Ustad Ghulam Hassan Shagan

Originally from Lahore, Ustad Shagan belongs to Kapurthala Gharana started by Sian Mohammed Ilyas and Gwalior Gharana ? Mian Tang Sengh in this most popular genre of classical music in the subcontinent. He is the last legend of the khayalgaiki and can be presented as ustad of ustads. When Ustad Shagan sings a raag, in the sleep he gives the real raag. The capacity of ustad in the "drat bandish" when he does his teens, is done only by him in the Gwalior Gharana. He was born in 1928 in Amritsar, his grandfather was a legendary musician as was his father Ustad Bhai Lai Mohammed titled sangeet saagar. Music was in his blood and he started practicing the art from the age of seven. He made his maiden performance in the presence of big performers in Lahore SPS Hall. "The audience was enthralled," says Ustad Shagan, "those times were better; people used to understand classical music."

His father Sangeet Saagar wanted him to study, but after the sudden death of his elder brother at the age of 22, Ustad Shagan made his debut earlier than expected. He had a big responsibility on his shoulders: to sustain the talent that was in his family for years.

He dedicated himself to music and refused to associate his art with anything that would devalue it, and for that he has paid a price. He is living in a small two marls house in the interior of Lahore, never having made enough money to live a comfortable life.

Though he has won many awards and gold' medals from the government, including the Pride of Performance and the' Graduates Award by the organizers of the Cultural, Association of Pakistan, he has not earned any regular source of income

Ustad Shagan's first and so far the most memorable performance was in Calcutta in 1962 ac a music conference where he performed in front of big names of the time: Pandit Han Kar Nnath Thakar, Pandit Rawi Shanker, Ustad Allah Rakha Table Nawaz; Shankar Prasad and Khan Amin Khan Sahib. He played darbari raag there and the audience was mesmerized.

He has traveled to many countries, including Spain, France, Sweden, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland and the UK and has been met with overwhelming response. He hays been offered the citizenship of foreign countries, to live and teach music in their universities, but Ustad Shagan has refused to leave Pakistan, a country that has never acknowledged his talent in the real sense.

Ustad Shagan rued the fact that not many people listen to or appreciate classical music, which originates from our roots. He also said that it is imperative to transfer this aspect of our culture to the next generation. His elder son Qadir Ali Shagan is a composer and has arranged music for many films. His younger son Mazhar Hasan is also in the music world and plays the Rubab and Mandolin in classical raags. They have deviated from their ancestral classical music primarily because it is a dying art in our country and there is no repayment monetarily. Yet they are following their father's advice and attempt to keep classical music alive.

Ustad Shagan is very hopeful that the times of classical music are conning back and our next generation will be more attracted 'towards it. While in foreign countries, classical music is being taught as a subject, we have a legend living among us unnoticed. It would be a great tragedy if some day he will leave us unacknowledged. That would be the end of an era in itself.

BACK	Previous Interviews