Music icons: ignored and forgotten
WE have ignored our music icons like Mehdi Hassan, Iqbal Bano, Reshma, etc. The state does not mind paying millions of dollars to power rental companies as capacity charges, although they produce a mere fraction of their capacity.
But it has no funds when it comes to the welfare of those who have rendered valuable services for the promotion of arts and music.
Look at the abject poverty which inflicts Reshma, one of the most remarkable folk singers of the subcontinent. Mehdi Hassan is surviving on doles to meet his hospital expenses.
Habib Jalib, the revolutionary poet, whose verses are recited by every politician, did not have enough money to lead a comfortable life with his family which is now in a miserable state. Take the case of Iqbal Bano who, at the age of 17, was married to a rich landowner who gave her prime real estate so that she could pursue her passion.
After her husband’s death in the 1970s, an influential family which had taken her house located at Temple Road, Lahore, on rent, used its influence to force her to part with 2000 square yards of this prime property as a settlement to vacate the rented property.
If only the state had patronised arts and music, our generations might not have been lured by extremists to become target killers, fanatics or terrorists.
NABEELA H
Lahore
Iqbal Bano
IQBAL Bano, one of the greatest crooners of the subcontinent passed away on April 21, 2009. It is unfortunate that she could not garner so much respect, honour and recognition as her contemporary singers could earn. I had the opportunity to listen to her Urdu and Persian ghazals in 1967. She sang ghazals of Khusro and Faiz Ahmad in her melodious voice.
There was a crowd of about 5,000, mostly from Kandahar and Kabul. They had a taste for Persian poetry. There was complete discipline and order in such a huge audience. The people from Afghanistan attended this function with rapt attention. Iqbal Bano was particular about discipline in such a gathering. The great singer paid several visits to Afghanistan and India and always enthralled her audience.
But she did not have any lobby to project her art. She was a self-respecting lady and kept herself aloof from flattery. She never surrendered against the egos of radio or TV authorities. Thus, she died in obscurity. Faiz was so impressed with her art that he gifted one of his famous poems Dasht-i-Tanhai to her. This gesture of Faiz was a great tribute to her. The voice she possessed did not need any recommendation. This is why she made a posthumous ‘niche’ in her field. I request PTV authorities to give the great singer due recognition which she truly deserved.
Source: Dawn
Date:7/5/2011
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