Ghazals

Poster for Kiran Ahluwalia in concert, featuring ghazals and Punjabi folk songs presented by the Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies at UFV, scheduled for July, 25 at the Lecture Theatre room of the UFV Abbotsford Campus from 8-10:30 pm.

Creator: Kabir Cultural Centre

Poster advertising the India-Pakistan Music and Dance Show, a fundraising concert for South Asian earthquake relief held at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. Features ghazals performed by Akram Butt, classical dance performed by Manasi Jain, geet performed by Deepa Mathur & Hita Raghunathan, Catherine Potter on the bansuri, Jagjit Singh Soni on the tabla and Aditya Verma on the sarod. Akram Butt is a published poet, music composer and formally trained vocalist. He is a disciple of the Patiala Gharana (school) of Hindustani classical music and sings ghazal, geet and semi-classical composition. In Pakistan, he was a staff artist at Radio Pakistan and Pakistan TV. Manasi Jain is a student of the Bharatanatyam form of Indian classical dance who was born in Montreal, Quebec. She is a member of the Kabir Cultural Centre and a reputed junior artist who performs extensively in Montreal and other cities. She also has a PhD in Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Deepa Mathur is a vocalist who sings geet. Hita Raghunathan is a trained singer of Hindustani music, ghazals and bhajans who lives in Montreal, Quebec, where, according to the Kabir Cultural Centre, she is "arguably the most popular South Asian singer". Catherine Potter was a Canadian bansuri player. She was born on December 25, 1957 in the city of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. She studied the bansuri in India with Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. She was the founder of the Duniya Project music ensemble. She died on December 3, 2010. Jagjit Singh Soni is a tabla player and instructor. He was born and raised in the city of Batala in Punjab, India and now lives in Brampton, Ontario. He began learning tabla at the age of 4. He holds the Guinness World Record for Longest Drumming Marathon, having played 110 hours of tabla for five days and four nights straight. Aditya Verma is a sarod, sitar and tabla player from Montreal, Quebec. He was first trained in the tabla by his father, Dr. Narendra Verma, and Ustad Zakir Hussain. in 1987, Aditya moved to India where he studied North Indian classical music in the tradition of the Maihar Senia Gharana (school). He has also studied under the sitar player Pandit Ravi Shankar and the sarod players Ustad Aashish Khan and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.

Creator: Bodalia, Chandra

Photograph of Ghulam Ali with Chandra Bodalia.

Ghulam Ali is a Pakistani ghazal singer of the Patiala gharana. Ali was born on December 5, 1940, in the village of Kaleke in the Sialkot district of Panjab, pre-partition India (now Pakistan). He belongs to a musical family, his father was a vocalist and a sarangi player who initiated Ali to music from his childhood. At 15, Ali became a student of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, a master of the Patiala gharana (Patiala School) of Hindustani music. Ali started singing for Radio Lahore in 1960. Along with singing ghazals, he also composes the music for his ghazals. Ali has also contributed to Bollywood with his music. Ali is considered as one of the greatest ghazal singers of his era, as his style and variations in singing ghazals are unique. In 1979 he received the Price of Performance Award and in 2013 he was honored with the Sitara-i-Imtiaz Award by the President of Pakistan.

Born in 1948 in Sisodra, a village in Gujarat, India, Chandravadan "Chandra" Bodalia was a talented artist who pursued higher education in commercial arts and painting at the prestigious Sheth C. N. College of Fine Arts in Ahmedabad. After immigrating to Canada in 1976, Bodalia settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he initially worked various jobs, including creating art props and souvenirs for cultural events. In the late 1980s, Bodalia embarked on a career as a photojournalist, documenting the lives of South Asian Canadians with unparalleled dedication. Bodalia photographed important events for the South Asian Canadian community across B.C. and highlighted the unique stories and experiences of the community. He covered a range of events and various facets of life, from community programs and celebrations to cradle to grave events such as weddings, birthdays, cultural festivals, honoring events, political gatherings, and religious ceremonies. The photographs also reflect the intercultural connections and collaborations within the immigrant communities in Canada as well as transnational ties to the South Asian region. Bodalia's work appeared in local newspapers such as The Voice and The Link, earning him widespread recognition and over 20 awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Times of Canada. Bodalia passed away in 2017.

Creator: Bodalia, Chandra

Photograph of Ghulam Ali and Shushma Datt with unidentified individuals.

