Ghazal, a musical category famous all through the Indian Sub-continent 18th and 19th Centuries can be stated a musical interpretation of the poetic form of both the Beauty and Pain molded together in Love. This art form is more of a poem recitation than music. This art form traces its roots to Arabic poetry. Ghazal made its way into the South of Asia in the 12th century owing to the owing to the influence it cemented in Sufi mystics and courts of the new Islamic sultanates. This art form is now found in a variety of different languages across the Indian Continent. One among many carrying the torch in the United States of America of this category of Music is Mr. Sankumani Sarma. A Ghazal Singer in the United States of India, hailing from India, Mr. Sankumani Sarma has been spreading this beautiful symphony in the form of Private Concerts or Private Mehfil.
In its formative years Ghazal was mostly kept limited to religious topics and it evolution saw it expanding its horizon to more romantic themes. Ghazal is written always from the point-of-view of a lover whose love is almost unattainable. It is a music portrayed in a one-sided love affair. The structure of a Ghazal is made up of couplets ranging from five to fifteen of them. Many of these Ghazal have seven couplets. The lines in the lyric are approximate of the same length and meter. The structure also states for a repetition of a phrase or words towards the ending both lines of the first couplet and at towards the ending of the second line of each succeeding couplet. The final couplet usually dictates as a signature couplet where the poet uses his or her love’s first name thus providing a more personal feeling to the song.
There has been many who have mastered Ghazal and to point out a few of them is a work harder than it sounds. There have been many who are proficient in this field some of who are Ustad Mehndi Hasan, Ghulam Ali, Jagjit Singh, Begum Akhtar, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Hariharan, Abida Parveen, to name a few in no particular order.
Due to its increasing popularity, Ghazal is now gaining a name in parts all around the world. Embrace the beauty of Ghazal in the United States of America and get together with Ghazal maestro Sankumani Sarma to enjoy a Shaam-e-ghazal like none other. You can also get in Touch with Mr. Sankumani Sarma for a Desi Home Concert for more of an at-home feeling. Ghazal is beautiful and is fast gaining popularity around the world, don’t get left behind and be a witness to this soulful art form.