Manzoor Niazi Qawwal

Manzoor Ahmed Khan Niazi (1922–2013) was a renowned Pakistani Qawwal and a classical musician in India and Pakistan. He belonged to the well-known family of Qawwals, Qawwal Bachchon Ka Gharana of Delhi.^[1]

He was the senior-most Qawwal in the Indo-Pak subcontinent. He had one of the most instantly recognizable and endearing voices among the qawwals. He was the leader of the gifted, albeit short-lived Qawwali group of the last century, a Qawwali Supergroup which Included his cousins Munshi Raziuddin Qawwal and Bahauddin Qawwal. Formed as the Manzoor Ahmed Khan Niazi Qawwal & Brothers qawwali group in 1937, Quiad-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah gave him the title of Bulbul-e-Deccan. This ensemble lasted until 1966. After 1966, Manzoor Ahmed Khan Niazi turned to solo work and also helped form his own son's Qawwali Party called Abdullah Niazi Qawwal. Manzoor Niazi Qawwal died on 9 April 2013 at age 91 at Karachi, Pakistan.^[2]

Awards and recognition

Manzoor Ahmed Niazi was honored with a Tamgha-e-Imtiaz Award [(Medal of Excellence) Award] by the President of Pakistan in 2005.^[3] Manzoor Ahmed Khan's son Abdullah Niazi Qawwal has inherited his father's unbelievably melodious voice and is among the foremost Qawwals of the subcontinent today. Manzoor Niazi's many sons now perform as a qawwali group called Abdullah Niazi Qawwal^[4]

References