali was awarded first prize in a Bombay music competition with 1200 contestants, including the singer [[Mukesh Chand Mathur]]. His winning performance was singing the ghazals of the last [[Mughal emperors|Moghul Emperor]] [[Bahadur Shah Zafar]], ''Lagta Nahin Hai Jee Mera Ujray Diyar Mein'' and ''Yeh Na Thi Hamari Qismat'' by [[Mirza Ghalib]]. He recorded his first LP in the 1950s for [[Radio Ceylon]], now known as [[Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation]]. Interestingly, the LP record did not have his real name. Instead, he used his stage name of ''Kamal Roy'' and the music was composed by [[Saraswati Devi (music director)|Saraswati Devi]].<ref name=Tribune/><ref name=Dawn/><ref name=Dawn2/>

Encouraged by this recognition, at a young age, he took more interest in ghazal singing. During his stay in America, he had been out of touch with music. Hence, he felt lonely and missed his earlier college functions in Bombay. In his own words, "He was not happy in ‘Ujray dayar mein’, the same ghazal which had won him an award of a lifetime. He put a lot of effort and came out with a gramophone record of ghazals in his voice. On one side of the record, he dubbed Bahadur Shah Zafar's ghazals and on the other side, [[Mirza Ghalib|Ghalib's]] ghazals. Unfortunately, the Indian public was reluctant to buy them at that time.

However, he still sang ghazals for the music companies, including a geet written by the poet [[Parveen Shakir]]: ‘Gori karath singhar’. In the eighties, he recorded ghazals on audio cassettes which were composed by the noted music director [[Nisar Bazmi]] and [[Pakistan Television]], Karachi Center's music director ''Niaz Ahmed''. In addition, he received offers to become a film playback singer for the [[Pakistani film industry]].

Habib Wali Mohammad was from an early group of singers ever to record [[ghazal]]s. But probably because of his background and as a member of a well-established family, Habib Wali Mohammad had never pursued an aggressive and mainstream career as a singer, though he was still highly regarded among the Pakistani public.

His famous ghazals include [[Bahadur Shah Zafar]]'s 'Na kisi ki aankh ka noor hoon' and [[Qamar Jalalvi]]'s 'Kab mera nasheman ahlay chaman'. All of his performances of the ghazals of Bahadur Shah Zafar have been very popular.<ref name=Tribune/><ref name=Dawn2/>

His other well-known ghazals, include [[Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo]]. He also sang the famous national song, "Roshan-o-Rakhshan, Nayyar-o-Tabaan, Pakistan rahay".<ref name=Dawn2/>

Habib Wali Mohammad, later in his life, lived in Los Angeles California, United States with his wife, Rehana and his family, including his sons, Rizwan Wali Mohammad Tabani and Nadeem Wali Mohammad Tabani. Both are ghazal and geet performers in their own right. Anwar Wali Muhammad Tabani lives in New Jersey and the daughter Rukhsana lives in Karachi, Pakistan. His brother, [[Ashraf W. Tabani]] went on to become the Chairman of [[Export promotion bureau of pakistan|Export Promotion Bureau of Pakistan]] and later served as the [[Governor of Sindh]] in the late 1980s.<ref name=Dawn2>{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1129992 |title=Habib Wali Mohammad dead; his unadorned ghazal style appealed to a large audience|newspaper= Dawn (newspaper)|date= 5 September 2014|access-date= 21 December 2021}}</ref><ref name=Dawn/>

*''Ye na thi hamari Qismath'': poet: [[Mirza Ghalib]]<ref name=Dawn/>

*''Ja kahio unsay naseem-e-sahar'': poet: [[Bahadur Shah Zafar]]

*''Gajra bana kay lay Aa malaniya'': poet: Afshan Rana<ref name=Dawn2/>

National songs like: ''Roshan-o- rakhshan, nayyar-o-taban'', ''Aye nigar e watan tu salamat rahay'', ''Sohni dharti Allah rakhe'', ''Lahoo jo sarhad pe beh chuka hay'', ''La fata illah ali la saif-o – illah zulfakar''.<ref name=Dawn/><ref name=Dawn2/>

* [[Nigar Award]] - Special Nigar Award in 1970.<ref name=HOT>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehotspotonline.com/moviespot/bolly/Lollywood/NigarAwards.htm |date=17 June 2002|archive-date=24 July 2008|title=The Nigar Awards (1957 - 1971)|website=The Hot Spot Online website|access-date=20 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724022517/http://www.thehotspotonline.com/moviespot/bolly/Lollywood/NigarAwards.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.urdupoint.com/en/showbiz/ghazal-singer-habib-wali-remembered-423985.html |title=Ghazal Singer Habib Wali Mohammad Remembered|author=Anees Ahmed|website=UrduPoint.com website|date=3 September 2018|access-date=21 December 2021}}</ref>

Habib Wali Mohammad recently performed in April 2012 in [[San Jose, California|San Jose]], California for the [[Human Development Foundation]] in the United States at a fund-raising event.

 

[[Category:20th-century Pakistani male singers]]

[[Category:Pakistani playback singers]]