Ghulam Ali is a Pakistani ghazal singer of the Patiala gharana. Ali was born on December 5, 1940, in the village of Kaleke in the Sialkot district of Panjab, pre-partition India (now Pakistan). He belongs to a musical family, his father was a vocalist and a sarangi player who initiated Ali to music from his childhood. At 15, Ali became a student of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, a master of the Patiala gharana (Patiala School) of Hindustani music. Ali started singing for Radio Lahore in 1960. Along with singing ghazals, he also composes the music for his ghazals. Ali has also contributed to Bollywood with his music. Ali is considered as one of the greatest ghazal singers of his era, as his style and variations in singing ghazals are unique. In 1979 he received the Price of Performance Award and in 2013 he was honored with the Sitara-i-Imtiaz Award by the President of Pakistan.

Shushma Datt is a pioneer in the broadcasting industry in Canada, known as the first Indo-Canadian broadcaster in the country. Born and raised in Kenya, Datt earned a university degree from the University of New Delhi in India. She then began her career in journalism by working as a reporter for the Times of India. From there Datt moved to London, England, where she was employed by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Datt emigrated to Canada in 1972 and settled in Vancouver, where she broke new ground by hosting Indian programming on CJVB, where she was the first announcer to broadcast in Hindi and Panjabi. In 1987, Datt founded Rim Jhim, the world's first 24-hour South Asian radio station outside of India. In 2005, Shushma secured an AM license to launch RJ1200, now Spice Radio, further cementing her legacy. In 2007 Shushma Datt received the Influential Women in Business Award (BC) for her many accomplishments in broadcasting and multicultural programming. She has also received the Order of British Columbia (1992), the Queen's Golden Jubilee Commemorative Medal (2002), the YWCA's "Women of Distinction" Award and the Humanitarian Award from the Vancouver Multicultural Society. Datt is listed as one of the 150 most influential British Columbians by the Royal British Columbia Museum and the 100 most influential Indo-Canadians by the Vancouver Sun. Shushma's work not only transformed ethnic broadcasting but also paved the way for women and cultural understanding in Canada.

Creator: Bodalia, Chandra

Photograph of Ghulam Ali with Shushma Datt.

Ghulam Ali is a Pakistani ghazal singer of the Patiala gharana. Ali was born on December 5, 1940, in the village of Kaleke in the Sialkot district of Panjab, pre-partition India (now Pakistan). He belongs to a musical family, his father was a vocalist and a sarangi player who initiated Ali to music from his childhood. At 15, Ali became a student of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, a master of the Patiala gharana (Patiala School) of Hindustani music. Ali started singing for Radio Lahore in 1960. Along with singing ghazals, he also composes the music for his ghazals. Ali has also contributed to Bollywood with his music. Ali is considered as one of the greatest ghazal singers of his era, as his style and variations in singing ghazals are unique. In 1979 he received the Price of Performance Award and in 2013 he was honored with the Sitara-i-Imtiaz Award by the President of Pakistan.

Shushma Datt is a pioneer in the broadcasting industry in Canada, known as the first Indo-Canadian broadcaster in the country. Born and raised in Kenya, Datt earned a university degree from the University of New Delhi in India. She then began her career in journalism by working as a reporter for the Times of India. From there Datt moved to London, England, where she was employed by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Datt emigrated to Canada in 1972 and settled in Vancouver, where she broke new ground by hosting Indian programming on CJVB, where she was the first announcer to broadcast in Hindi and Panjabi. In 1987, Datt founded Rim Jhim, the world's first 24-hour South Asian radio station outside of India. In 2005, Shushma secured an AM license to launch RJ1200, now Spice Radio, further cementing her legacy. In 2007 Shushma Datt received the Influential Women in Business Award (BC) for her many accomplishments in broadcasting and multicultural programming. She has also received the Order of British Columbia (1992), the Queen's Golden Jubilee Commemorative Medal (2002), the YWCA's "Women of Distinction" Award and the Humanitarian Award from the Vancouver Multicultural Society. Datt is listed as one of the 150 most influential British Columbians by the Royal British Columbia Museum and the 100 most influential Indo-Canadians by the Vancouver Sun. Shushma's work not only transformed ethnic broadcasting but also paved the way for women and cultural understanding in Canada.

Creator: Bodalia, Chandra

Photograph of Ghulam Ali with unidentified individuals backstage at a concert in which Ali performed.

