Rare are the academic works that combine quality research and fresh analytical perspectives to analyse or critique upon an issue. After obtaining an academic degree, when authors publish their dissertations with so-called ‘revisions’, such works frequently fall short of scholarly excellence. It is, therefore, genuinely refreshing to encounter Kabir Altaf’s recently published succinct volume titled A New Explanation for the Decline of Hindustani Music in Pakistan, which offers a novel approach to understanding the causes of decline of classical music in Pakistan.
Primarily submitted as a dissertation for M. Mus degree in Ethnomusicology from SOAS, University of London, the book is divided into five chapters. A glance at the bibliography, referenced in the main text of the book, shows that the young author has put in a reasonable effort to bring out a quality work. The first three chapters delineate key issues, such as the decline of classical music in Pakistan, the dominant narratives explaining the decline and a critique on these narratives. These chapters provide a solid base to discuss the very topic of the book i.e. the alternative explanation in chapter four where the author has rightly brought to light quite a few aspects related to the decline of classical music he believes to have been “un-investigated” so far. He mentions that “social impact of the Partition was confined largely to Punjab and Bengal which comprised a small proportion of the geographical and cultural space in India. However, it encompassed almost the entire area where classical music was in vogue in the then West Pakistan. Thus, the cultural impact was much more marked in the latter.” (P. 57)
Similarly, effects of modernization in 1960s and the changing structure of Gharana families also had their due share in the decline of classical music in Pakistan. In India, however, the situation did not go worse due to official patronage and a continuous support by the electronic media and cultural organizations as they offered performance opportunities to the practitioners of classical music, both vocalists and instrumentalists.
Following the departure of Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (UBGAK) from Pakistan in the 1950s, a seemingly conscious-stricken Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari (ZAB) has been defending his position both privately and in writing. Here too, Altaf, while citing reasons for the decline of classical music and adopting other means of earning by the practitioners, has quoted ZAB who maintained that Radio Pakistan could not meet the demand of Rs. 3000/- per month by UBGAK and, therefore, the maestro preferred to leave the country. There is no denying the fact that UBGAK’s departure is a sad incident in the cultural history of Pakistan. We know that there were four Radio Stations in Pakistan at that time i.e. Lahore, Karachi, Dhaka and Peshawar. However, with more stations being steadily set up and, ZAB as all-powerful Director General could not only increase the number of programme bookings for the living legend but could also enhance UBGAK’s remuneration to the maximum level or even beyond as an exceptional case. The maestro’s departure left many fellow musicians heartbroken, who, for various reasons, could not take such a bold step themselves and this dispiritedness eventually contributed to the decline of classical music in Pakistan.
Use of “adaptive strategies” such as fusion and setting up music bands like Raga Boyz has also done more harm than service to the classical music. Altaf rightly points out that despite the fact that their performance of a classical composition contains elements such as Alap, Taans, Sargams etc, yet “both the ambiance and the emotional vibe is that of a pop concert.” (P. 69) He continues commenting that “the artists are standing, gyrating and moving around on the stage rather than being seated which is the format of a traditional classical performance.” (P. 69) Their cousin, Shafqat Amanat Ali has, however, been much sober as he chose to base his light singing on classical modes and was never seen performing as a classical vocalist once he started singing light music.
It is quite satisfying to see that Altaf has also commented upon “Coke Studio as an Avenue for Fusion.” (P. 70) Presenting a motely of genres such as Qawali, Ghazal, folk and Khayal in more or less similar “orchestral setting including Western instruments” has, no doubt, attracted views in hundreds of thousands on electronic media and an applause by ubiquitous public, yet its contribution to decelerate the decline of classical music in Pakistan needs to be assessed. Quoting Saiyid, Altaf rightly mentions that the Coke Studio “sees its contribution primarily as a medium to promote cohesion in a multiethnic country by universal power and appeal of popular music.” (P. 70) Generating resources of income for the artists is, no doubt, a noble and commendable step but what needs to ensured alongside is the quality of work being presented. It would be pertinent to mention here the presentation of an item titled ‘Kangna’, a composition in Raga Malkauns by famous Qawals in Coke Studio where the respected duo has changed the rhythmic pattern i.e. the Taal of the composition to their personal ease and comfort. Such a compromise on quality is, by no means, appreciable. One can, therefore, safely say that Coke Studio has only ventured to provide “a lifeline for some members of Gharanedar families to leverage and cater to larger audiences.” (P. 70)
Commenting upon ghazal singing as one of the “various adaptive strategies to respond to the changed environment” (P. 77), Altaf aptly concludes that the ghazal singers “leveraged their knowledge of classical music to embellish those genres like ghazal and fusion that had no more popular appeal” (P. 77). Building upon this astute observation by Altaf, one may mention that with the rise of accomplished ghazal singers such as Mehdi Hassan, Iqbal Bano, Farida Khanum and Ghulam Ali, only to name a few, ghazal singing attained considerable popularity in Pakistan in the first four decades after Partition. However, it has declined over the past few years. An inquest into this sad episode reveals that aforementioned ghazal singers were rigorously trained in classical music and drew inspiration from pure classical music while rendering ghazals composed by themselves or by other composers. For instance, one may recall dozens of ghazals initially composed for some particular situation in a film later became super-hits when sung by these stalwarts.
It is indeed rare to see a writing on subcontinental music by someone who has both academic as well as practical knowledge of the subject. Fortunately, Kabir Altaf combines many qualities that have surely contributed to the production of this book. Educated at the world-famous institutions in the UK and the US, he is a trained classical vocalist having learnt this great art from some of the renowned Ustads both in Pakistan and abroad. Given his unique combination of academic rigor and formal training in music, it would not be unjustified to anticipate further valuable contributions by him in the field of classical music scholarship in the years to come.
Book: A New Explanation for the Decline of Hindustani Music in Pakistan
Written by: Kabir Altaf
Aks Publications, Lahore 2024
