Hassan had been under treatment at hospitals in Pakistan for a while, and there had also been reports of shifting him to India. He was admitted at a hospital in Karachi for the past couple of weeks after he had developed a chest infection and breathing problems.
He passed away after he was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the hospital.
Speaking to the media outside Aga Khan Hospital, Hassan’s son Asif Mehdi said that his father had a number of complications and had been admitted for treatment for a month.
Before illness ended his career he was already hailed as the king of ghazal, and a man who had revolutionized the art form forever. His life and work marked an era of traditional ghazal style that many say, has ended with his demise.
Born on July 18, 1927 in Rajasthan Hassan rose to fame with his rendition of “Gulon mein rang bhare” by Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
Here are some of his celebrated ghazals:
“Muhabbat karne wale kam na hon ge”, a ghazal by Hafeez Jalandhri in Ghazal
Maestro’s later style:
“Ku-baku Phail Gayi”, by Parveen Shakir:
Hassan has a huge fan following all over the world, which includes other greats like Lata Mangeshkar. He has also been the inspiration for many legendary singers, such as Tina Sani, and Jagjit Singh.
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.
Ghazal singer Tina Sani said that Hassan had blessed the world with his work and that he was a legend even when he was alive.
“I have no words except for God bless him,” said Sani. She said that Hassan had given the world the legacy of ghazals and he was a “passport” for people like her when they went out to perform in the world.
Poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar, while speaking to a news channel, was all praise for the ghazal maestro, stating that Hassan’s voice gave one solace and peace.
Hassan was born into a family of traditional musicians at Luna village, Rajasthan, in 1927. His family migrated to Pakistan after 1947.
He had been awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Pride of Performance and Hilal-e-Imtiaz by the Pakistani government.
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