
His unsurpassable vocal range and his mastery over even the most difficult of raags makes him the undisputed emperor of ghazals. He is universally acclaimed as the finest ghazal singer of his time, perhaps of all times. The 60s and 70s can be named Mehdi Hassan’s decades, as there was hardly any hero in the Pakistani musical scene on whom Mehdi Hassan’s songs were not filmed. Mehdi Hassan’s voice and unique performance skills in ghazal singing were unmatched in the world of South Asian music. He sang ghazals of all the renowned Urdu poets and his innovative style was soon appreciated by both masses and discerning audiences. They gave him ample opportunities to display his mastery over the ghazal on radio. Bukhari and Rafiq Anwar, renowned broadcasters and producers of radio Pakistan as additional influences in his progression as a ghazal singer. Mehdi Hassan also had a passion for Urdu poetry and began to experiment by singing ghazals. At the time, Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, Begum Akhtar and Mukhtar Begum were considered the stalwarts of Ghazal Gayaki (genre). The struggle ended when Mehdi Hassan was given the opportunity to sing on Radio Pakistan in 1952, primarily as a Thumri singer, which earned him recognition within the musical fraternity. Despite the hardships, his passion for music didn't wither and he kept up the routine of practice (Riyaaz) on a daily basis. To make ends meet, Mehdi Hassan began working in a bicycle shop and later became a car and diesel tractor mechanic. After the Partition of India, 20 year-old Mehdi Hassan and his family migrated to Pakistan and suffered severe financial hardships.

They instructed him in classical music and voice rendition within the framework of classical forms of Thumri, Dhrupad, Khayal and Dadra, from the young age of eight. Mehdi Hassan received his musical training and grooming under his father, Ustad Azeem Khan and his uncle Ustad Ismail Khan who were classical musicians, well-versed in Dhrupad and Khayal singing. Kala means Art and Want means teacher so he is from family of teacher who taught Kings and Royal families the art of music. He claims to be the 16th generation of hereditary musicians hailing from the Kalawant. Mehdi Hassan was born in the village of Luna in Rajasthan, India in 1927 into a family of rich traditional musicians.

Mehdi Hassan (Urdu: Ù…Ûدی Øسن) respectfully called Khan Sahib and titled as Shahenshah-e-Ghazal (English: King of Ghazals) is a well-known Pakistani Ghazal singer and a former playback singer for Pakistani films.
