Written by: Mahnoor Fatima
Posted on: April 14, 2020 | 
| 中文
Rushdi in the Film Baharain Phir Bhi Aen Gi (Springtime Will Come Again) (photo credits to Hotspot Film Reviews)
Pakistani pop music has now diversified to encompass different genres and styles of singing. But, if we trace the history of popular music in the country, we often must begin with Ahmed Rushdi. In his two-decade-long career, he sang over 900 songs across film, radio, and television, and inspired many to follow in his footsteps. He is cited by music professionals, researchers and fans as one of the most important playback singers in South Asian history, and a magical voice.
Syed Ahmed Rushdi was born on 11th April 1934 to a conservative but well-connected family of Hyderabad, Deccan. Although he never received classical training, his natural baritone could transition easily into a tenor. Post-Partition, his family moved to Karachi, and Rushdie began to audition for children’s radio shows. Although he had sung his first song in a 1951 Indian Film, his fame began in Pakistan with the hit single “Bandar Road se Keemari (Bandar Road to Keemari).” He recorded it in 1954 for the famous children’s show “Bachon ki Duniya (The World of Children)”, and from then on his popularity began to rise in Radio Pakistan.
Rushdi in the Studio
From then on, Rushdi became known as a playback singer, though he would eventually sing and dance on screen as well. Playback singing is an older method of singing in which a singer pre-records a song to be dubbed by an actor. This form of lip-syncing has been particularly important in South Asian cinema as it needed playback singers to have command over eastern classic music, and the ability to incorporate different moods in each song. Playback singers like Rushdi in Pakistan, and Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar in India, are as famous as any celebrity in the film industry.
Rushdi’s distinct ability to convey a range of emotions across different styles of music made him the first pick for many directors and composers, despite increasing competition from the likes of Masood Rana and Mehdi Hassan. Films with his songs include, “Zamana Kiya Kahe Ga (What Will People Say)”, “Khamosh Nigahen (Silent Observer)”, “Naseeb Apna Apna (Each to Their Own Fate)” and more. Sometimes, he would even sing the parts of two antagonists, like the song “Burhaapay Main Dil Na Lagana Baday Mian (Don’t Fall in Love When You’re Old)” in Jab Jab Phool Khile (When Flowers Bloom) (1975). Along with English and Urdu, Rushdi also sang in Punjabi, Bengali, Sindhi, and Gurjari during his career.
Rushdi (Left) in the studio with Badar Munir (Center), Sohail Rana (Center Right) and a Producer
1966 saw the release of “Ko Ko Korina” in the film Armaan (1966), which erupted onto the music scene as Pakistan’s first pop song. This would also signal his collaboration with the charismatic and sought-out actor, Waheed Murad. Some of Rushdi’s other popular songs are, “Gol Gappay Wala (Gol Gappa Man)”, “Akele Na Jaana (Don’t Go Alone)” “Socha Tha Pyar Na Karenge (Why Not Fall in Love)”, “Yamaha Japani”, “Kuch Log Rooth Ker Bhi (Some People Are Endearing Despite Being Annoyed)” and more.
(L to R) Maala, Ahmed Rushdi, Waheed Murad and a Friend of Murad
Rushdi was a herald of disco, jazz and bubblegum pop within Pakistan, and introduced a genre retrospectively known as “Filmi-pop”. Filmi-pop was fast, bubbly and danceable, a departure from the dominant genres of eastern Classical and Ghazal (though pop singers had to be versed in all kinds of music). His female counterpart was Runa Laila, a Bengali singer who became popular for songs like “L.O.V.E”. Laila left for Bangladesh after the 1971 Civil War, and Rushdi continued to sing playback anthems.
This era in Pakistan was influenced by the West, with trends like long hair, loose clothes, and actors like Murad, Nadeem, and Muhammad Ali developed a following amongst the young people. It was in the late ‘60s and early 70’s that Christian bands across Karachi played Jazz and pop music in clubs and hotel lobbies across Karachi, Dhaka, and Lahore. Oftentimes, they would either sing Rushdi’s songs or Western pop music.
But Rushdi did not shy away from ghazals and qawwalis. He sang the ghazals of Naseer Turabi (the original composer of “Woh Humsafar Tha”) and Habib Jalib, and popularized Jalib’s revolutionary poem, “Main Nahin Manta (I Do Not Accept)”. As for qawwalis, he sang “Dil Torney Walay (Heart Breaker)” and “Madiney Walay ko Mera Salam Kehdena (Give my Regards to the One of Madina).” In fact, at one point in time, he was the only one in the singing industry who could sing Damadam Mast Qalandar in its correct pronunciation, years before Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan became known for his rendition.
Ahmed Rushdi Singing
A heart patient in the later parts of his life, Rushdi insisted on singing despite warnings from doctors. Upon his death in 1983, Murad lamented that he had lost the singer on whom he had relied for his most of the songs in his movies, and paid tribute to him on many occasions, till Murad’s own death a few months later. During his lifetime, Rushdi won multiple awards, including 5 Nigar awards. In 2003, then-President Pervez Musharraf posthumously awarded him the Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) for his contribution to the arts.
Ahmed Rushdi became the voice of a Pakistan that was changing and engaging with global popular culture trends. His versatility in terms of genres, and his ability to capture emotions with his voice, earned him respect and admiration across South Asia. “Ko Ko Korina” remains a classic for every Pakistani music fan, and Rushdi’s overall contributions to popular culture in Pakistan is difficult to ignore. This man with a magical voice has continued to cast a spell on audiences, both past and present.
Rushdi Singing a Duet with Nighat Cheema
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