Ghulam Ali is a Pakistani ghazal singer of the Patiala gharana. Ali was born on December 5, 1940, in the village of Kaleke in the Sialkot district of Panjab, pre-partition India (now Pakistan). He belongs to a musical family, his father was a vocalist and a sarangi player who initiated Ali to music from his childhood. At 15, Ali became a student of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, a master of the Patiala gharana (Patiala School) of Hindustani music. Ali started singing for Radio Lahore in 1960. Along with singing ghazals, he also composes the music for his ghazals. Ali has also contributed to Bollywood with his music. Ali is considered as one of the greatest ghazal singers of his era, as his style and variations in singing ghazals are unique. In 1979 he received the Price of Performance Award and in 2013 he was honored with the Sitara-i-Imtiaz Award by the President of Pakistan.

Creator: Bodalia, Chandra

Photograph of Ghulam Ali with unidentified individuals backstage at a concert in which Ali performed.

Ghulam Ali is a Pakistani ghazal singer of the Patiala gharana. Ali was born on December 5, 1940, in the village of Kaleke in the Sialkot district of Panjab, pre-partition India (now Pakistan). He belongs to a musical family, his father was a vocalist and a sarangi player who initiated Ali to music from his childhood. At 15, Ali became a student of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, a master of the Patiala gharana (Patiala School) of Hindustani music. Ali started singing for Radio Lahore in 1960. Along with singing ghazals, he also composes the music for his ghazals. Ali has also contributed to Bollywood with his music. Ali is considered as one of the greatest ghazal singers of his era, as his style and variations in singing ghazals are unique. In 1979 he received the Price of Performance Award and in 2013 he was honored with the Sitara-i-Imtiaz Award by the President of Pakistan.

Creator: Bodalia, Chandra

Photograph of Ghulam Ali backstage with an unidentified individual at a concert in which Ali performed.

Ghulam Ali is a Pakistani ghazal singer of the Patiala gharana. Ali was born on December 5, 1940, in the village of Kaleke in the Sialkot district of Panjab, pre-partition India (now Pakistan). He belongs to a musical family, his father was a vocalist and a sarangi player who initiated Ali to music from his childhood. At 15, Ali became a student of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, a master of the Patiala gharana (Patiala School) of Hindustani music. Ali started singing for Radio Lahore in 1960. Along with singing ghazals, he also composes the music for his ghazals. Ali has also contributed to Bollywood with his music. Ali is considered as one of the greatest ghazal singers of his era, as his style and variations in singing ghazals are unique. In 1979 he received the Price of Performance Award and in 2013 he was honored with the Sitara-i-Imtiaz Award by the President of Pakistan.

Creator: Bodalia, Chandra

Photograph of Ghulam Ali with unidentified individuals backstage at a concert in which Ali performed.

Ghulam Ali is a Pakistani ghazal singer of the Patiala gharana. Ali was born on December 5, 1940, in the village of Kaleke in the Sialkot district of Panjab, pre-partition India (now Pakistan). He belongs to a musical family, his father was a vocalist and a sarangi player who initiated Ali to music from his childhood. At 15, Ali became a student of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, a master of the Patiala gharana (Patiala School) of Hindustani music. Ali started singing for Radio Lahore in 1960. Along with singing ghazals, he also composes the music for his ghazals. Ali has also contributed to Bollywood with his music. Ali is considered as one of the greatest ghazal singers of his era, as his style and variations in singing ghazals are unique. In 1979 he received the Price of Performance Award and in 2013 he was honored with the Sitara-i-Imtiaz Award by the President of Pakistan.

Creator: Bodalia, Chandra

Photograph of Ghulam Ali, signing a paper[?], with unidentified individuals backstage at a concert in which Ali performed.

Ghulam Ali is a Pakistani ghazal singer of the Patiala gharana. Ali was born on December 5, 1940, in the village of Kaleke in the Sialkot district of Panjab, pre-partition India (now Pakistan). He belongs to a musical family, his father was a vocalist and a sarangi player who initiated Ali to music from his childhood. At 15, Ali became a student of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, a master of the Patiala gharana (Patiala School) of Hindustani music. Ali started singing for Radio Lahore in 1960. Along with singing ghazals, he also composes the music for his ghazals. Ali has also contributed to Bollywood with his music. Ali is considered as one of the greatest ghazal singers of his era, as his style and variations in singing ghazals are unique. In 1979 he received the Price of Performance Award and in 2013 he was honored with the Sitara-i-Imtiaz Award by the President of Pakistan.