King of Ghazal - Mehdi Hassan dies in Pakistan

He was known as the Shehanshah of ghazal, Indeed a great loss, his void will never be filled,May his soul rest in peace.

he won numerous awards, Inculding Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, Pride of Performance and Hilal-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan, and Gorkha Dakshina Bahu by the Government of Nepal.

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Pakistani singing legend Mehdi Hassan has died of multiple organ failure at the age of 84.

The singer, hugely popular in India as well, was admitted to the Agha Khan Hospital in the southern port city of Karachi a few days ago.

Hundreds of fans gathered at the hospital after learning of his death, reports Indian news agency PTI.
Hasan began his career more than 50 years ago, but once he achieved fame he was seen as the "king of ghazal".
Ghazal, a genre of music specific to South Asia and parts of the Middle East, usually expresses sadness or love. It has been around for more than 400 years.

Legendary Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar once likened his songs to the "voice of god".
But after he entered the music industry, he had to wait for several years to get his big break.
Hassan was born into a family of traditional musicians in 1927 at Luna village in India's Rajasthan state.
His family migrated to Pakistan in 1947 at the time of partition.
He cut back on his performances in the late 1980s due to illness, which included a serious lung condition.
The government of India's Rajasthan state even offered to help Hasan get treatment in India.

He last Rajasthan in 2000 when the state government invited him for a convention of non-resident Rajasthanis.
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Indian legend Lata Mangeshkar, while talking to Express News, said that she was deeply saddened to hear the news of Mehdi Hassan’s demise.
She said that it was unfortunate that such a wonderful person had to suffer so much. “He had come to India and we had met. Everyone had started crying when they saw him.”

“Yeh hee manzoor thaa Allah ko,” she said.
Mangeshkar praised Mehdi Hassan and said that it was because of him many people had started singing.

“A voice like his may never be heard again.”
She said she had all records Hassan had released and liked every single ghazal of his.

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BTown pays respect to the legend

Shreya Ghoshal: Mehdi Hassan saab is no more. The voice, who made many music lovers and lovers find an expression of their hearts' stories, is gone. R.I.P. Saddened beyond comprehension.

"Jagjit ji (Jagjit Singh), now Mehdi saab. The voices who kept the legacy of ghazals alive are gone... This void can never be filled ever again."

Anupam Kher: Very saddened to hear about my favourite ghazal singer Mehdi Hassan's demise. As a student I had gate-crashed into Pakistan Embassy to listen to him. RIP.

Kailash Kher: Another Legend (Mehdi Hassan) has gone from this world. Lagta hai ghazal ka suraj dukhon ke baadalon ne dhak diya (It seems the sun of ghazals is hiding behind clouds of sadness).

Shankar Mahadevan: RIP Mehdi Hassan saab, huge loss to the world of music. Your voice is immortal though.

Madhur Bhandarkar: Emperor of ghazals no more... R.I.P Mehdi Hassan. You will be missed sorely!

Kabir Bedi: Saddened that Ghazal King Mehdi Hassan passed away. What a phenomenal impact he made with his unique voice and style!

Manoj Bajpayee: Ghazal King, one of my favourites, Mehdi saab passed away. May his soul rest in peace!

Meiyang Chang: My dad loved Mehdi Hassan saab. He was his biggest musical influence, and as a result, my first. RIP huzoor, your voice shall never fade away.

Dia Mirza: RIP Mehdi Hassan saab. Your songs are eternal.

http://english.samaylive.com/entertainment-news/676506157/b-town-pays-re...