Asif Mehdi (1966-2021) was a Pakistani

ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...

singer and a playback singer in

Lollywood Lollywood ( ur, , translit=lâli vuḍ) refers to Pakistan's film industry based in Lahore, previously the base for both Punjabi and Urdu language film production. Lahore has been the center of Pakistani cinema since the partition of ...

, Pakistan. He was known much for reviving classical singing in his country as well as for being the son of

Mehdi Hassan Mehdi Hassan Khan ( ur, مہدی حسن خاں , translit=) 18 July 1927 – 13 June 2012) was a Pakistani ghazal singer and playback singer for Lollywood. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential figures in the history of gh ...

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article63176.ece, Profile of Asif Mehdi on The Hindu newspaper, Published 10 Dec 2009, Retrieved 15 Dec 2016

Early life

Born in Pakistan to Mehdi Hassan. He started his training at age 13 from his father and his uncle ''Ghulam Qadir''. His family migrated from

Mandawa Mandawa is a town in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan in India. It is part of Shekhawati region. Mandawa is located at . It has an average elevation of 316 metres (1036 ft). History The town of Mandawa was a thikana of Jaipur Sta ...

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...

, to Pakistan at the time of

partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...

in 1947.

Performing career

Asif Mehdi performed with his father in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

in 1983 for the first time at age 17. When he sang, his father Mehdi Hasan was so annoyed that he rebuked him for singing in an effeminate voice. He has toured

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, along with ghazal singer

Jagjit Singh Jagjit Singh (born Jagmohan Singh Dhiman; 8 February 1941 – 10 October 2011) was an Indian composer, singer and musician. He composed and sang in numerous languages and is credited for the revival and popularity of ghazal, an Indian c ...

, in 2009 on the concert tour called ''Music for Peace'' which seeks to establish peaceful relations between India and Pakistan which share a common culture and language. He, like his father, is fond of singing

nazms ''Nazm'' () is a major part of Urdu and Sindhi poetry that is normally written in rhymed verse and also in modern prose-style poems. is a significant genre of Urdu and Sindhi poetry; the other one is known as ''ghazal'' (). is significantly ...

by famous lyricists like

Mir Taqi Mir Mir Muhammad Taqi (February 1723 – 20 September 1810), known as Mir Taqi Mir (also spelled Meer Taqi Meer), was an Urdu poet of the 18th century Mughal era in the Subcontinent and one of the pioneers who gave shape to the Urdu language it ...

Ahmed Faraz Syed Ahmad Shah (), better known by his pen name Ahmed Faraz, ( 12 January 1931 – 25 August 2008) was a Pakistani Urdu poet, scriptwriter and became the founding Director General (later Chairman) of Pakistan Academy of Letters. He wrote ...

Qateel Shifai Muhammad Aurangzeb or Qateel Shifai ( ur, ), (24 December 1919 – 11 July 2001) was a Pakistani Urdu poet and lyricist. Early life and career Qateel Shifai was born in Haripur District as Muhammad Aurangzeb in 1919 in British India (now Paki ...

Hafeez Jalandhari Abu Al-Asar Hafeez Jalandhari ( ur, ) (born 14 January 1900 – 21 December 1982) was a Pakistani Urdu-language poet who wrote the lyrics for the National Anthem of Pakistan

and

Mirza Ghalib ) , birth_date = , birth_place = Kala Mahal, Agra, Maratha Confederacy , death_date = , death_place = Gali Qasim Jaan, Ballimaran, Chandni Chowk, Delhi, British India , occupation = Poet , language ...

.https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/records/n2vnpd, Soundtrack of Asif Mehdi on BBC Music website, Retrieved 15 Dec 2016 He signed a contract with Sony Entertainment last year and the album will be released across the globe in January 2010.http://www.deccanherald.com/content/40519/media-has-failed-promote-ghazals.html, Asif Mehdi's interview to the Deccan Herald newspaper, Published 10 Dec 2009, Retrieved 15 Dec 2016

Films

He has done 60 movies in the

Pakistani film industry Cinema of Pakistan, popularly known as Lollywood ( ur, ), refers to the filmmaking industry in Pakistan. Pakistan is home to several film studios centres, primarily located in its three largest cities – Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad. ...

Awards

Asif Mehdi won the

Nigar Award The Nigar Awards ( ur, , translit=Inʿām Negār, lit=Picture Awards) were presented in an annual award show to recognize outstanding achievement in Pakistani cinema. The honors are awarded by Nigar Magazine founded in 1948. The Nigar Awards a ...

in 1999 for his playback singing.

Personal life

Asif Mehdi lived with his family in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

, Pakistan, where he breathed his last on 2 August 2021.

References

External links

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03CZ4hJR_Tw, Asif Mehdi on his 2014 U.S. Tour, on YouTube, Retrieved 15 Dec 2016 {{DEFAULTSORT:Mehdi, Asif 1966 births Living people Nigar Award winners Pakistani ghazal singers Pakistani male singers Singers from Karachi Pakistani people of Rajasthani descent