Defying Barriers [Aaliya Rasheed]

Aaliya Rasheed, a 26-year old dhrupad singer, is an aspiring example of how even amateur singers can perfect their skills by learning with strict training and discipline. Blind since birth, Aaliya is blessed with a tuneful voice. She gratefully used this gift of God by starting to learn music at the age of six. Later, she received training in music at the Sangan Nagar Institute of Philosophy and Arts (SIPA), Lahore, where Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan Sahib taught her. Appreciating her talent, SIPA’s founder, Barrister Raza Kazim, persuaded Aaliya Rasheed in 2001 to go to India for learning dhrupad – the oldest surviving style of medieval Indian classical music that has a rich devotional element. In India, she tool residence at the Dhrupad Institute of Bhopal, where she spent four years under the tutelage of the renowned Gundecha brothers. Since her return, Aaliya Rasheed has been performing at various concerts in Pakistan – such as the All Pakistan Music Conference (APMC) – and has also performed twice in India; including what she terms her “most memorable performance”, held in Mumbai in March 2008. She currently teaches at the Musicology Department of the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore, besides imparting musical knowledge to schoolchildren. The News on Sunday interviewed her recently on the sidelines of a concert held at the University of Gujrat. Excerpts follow:

Mustafa Nazir Ahmed: Were you blind by birth and how far did you study?
Aaliya Rasheed: I was blind by birth. In fact, blindness runs in my family and one of my cousins is also blind. I came to Lahore at the age of six from Dubai and took admission in a blind school in Allama Iqbal Town, Lahore. I did my matriculation from here. Because my family was in Dubai and later in Gujranwala, I had to live in a hostel with my aunt and uncle visiting me on weekends. Later, I did my Intermediate privately.
MNA: At what age did you start learning music?

AR: I started taking a fancy to music since childhood and listened to all sorts of music. In my school, there was a half-hour music class daily. My teacher was Master Alexander Neelam, who taught me the basics of music. He taught me how to top play harmonium, keyboards and dholak. Due to his training and the fact that I needed to listen to anything only once to remember it, I won many prizes for the school. I also participated in many television programmes, such as Mela. As a matter of fact, I still listen to all sorts of music, but perform classical only.
MNA: When did you decide to follow a career in classical music?
AR: After I did my Matriculation, the school where I was studying offered me the job of music teacher. Subsequently, I started working at the school besides pursuing my studies privately. In August 1999, I got an offer from Sanjan Nagar and was fascinated by the opportunity to learn classical music. In fact, Sanjan Nagar’s founder Raza Kazim listened to my singing and advised me to learn classical music. He made me quit the morning job and offered me a stipend more than double my salary. Raza Kazim also convinced my mother, who had apprehensions about my learning music. I spent three to four hours in the mornings at Sanjan Nagar, listening to music and practicing, while I studied in the afternoons and evenings. Meanwhile, I listed to sitar for the first time and slept during the performance. During this period, I met PTV producer Farrukh Bashir and this paved the way for my television performances. Meanwhile, I attended the APMC for the first time in 1999. Farrukh Bashir predicted that I would be performing at the event the next year. His prediction proved to be true: I performed Mirza Ghalib’s ghazal at the APMC in 2000 and won the first prize in the amateurs’ category. This was mainly due to Shabbir Hussain Jhari, who was my teacher at that time.
MNA: From whom did you get your initial training in music?
AR: At Sanjan Nagar, my regular teachers included Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan, Sara Zaman and Shabbir Hussain Jhari. In addition, I also got a chance to attend workshops by Indian artistes. Moreover, I learnt indirectly from many legends who were recording at Sanjan Nagar like Fareeda Khannum. I also got a chance to perform a ghazal of Farida Ji on harmonics.
MNA: When and how did you get a break in your career?
AR: I had not dreamt in my wildest dreams that I would be able to learn music in India, but I got such an opportunity in 2001. Through Raza Kazim’s contacts, I was sent to India to learn dhrupad from Gundecha brothers. I was the first Pakistani woman to learn dhrupad in India and that is why I also feature in the documentary titled Khayal Darpan.
MNA: Would you like to tell us something about the experience of learning music in India?
AR: When I went to India, the relations between Pakistan and India were not at their best; the Kargil incident was still on the people’ minds. However, my teachers – the Gundecha brothers – treated me as a family member during my four-year stay in India. Though there were problems (for example, I was not allowed to eat meat because my teachers were Jains by religion), I have many happy memories of the visit. For example, before my return to Pakistan, all major newspapers and TV channels interviewed me. A performance, which was attended by the then-Pakistani ambassador to India among others, was also held in New Delhi. On my return to Pakistan, many concerts were held in Lahore and Karachi.
MNA: Would you like to tell us about your most memorable performance so far?
AR: I had a chance to visit India twice after my first visit there. My March 25, 2008, performance in Mumbai was perhaps the most memorable, because more than 750 people were there to listen to me at six in the morning. During my second visit to India, I performed at Ahmedabad, Baroda, Calcutta, Bhopal and Mumbai.
MNA: Who are your favourite musicians?
AR: My favourite musicians include Nazakat Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan, Roshan Ara Begum, Fateh Ali Khan, Amanat Ali Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Parveen Sultana, Bhimen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj and Zakir Hussain.

By: Mustafa Nazir Ahmad