Singers must get their due share

Renowned Ghazal artiste Talat Aziz, who hails from Hyderabad, recently performed in his hometown as a part of the Telangana State Formation Day celebrations. Talat’s father Abdul Azeem Khan was a great connoisseur of art and used to promote cultural activities in Hyderabad through various institutions like the Fine Arts Society and The Hyderabad Film Talent Guild.

His mother Sajida Abid has been a famous Urdu writer and poet and he says that’s how he gained proficiency in the Urdu language. “There used to be many intimate baithaks (get-togethers) at our home very often. All this was a foundation for my path in the field of singing,” the singer recalls.

Today, the technology has made CDs and cassettes immaterial in the market. It’s the age of iTunes and digital downloads. For any artiste, these are not easy times in terms of garnering a fair amount of financial gain through the release of recordings online

Talat did schooling from Hyderabad Public School and he actively participated in cultural activities and he was also good at cricket.
During an exclusive interview he refers to the popularity of ghazals in current times. “There was a time when I hosted a famous show titled ‘Carvaan-e-Ghazal’ on 92.7 Big FM Radio, which was relayed in 45 cities of India. This radio programme was about ghazals, ghazal singers, ghazal lovers and ghazals in films. It won India Radio Forum Award for the best Hindi non-breakfast radio show,” Talat shares.

Talking about the changing dynamics Talat says, “Today, the technology has made CDs and cassettes immaterial in the market. It’s the age of iTunes and digital downloads. For any artiste, these are not easy times in terms of garnering a fair amount of financial gain through the release of recordings online. At the same time, the outreach in terms of spreading one’s work is tremendous because of the technology and social media.”

“A few months back I released my ghazal online and it reached lakhs of people in a very short time. So it’s a Catch 22 situation. Being a part of the Indian Singers Rights Association (ISRA), we are constantly fighting for the rights of performing artistes to receive their lawful share in the revenues generated in the entertainment industry,” he adds.

Talat strongly believes that there are three important elements for any song to be successful in the industry. “It’s the singer, writer and the composer, who really make the whole song. Therefore, each of them must get their due share of the revenues generated, which more often have always gone to either the audio companies or other partners of any project.

For new singers, it’s not easy; as they need to understand the temperament of the ghazal. It takes time to build a repertoire and things don’t happen in a day. Just singing cover versions would not help them to sustain in the market,” Talat observes.

Talat states that young talent is emerging in the country and the demand and taste for ghazals has been always there in this fast changing scenario. “Last year, I experienced one of the most memorable moments of my life when I did the ‘ICONIC’ tour of America with renowned singer Asha Bhosle. The tour was a sellout and at a few centres some of my close friends could not get seats, which is unbelievable.”

By:Jaywant Naidu