Composer Feroze Nizami remembered

A friend, who is an ardent lover of film music produced during the years 1938-1950, provided me last week an opportunity to reminisce about composer Feroze Nizami, whose lilting compositions still sound as fresh as when these were recorded several decades ago. The occasion was the playing of a couple of cassettes containing Nizami's popular film songs. It took both of us back to a period about half a century ago when I assisted Feroze Nizami in starting a music academy at Lahore (Alhamra Arts Council) of which he remained a Principal until his death on November 15, 1975.
The decade of the 1940s was a period of experimentation in film music, especially the induction of Western style music orchestras and the use of melodic interludes in film songs. Also, during that period, Bombay fast emerged as the major film production centre in the sub-continental cinema. Previously, films were produced mainly in Calcutta and, to a smaller extent, in Madras and Lahore. A large number of luminaries of the film world, who made their debuts either from Calcutta, or Lahore, were lured by the financiers of Bombay to shift to then emerging capital of South Asian film world. A majority of artistes associated with the New Theatres in Calcutta opted for careers in Bombay. Included among them were producers, directors, actors and actresses, besides lyricists, playwrights and music directors of Punjab origin, many among them once lived in Lahore.
A Lahore-born musician, who enriched the melodic culture of the sub-continent, especially Pakistan, was Ferozeuddin Ahmed, better known as Feroze Nizami. Throughout his long film career, he remained at the vanguard of avant-garde movement in film music, especially in the decade of the 1940s, and also after independence in Lahore. Not many contemporary composers invented so many tunes, which carried strong imprints of their creators, as did Feroze Nizami. What is particularly interesting to note is that his stylistically composed songs changed very little over the decades; the same qualities and mannerisms by which his later works were recognized could be discerned in many of his early compositions. Feroze Nizami made his music speak simply and directly about what lied in his heart at the time of inventing new tunes. If there was love or melancholia, or if he was in an emotionally disturbed state of mind, those moods and feelings were reflected in his compositions. After graduating from Islamia College, Lahore, Feroze Nizami, joined All India Radio, Delhi, as a programme producer like his contemporary composer Khurshid Anwar. Like Anwar he too resigned his job to become a freelance composer of film songs. In those days, a group of young and educated Muslim composers used to meet regularly to confabulate on music to discuss their problems and deliberated on ways and means to meet the growing demands of film industry. Included among those talented artists were Rafique Ghazanavi, Feroze Nizami and Khurshid Anwar. They had been groomed in classical traditions of Muslim gharana of musicians, which they promoted with much zeal and verve, either through their classical vocalization, or via film compositions. In the beginning, Feroze Nizami distinguished himself by his Kirana strand of classical vocalization. He inherited the artistic mantle of his illustrious teacher and mentor, Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan. An elder brother of cricketer Nazar Mohammad, Nizami was a man of multi- faceted personality.
Besides being a classical singer, who broadcast his music from Delhi and Lahore both before and after the political division of India, he composed music for a large number of films, produced in Bombay, Karachi and Lahore. He was acknowledged as one of the best composers of film songs in the sub-continent. The late Nizami was a musicologist, too.
He regularly wrote a large number of articles, which were published in The "Pakistan Times" for several years. His Urdu books on music and mysticism were Asrar-e-Mauseeqi (which was prescribed by the University of the Punjab for its graduate course in music) and Sarchashma-e-Hayat of which he used to talk much with pride. He also dabbled in homeopathy and practised the art of transcendental meditation. An influential composer representing the Punjab school. Nizami remained in the forefront of progressive movement in film music. He used every genre - classical, folk, popular, and even melodies derived from Hindu liturgical modes, to embellish his compositions. His greatest achievement was the evolution of a powerful and original creative force, which was reflected in his captivating songs for the films Jugnu (Bombay), Dopatta and Chunway (Lahore). Music buffs still vividly remember and enjoy the lilt and cadences of such songs as Aaj ki raat saaze-e-dil purdard, Yahan badla wafa ka bewafai, Tum bhi bhula dho and Hamain to shaame-e-gham mein (Jugnu); Chandni raatain, Tum zindgi ko gham ka fasana (Dopatta), and Terey Mukhrey tay kala kala til way and Chun they aa totia (Chunnway). From rhythms, melodies, instrumental colours and other salient features of Punjabi folk music and Kirana classical traditions, Nizami derived inspiration for his compositions, some of which brought him early recognition. Interest in Punjabi folk music came to him early, even before his emergence as a composer. Some of his compositions were markedly superior to songs composed by other music directors, especially in delicacy and expressiveness, which created magical spells on the listeners. Nizami's popularity during the decade of the 1940s was well deserved. If he was not the greatest Muslim composer after Khurshid Anwar, Master Jhandey Khan and Master Ghulam Hadier, he certainly was one of the great by the end of the year 1950.
There is no area of composition to which he did not contribute significantly. He was considered a master in the invention of melodic interludes, and in arranging orchestral pieces of a song. Apart from his creative talent, Nizami was also acknowledged as a classical singer of much merit. He did not allow his deteriorating health and old age to interfere with his melodic agenda and commitments. In 1963, Nizami led a delegation of Pakistani artistes, who participated in a music seminar held in Teheran under the auspices of UNESCO. His paper on the then state of musical affairs in Pakistan won him appreciation of delegates from other countries. Nizami also trained a number of singers, who too created names in the film world. More prominent among them were the inimitable playback singer Mohammad Rafi, composer and classical singer Ustad Saleem Husain (better known as Saleem Iqbal in film circles) and Mohammad Ali, who is currently taking classes at Alhamra Music Academy.