Tribute to Legends: Ghulam Ali

This disc is, theoretically at least, a homage to the ghazal legend Ghulam Ali as imagined by Pakistani superstar Shafqat Amanat Ali. The latter has long mixed elements of his traditional musical background with more contemporary pop and rock idioms, initially through the group Fuzön, but also as a best-selling solo pop artist across South Asia. And it is evident that he, like his musical hero, is also a filmi singer, especially given the arrangements and some of the musical styling on offer here.

None of this is necessarily out of place on an album that takes the ghazal as its starting point, and the disc runs the full gamut of styles, from Egyptian-esque strings to Bollywood, but largely ends up as a mélange of easy-listening tropes with the occasional tabla backing. It is hard to hear the subtlety and sophistication of Ghulam Ali in the rather bland arrangements in which no cliché is left unused: Listen to ‘Way Tu Paa Kay Judaiyan’ and imagine the opening to Hill Street Blues and you get the idea. Not all of it is bad – ‘Tere Piyaar Main’, ‘Chupkay, Chupkay’ and ‘Kia Tujhay’ are more interesting, probably because they attempt more of a fusion than the tracks before and after. Shafqat Amanat Ali is undoubtedly a fine singer, but this is not the best showcase for his talent.