Ghulam Ali is a famous Pakistani singer of the Patiala Gharana. He was born in 1940, in a village named Kaleke, Sialkot which is now a part of Pakistan. His father was a vocalist and Sarangi player and was trained by him initially. Ghulam Ali's father named him ‘Ghulam Ali’ after the legendary Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali. Ghulam Ali got to meet Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, when he was a 15-year-old boy. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan had three brothers, Barqat Ali Khan, Mubarak Ali Khan and Amanat Ali Khan, all of whom were renowned classical musicians. The young Ghulam Ali learnt the nuances of Classical Music from them. With time, his inclination towards ghazal, thumri, and dadra grew, and he decided to take them up professionally. His foundation in pure classical music, raagas and thumaris is very apparent in all his singing, making his style unique and inimitable. Ghulam Ali has a heavy, baritone voice, and while rendering ghazals he creates very subtle vibrations in his voice, which he uses very beautifully, to convey a whole range of emotions through it. He could make it sound hopelessly romantic, melancholy, and make it sound anything that he wants almost effortlessly. He is known for blending gharana-gaayaki into his ghazals and this gives his singing the capability to touch hearts. He beautifully sings Punjabi geets too. Though from Pakistan, Ghulam Ali remains as popular in India as in Pakistan. Along with Mehdi Hassan, he has played a pioneering role in reviving Ghazals in the 1970's.
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