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He ruled radio waves, now he fights silence: The Indian Express
Mumbai, June 24: Walk down the dark, narrow passage, take a flight up, and you are at Kabban Mirza`s spartan two-room flat at Mumbra. There, sitting by the wall, he struggles to raise his head to welcome the visitor, but is encumbered by the bandage around his neck.
Mumbai, June 24: Walk down the dark, narrow passage, take a flight up, and you are at Kabban Mirza’s spartan two-room flat at Mumbra. There, sitting by the wall, he struggles to raise his head to welcome the visitor, but is encumbered by the bandage around his neck.
His questioning eyes look at you, and his silence rings with memories of the enchanting times you have spent in the company of his voice.
Former film playback singer and radio announcer at Vividh Bharti’s Mumbai station, who, with his delightfully resonant voice, entertained a generation of listeners, Kabban Mirza is fighting a losing battle with throat cancer which has rendered him completely speechless.
Mirza who briefly flirted with the film world, left a lasting impression with his songs for producer-director Kamal Amrohi’s epic, Razia Sultan.
The songs — Aayee zanzeer ki jhankar khuda khair kare and Tera hijr mera naseeb hai — rendered in Mirza’s deep voice, were filmed on the slave-warrior character of Yaqub played by Dharmendra in the film.
Mirza was picked out after Amrohi auditioned dozens of singers in his search for a unique voice to suit the character of the slave-warrior.
The film’s music director, Khayyam, reminisces: ‘‘Kamal saab was a perfectionist. He called over 50 singers for a voice test, but remained unconvinced. Then someone suggested Kabban Mirza who was also a popular nauha khaan (one who sings elegy for Imam Hussain’s martyrdom during Moharram). Kamal saab’s search ended with Mirza.’’
Overnight his popularity soared. Mirza got a few more singing offers, including for B R Chopra’s Nikaah, but his preoccupation with radio came in the way. ‘‘His voice had a unique base, unheard of in the industry,’’ says poet-lyricist Nida Fazli who penned a song for Razia Sultan.
Mirza had a flourishing career in radio. Diehard listeners of the ’60s and ’70s may recall programmes such as the classical-based Sangeet Sarita, the radio plays on Hawamahal and film music show Chhayageet, all anchored by Mirza.
‘‘I would never miss his Sangeet Sarita. He would describe every song’s raag, sur, taal. Uski awaaz mein jadoo tha (he had a magical voice),’’ recalls Nadeem Siddiqui, a Mirza fan.
Recognising his services to broadcasting, Vividh Bharti had even felicitated him with its Golden Voice Award.
‘‘He deserved it,’’ says former colleague and poet Rajesh Reddy. ‘‘He carried Lucknow’s soft and sweet tenor, a timbre in his voice,’’ recalls noted broadcaster Ameen Sayani.
Father of five (one of whom, Imtiyaz, is a broadcaster with Radio Asia in Dubai), Mirza, 65, is financially sound (government’s health scheme covers his hospital bills and his pension keeps the hearth warm).
However, the Mirza household is worried about the impact of the loss of his voice on him.
Mirza who was admitted to Jaslok Hospital on May 9 after he complained of cough and neck pain, came back home minus his once-famous voice. The tracheotomy tube inserted in his windpipe allows him to breathe, not speak.
‘‘He was diagnosed for throat cancer and treated 10 years ago also. But its relapse has shattered us. He won his bread and our happiness through his voice. Now he has lost that very voice,’’ bemoans Rifat, Mirza’s daughter.
As we leave his house, Mirza jots down a line of a song he had sung in the film Sheeba, from whose credits his name went missing: ‘‘Is pyar ki basti mein/hum rahte hain masti mein/duniyan hamein kya samjhe/duniyan hamein kya jaane’’(In this world of love, I live unmindful of worries, what will they make of me, they will never understand me).
Former film playback singer and radio announcer at Vividh Bharti’s Mumbai station, who, with his delightfully resonant voice, entertained a generation of listeners, Kabban Mirza is fighting a losing battle with throat cancer which has rendered him completely speechless.
Mirza who briefly flirted with the film world, left a lasting impression with his songs for producer-director Kamal Amrohi’s epic, Razia Sultan.
The songs — Aayee zanzeer ki jhankar khuda khair kare and Tera hijr mera naseeb hai — rendered in Mirza’s deep voice, were filmed on the slave-warrior character of Yaqub played by Dharmendra in the film.
Mirza was picked out after Amrohi auditioned dozens of singers in his search for a unique voice to suit the character of the slave-warrior.
The film’s music director, Khayyam, reminisces: ‘‘Kamal saab was a perfectionist. He called over 50 singers for a voice test, but remained unconvinced. Then someone suggested Kabban Mirza who was also a popular nauha khaan (one who sings elegy for Imam Hussain’s martyrdom during Moharram). Kamal saab’s search ended with Mirza.’’
Overnight his popularity soared. Mirza got a few more singing offers, including for B R Chopra’s Nikaah, but his preoccupation with radio came in the way. ‘‘His voice had a unique base, unheard of in the industry,’’ says poet-lyricist Nida Fazli who penned a song for Razia Sultan.
Mirza had a flourishing career in radio. Diehard listeners of the ’60s and ’70s may recall programmes such as the classical-based Sangeet Sarita, the radio plays on Hawamahal and film music show Chhayageet, all anchored by Mirza.
‘‘I would never miss his Sangeet Sarita. He would describe every song’s raag, sur, taal. Uski awaaz mein jadoo tha (he had a magical voice),’’ recalls Nadeem Siddiqui, a Mirza fan.
Recognising his services to broadcasting, Vividh Bharti had even felicitated him with its Golden Voice Award.
‘‘He deserved it,’’ says former colleague and poet Rajesh Reddy. ‘‘He carried Lucknow’s soft and sweet tenor, a timbre in his voice,’’ recalls noted broadcaster Ameen Sayani.
Father of five (one of whom, Imtiyaz, is a broadcaster with Radio Asia in Dubai), Mirza, 65, is financially sound (government’s health scheme covers his hospital bills and his pension keeps the hearth warm).
However, the Mirza household is worried about the impact of the loss of his voice on him.
Mirza who was admitted to Jaslok Hospital on May 9 after he complained of cough and neck pain, came back home minus his once-famous voice. The tracheotomy tube inserted in his windpipe allows him to breathe, not speak.
‘‘He was diagnosed for throat cancer and treated 10 years ago also. But its relapse has shattered us. He won his bread and our happiness through his voice. Now he has lost that very voice,’’ bemoans Rifat, Mirza’s daughter.
As we leave his house, Mirza jots down a line of a song he had sung in the film Sheeba, from whose credits his name went missing: ‘‘Is pyar ki basti mein/hum rahte hain masti mein/duniyan hamein kya samjhe/duniyan hamein kya jaane’’(In this world of love, I live unmindful of worries, what will they make of me, they will never understand me).