Ghulam Hassan Shaggan
Encyclopedia
Ghulam Hassan Shaggan is a Pakistan
i classical singer of the Gwalior Gharana
. His father’s name was Bhai Lal Mohammad
(died 1962), who belonged to the Gwalior-Kapurthala
Gharana.
Ghulam Hassan Shaggan, along with his father and family, moved to Pakistan in 1947 and settled in Lahore
. His father Bhai Lal was appointed music supervisor at Radio Pakistan where the son started performing. This was a time of intense emotional and financial troubles which abated over a period of 12 years, as Shaggan gained recognition and started performing more frequently at Radio Pakistan, The All Pakistan Music Conference, and other events in Pakistan and abroad.
Among several titles and awards, Shaggan received the Sangeet Samrat at the music conference in Calcutta in 1962, the Pride of Performance
in 1988 and Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 2000 from the Government of Pakistan. He received countless awards and titles during his 1962 tour of India
. He was conferred with the titles of Sangeet Rattan, Sangeet Alankar, Sangeet Samrat, Sindh Sangeet Mandalam and King of Music from the Sindh Sangeet Mandal in Mumbai
. On the same tour he was presented with a certificate of recognition by sarod
maestro Hafiz Ali Khan
.
In recent years, Ghulam Hassan Shaggan has received recognition in Europe as an outstanding representative of the North Indian classical music tradition. His talent was first recognized and expounded by French
musicologists Gerard Kurgijian and Martina Catella which led to performances in France, Sweden
, Spain
, Switzerland
, Germany
and the UK. Ghulam Hassan Shaggan also collaborated with the alternative/trance band Fun-Da-Mental
, contributing an arrangement of his original bandish in Raag Bhopali to the band’s 2001 album, There Shall be Love!
Shaggan Sahib currently lives in Iqbal Town
, Lahore with his sons Qadir Shaggan (vocalist and music director) and Mazhar Shaggan (rabab and mandolin
player). He continues to perform in public with youthful enthusiasm and the characteristic vigor of the Gwalior gayiki.
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 classical singer of the Gwalior Gharana
Gharana
In Hindustani music, a gharānā is a system of social organization linking musicians or dancers by lineage or apprenticeship, and by adherence to a particular musical style. A gharana also indicates a comprehensive musicological ideology. This ideology sometimes changes substantially from one...
. His father’s name was Bhai Lal Mohammad
Bhai Lal Mohammad
Bhai Lal Mohammad Amritsari was a singer of the Kapurthala Gharana trained in the Gwalior style of singing. Bhai Lal hailed from an Amritsar based rababi family of musicians and received his initial training from his father Bhai Ata Muhammad, a disciple of Mian Bannay Khan of the Gwalior gharana...
(died 1962), who belonged to the Gwalior-Kapurthala
Kapurthala
Kapurthala is a city in Punjab state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Kapurthala District. It was the capital of the Kapurthala State, a princely state in British India. The secular and aesthetic mix of the city with its prominent buildings based on French and Indo-Saracenic...
Gharana.
Ghulam Hassan Shaggan, along with his father and family, moved to Pakistan in 1947 and settled in 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...
. His father Bhai Lal was appointed music supervisor at Radio Pakistan where the son started performing. This was a time of intense emotional and financial troubles which abated over a period of 12 years, as Shaggan gained recognition and started performing more frequently at Radio Pakistan, The All Pakistan Music Conference, and other events in Pakistan and abroad.
Among several titles and awards, Shaggan received the Sangeet Samrat at the music conference in Calcutta in 1962, the Pride of Performance
Pride of Performance
Pride of Performance , is one of the highest civil award given and conferred by the Pakistan Government to Pakistan's citizens in recognition of distinguished merit in the fields of Literature, Arts, Sports, Medicines, and Science for civilians in most particular cases.The announcement of civil...
in 1988 and Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 2000 from the Government of Pakistan. He received countless awards and titles during his 1962 tour of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He was conferred with the titles of Sangeet Rattan, Sangeet Alankar, Sangeet Samrat, Sindh Sangeet Mandalam and King of Music from the Sindh Sangeet Mandal in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. On the same tour he was presented with a certificate of recognition by sarod
Sarod
The sarod is a stringed musical instrument, used mainly in Indian classical music. Along with the sitar, it is the most popular and prominent instrument in the classical music of Hindustan...
maestro Hafiz Ali Khan
Hafiz Ali Khan
Hafiz Ali Khan was an Indian Sarod player. He was a tall figure in twentieth-century sarod music. A fifth-generation descendant of the famous Bangash Gharana of sarod players, Hafiz Ali was known for the lyrical beauty of his music and the crystal-clear tone of his strokes...
.
In recent years, Ghulam Hassan Shaggan has received recognition in Europe as an outstanding representative of the North Indian classical music tradition. His talent was first recognized and expounded by French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
musicologists Gerard Kurgijian and Martina Catella which led to performances in France, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the UK. Ghulam Hassan Shaggan also collaborated with the alternative/trance band Fun-Da-Mental
Fun-Da-Mental
Fun-Da-Mental is a British-based multi-ethnic hip-hop–ethno-techno–world fusion music group formed in 1991. The group is notable for its energetic fusion of Eastern and Western musical forms, for its outspoken political stance, and for its strong Islamic affiliation and advocacy. Fun-Da-Mental's...
, contributing an arrangement of his original bandish in Raag Bhopali to the band’s 2001 album, There Shall be Love!
Shaggan Sahib currently lives in Iqbal Town
Iqbal Town
Iqbal Town may refer to:* Iqbal Town, Faisalabad, Pakistan* Iqbal Town, Lahore, Pakistan...
, Lahore with his sons Qadir Shaggan (vocalist and music director) and Mazhar Shaggan (rabab and mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
player). He continues to perform in public with youthful enthusiasm and the characteristic vigor of the Gwalior gayiki.