Introduction to Ghazal, An Ancient and Expressive Form of Poetry and Music

The ghazal, a love poem or ode, traces its origins back to Arabic poetry in the 7th century. Initially, the ghazal dealt with themes of spiritual and romantic love, expressing the agony of loss or separation from the beloved, as well as the beauty of love despite that pain. It was in the 12th century that Sufi mystics and the courts of the new Islamic Sultanate spread the ghazal to South Asia, where it became a prominent form of poetry in various languages, including Persian.

Structurally, the ghazal’s requirements are stringent, similar to those of the Petrarchan sonnet. Each couplet ends with the same word or phrase, known as the radif, preceded by the rhyming word, the qafia. Often, the poet’s name appears in the last couplet. In the Persian tradition, each couplet shares the same meter and length, and the subject includes both erotic longing and religious belief or mysticism.

The ghazal has evolved into a form of semi-classical music in India, which remains popular to this day, usually taking the form of a love ballad. In both poetry and music, the imagery typically blurs the line between spiritual and physical love. The desire for a lover can be described in elevated terms that transcend the purely physical aspects of love, suggesting that spiritual and romantic love are two interconnected parts.

The ghazal music genre has become popular throughout South Asia, most prominently in India, Pakista, and Afghanistan. Despite its ancient origins, the ghazal continues to be a highly allusive and expressive form of poetry and music, capable of extraordinary variety in expression around its central themes of love and separation.

Notable ghazal singers include Abida Parveen, Anup Jalota, Begum Akhtar (1914-1974), Bhupinder Singh, Farida Khanum, Ghulam Ali, Hariharan, Jagjit Singh (1941-2011), Mohammad-Reza Shajarian (1940-2020), Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1948-1997), Pankaj Udhas, Talat Aziz, and Ustad Mehndi Hasan (1927-2012). These singers have contributed to the continuing popularity of the ghazal in contemporary music culture.

Author: Angel Romero

Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.