Ghulam Ahmed Chishti
Encyclopedia
Ghulam Ahmed Chishti was a Pakistan
i music composer, attributed as being one of the founders of Pakistani film music. He is also sometimes referred to as Baba Chishti.
Working with filmi
music, Chishti excelled at Punjabi
compositions and was 'apt at weaving the design of influences around Punjabi music'. With almost 5,000 tunes to his credit, he composed scores for 140-150 films and was the first musician to reach the 100s threshold. Being a poet, he has written lyrics for 12 most popular Pakistani film songs besides hundreds of others.
. Early in his childhood, Chishti became fond of music and would sing naat
s. at his school. He was later noticed by Agha Hashar Kashmiri when Chishti came to Lahore
. Kashmiri was a well-renowned writer and his works were praised throughout the Indian subcontinent
and would occasionally compose songs for theatres.
Kashmiri hired Chishti to assist him with his work and offered him a salary of 50-rupees per month. Under Kashmiri's influence Chishti began learning the intricacies of the music industry and trained with him. Upon Kashmiri's death, Chishti joined a recording company and began composing himself. Amongst his first records were those for Jaddanbai
and Amirbai Karnataki
.
to the Lahore stage when she was 9-years old in 1935 who since then had worked in accord with Chishti after his later migration to Lahore. He started his career composing music for the films with Deen-o-Dunya in 1936. Once he got recognised, he was offered to compose music for L. R. Shori's film Sohni Mahival in 1938. Later the Censor Board banned his composition for the song Aik Shehr Ki Londiya from the film Shukriya in 1944 bestowing much needed attention upon the composer. He became known for his compositions in Urdu and Punjabi both.
was formed out of the partition of India
. He decided on migrating to Pakistani in 1949 where the film industry was reeling in its infancy. The new industry was at the mercy of learned musicians and filmmakers and lacked funds to compete with the Indian films imported from India. Chishti offered his services as a musician.
Due to shortage of talent in the music industry, it is reported that Chishti had to compose music for three films at a time. His initial compositions for Sachai, Mundri and Pheray were simultaneously produced. Upon its initial screening, Pheray became a blockbuster hit and earned plaudits for the composer. It is reported that the six to seven songs in the film were written, composed and recorded in a single day.
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i music composer, attributed as being one of the founders of Pakistani film music. He is also sometimes referred to as Baba Chishti.
Working with filmi
Filmi
Filmi is Indian popular music as written and performed for Indian cinema. Music directors make up the main body of composers; the songs are performed by playback singers and it makes up 72% of the music sales in India....
music, Chishti excelled at Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
compositions and was 'apt at weaving the design of influences around Punjabi music'. With almost 5,000 tunes to his credit, he composed scores for 140-150 films and was the first musician to reach the 100s threshold. Being a poet, he has written lyrics for 12 most popular Pakistani film songs besides hundreds of others.
Early life
Ghulam Ahmed Chishti was born in 1905 in Gana Chor, a small village in JalandharJalandhar
Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...
. Early in his childhood, Chishti became fond of music and would sing naat
Naat
A Na`at is a poetry that specifically praises the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Many of the famous scholars in the earlier days of Islam wrote Naat. People who recite Naat are known as Naat-Khua'an or Sana'a-Khua'an.-History:...
s. at his school. He was later noticed by Agha Hashar Kashmiri when Chishti came to Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. Kashmiri was a well-renowned writer and his works were praised throughout the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
and would occasionally compose songs for theatres.
Kashmiri hired Chishti to assist him with his work and offered him a salary of 50-rupees per month. Under Kashmiri's influence Chishti began learning the intricacies of the music industry and trained with him. Upon Kashmiri's death, Chishti joined a recording company and began composing himself. Amongst his first records were those for Jaddanbai
Jaddanbai
Jaddanbai was an early singer, music composer, actress and filmmaker of Bollywood and one of the pioneers of Indian cinema. She was the mother of well-known actress, Nargis and maternal grandmother of Sanjay Dutt.-Biography:...
and Amirbai Karnataki
Amirbai Karnataki
Amirbai Karnataki was a famous actress/singer and playback singer of the early Hindi cinema and was famous as Kannada Kokila. Mahatma Gandhi was an ardent fan of her song Vaishnav Jan To.-Personal life:...
.
Composing for film
Chishti is responsible for bringing Noor JehanNoor Jehan
Noorjehan or Noorjehan was the adopted stage name for Allah Wasai who was a legendary singer and actress in British India and Pakistan. Her career spanned seven decades...
to the Lahore stage when she was 9-years old in 1935 who since then had worked in accord with Chishti after his later migration to Lahore. He started his career composing music for the films with Deen-o-Dunya in 1936. Once he got recognised, he was offered to compose music for L. R. Shori's film Sohni Mahival in 1938. Later the Censor Board banned his composition for the song Aik Shehr Ki Londiya from the film Shukriya in 1944 bestowing much needed attention upon the composer. He became known for his compositions in Urdu and Punjabi both.
Partition and migration
However, things were to take a drastic turn when in 1947, PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
was formed out of the partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. He decided on migrating to Pakistani in 1949 where the film industry was reeling in its infancy. The new industry was at the mercy of learned musicians and filmmakers and lacked funds to compete with the Indian films imported from India. Chishti offered his services as a musician.
Due to shortage of talent in the music industry, it is reported that Chishti had to compose music for three films at a time. His initial compositions for Sachai, Mundri and Pheray were simultaneously produced. Upon its initial screening, Pheray became a blockbuster hit and earned plaudits for the composer. It is reported that the six to seven songs in the film were written, composed and recorded in a single day.