Pakistani classical & pop music is appreciated worldwide – our legends have received appreciation across the globe, esp. in India where the likes of Ustad Mehdi Hassan, Farida Khanum, Madame Noor Jehan and of late, Atif Aslam are household names. This is why, when young vocalist Mehdi Hasan Niazi decided to pay tribute to Ustad Mehdi Hassan by singing a rendition of his Mujhe Tum Nazar Se …we were listening!
Read about his musical journey here and then scroll down for the soulful rendition.
Mehdi Hasan Niazi is an Indian classical & light vocalist / songwriter, and he belongs to the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana – one of the oldest and illustrious gharanas of India.
He is the son of Ustad Ghulam Siraj Niazi, grandson of late Ustad Ghulam Husain Khan and great-grandson of late Padma Bhushan Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan (the first recipient of the Padma Bhushan). He is also the maternal grandson of late Padma Shri Ustad Ghulam Sadiq Khan.
Brief Background
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Mehdi Hasan Niazi started his music training at the age of 7, from his grandfather, Ustad Ghulam Husain Khan. After the demise of Ustad Ghulam Husain Khan, he continued his training under the guidance of his father, Ustad Ghulam Siraj Niazi and the late Ustad Ghulam Sadiq Khan. Alongside, he has been learning from his uncle, Ustad Ghulam Abbas Khan as well.
(image credits: Instagram)
Setting the bar high
Mehdi Hasan Niazi has set a record by performing the Bada Khayal at the tender age of 9, which is rare in North Indian classical music. Throughout his musical journey, he has shared the stage and performed with many legends and eminent artists, such as Grammy Nominee Padma Vibhushan Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, late Padma Vibhushan Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Pakistani Folk legend – Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi and many more.
(image source: instagram)
He has also collaborated with some of the most renowned artists on multiple music projects, such as Dr. Palash Sen from the band Euphoria, Nitin Malik from Parikrama, Salman Khan Niazi & Zaman Khan from Astitva, Bollywood Playback singer – Akhil Sachdeva, YouTube & social media personality/musician – Bhuvan Bam (BB Ki Vines), and many more notable artists.
Mehdi Hasan Niazi has shown his versatility by singing and performing Ghazals, as well as playback singing in multiple languages, such as English, Nepali & Punjabi.
Work up till now
In 2019, Mehdi Hasan made his official playback debut with the Nepali song – “Ghaat”, composed and music directed by Nagendra Shrestha, which was a huge success in Nepal and among the Nepalese diaspora around the world.
In 2020, he released a cover of a classic Bollywood Hindi song, “Aisa Lagta Hai”, which went viral and earned him thousands of followers, views and streams on music streaming platforms, as well as social media platforms.
Future endeavors
Mehdi Hasan Niazi is set to release quite a number of his original songs & covers in 2021, including a Ghazal cover – ‘Mujhe Tum Nazar Se’, which was released on the 13th of February and presented as a tribute to the legend, “Shahenshah-e-Ghazal”, late Ustad Mehdi Hassan, bringing in thousands of views from Pakistani music listeners around the world, with a very positive response.
So, visit his YouTube channel and relive the classical music charm!
