(The great ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas will be performing at the beautifully renovated Park Theater in Cranston, Rhode Island on May 5 at 8:00 pm.  More information at http://www.parktheatreri.com/events/1448-moments-with-pankaj-udhas)

Pankaj Udhas along with other musicians like Jagjit Singh and Talat Aziz, are credited with bringing the Ghazal style to the realm of popular music. Udhas rose to fame for singing in the 1986 film Naam, in which his song “Chitthi Aayee Hai” became an instant hit. Following that, he has also performed as a playback singer for numerous films. He has recorded many albums since then and tours the world as an accomplished ghazal singer. In 2006, Pankaj Udhas was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award
 
Pankaj Udhas attributes his initial climb to success to his first concerts in North America. “I grew up during the Woodstock years and I was fascinated by so many Western musicians. I decided to take a backpacking trip through North America to listen to some of them. I attended St. Xaviers College in Mumbai. I had many friends who came to the US and Canada and I decided to visit them.  They arranged a few fairly large concerts. Performing in front of a large audience and getting appreciation for it gave me a lot of confidence to move my music career forward”.

How did he pick Ghazal as his musical genre?  “While I trained to be a classical musician, I learned Urdu and feel in love with the poetry. Thus Ghazal was a perfect genre for me to pursue.  I loved this musical form and wanted to bring this music to more people. I deliberately made a choice to make this genre more accessible to a wider audience. I picked the poetry of contemporary poets and created the music in a way that could appeal to many”. His was very successful in his efforts and people loved his creations.

While he has had many hit Bollywood numbers he never pursued that genre aggressively.  More recently he has ventured into Spiritual music. “I am quite religious in my personal life. Before each concert I sing the Hanuman Chalisa . On the fateful night of the Mumbai attacks on 26-11, I was at home watching TV when I heard about the horrible attack. Suddenly I burst out singing the Hanuman Chalisa and felt I needed to share this rendition with the world so that people find the strength to continue with their life after such a horrible tragedy”. Many of his spiritual albums have become great hits.

What does the future hold for this man who has accomplished so much? “I am working on my memoirs to detail my musical journey. I am working on another project to popularize the poetry of Fiaz Ahmed Fiaz and Sahir Ludhianvi via music”.

What advice does he have for up and coming musicians? “If you are passionate about music and have a sincerity of purpose you will succeed. Stick with it”.

Any special message for our readers? “I am eagerly looking forward to meeting all of them at the Cranston, RI concert.”

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