Ghazal Singing Journey:
Dr. Ghazal Srinivas
Dr. Ghazal Srinivas, the Telugu Ghazal Legend, is a world-renowned Telugu Ghazal singer.
He is famous as the first Telugu Ghazal singer and a pioneer of the Telugu Ghazal singing tradition. Since 1986, he has sung Telugu Ghazals across continents, performing in over 10,000 concerts and popularizing Telugu Ghazals worldwide.
Although his family name was Keshiraju, because he was the first Telugu Ghazal singer and brought immense fame to the genre, the people and media transformed “Keshiraju Srinivas” into “Ghazal Srinivas.” Among Telugu people, whenever Ghazal is mentioned, it has become synonymous with “Ghazal Srinivas.”
If Dr. Dasarathi and Dr. C. Narayana Reddy laid the foundation and built the walls for Telugu Ghazal composition, then Dr. Ghazal Srinivas, by taking Telugu Ghazal beyond the borders of the state and illuminating every Telugu household with Telugu Ghazal singing, became the voice for Telugu Ghazal.
He set Dr. Cinaare’s Ghazals to music, sang them, and received his blessings. A great poet like Dr. Cinaare declared Dr. Ghazal Srinivas as his “Manasaputra” (spiritual son). The fact that Dr. Cinaare used to write his Ghazals specifically for Ghazal Srinivas to sing gives an idea of the caliber of Srinivas’s Ghazal singing talent.
Although his family name was Keshiraju, because he was the first Telugu Ghazal singer and brought immense fame to the genre, the people and media transformed “Keshiraju Srinivas” into “Ghazal Srinivas.” Among Telugu people, whenever Ghazal is mentioned, it has become synonymous with “Ghazal Srinivas.”
Ghazal Singing Journey:
Unique Singing Style:
Dr. Ghazal Srinivas pioneered a novel performance style by singing Telugu Ghazals on stage in traditional attire, using only a Kanjira (tambourine) as an accompanying instrument, which he plays himself. His method of providing meaningful and heartfelt explanations for the Ghazal literature between each couplet (sher), and his style of singing Ghazals in both Carnatic and Hindustani ragas, initially astonishes music and literature lovers and then earns their praise. The fact that audiences sit motionless for hours listening to his singing is a testament to the captivating attraction of his Ghazal renditions. He has composed and sung hundreds of Ghazals. Dr. Ghazal Srinivas himself has written over 100 Telugu Ghazals. He is the first Telugu Ghazal Vaggeyakara (composer-lyricist).
Blessings from Urdu Ghazal Luminaries:
The fact that world-renowned Urdu Ghazal singers like Ustad Ghulam Ali, Jagjit Singh, Pankaj Udhas, Anup Jalota, and Chandan Das have highly praised Dr. Ghazal Srinivas’s singing style is proof of his genius.
Appreciation from Dr. Mangalampalli:
Prominent Carnatic music scholar Dr. Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna, in a TV interview, responded to a question by saying, “I am a fan of Ghazal Srinivas. It is not easy to sing Telugu Ghazal as a performing art like him; his style cannot be imitated by others.” His praise is noteworthy.
A New Voice in Urdu/Hindi Ghazal Singing:
Alongside his exceptional work in Telugu Ghazal singing, Dr. Ghazal Srinivas also focused intently on singing Hindi and Urdu Ghazals. During his tours in India and abroad, the demand from audiences to hear Urdu and Hindi Ghazals from his melodious voice grew immensely. For this, he made a habit of studying Urdu and Hindi languages and understanding the dedicated practice (tapas) of various singers in Urdu Ghazal singing. Dr. Ghazal Srinivas is opposed to imitating and singing Ghazals performed by others. Therefore, he took the direction of composing and singing brand new Urdu Ghazals. He has set to music and performed in his unique style about 300 Urdu and Hindi Ghazals written by poets like Ghalib, Shri Rajendra Nath Rahbar, Colonel Tilak Raj, Munawar Rana, Junaid Akhtar, Ravikant Anmol, Naresh Nisaar, Poonam Matiya, Shakeel Ahmad, etc. As Ghazal lovers became enamored with his singing, a new voice and a novel style were discovered for the Urdu Ghazal. Abroad, Ghazal lovers affectionately call him “Ghazal Awaaz Khan.” The Sufi Ghazals, patriotic Ghazals, Ghazals on human relationships, and classical Ghazals he sings are establishing a new standard.
25
Year Of Experience