Pakistani ghazal maestro Gulam Ali's concert in Mumbai which was scheduled to be held on Oct 9 was cancelled after Shiv Sena threatened to disrupt it. Reason? As the Shiv Sena put it: "Pakistan has targeted Indian soldiers, decapitated them and returned their headless bodies, India should not be enjoying cultural relations with them."
Defending the concert which was a tribute to ghazal singer Jagjit Singh, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had said that Ghulam Ali is welcome to perform in Mumbai. "The Maharashtra government is ready to give full protection to the singer. It is wrong to involve Ghulam Ali in Indo-Pak politics," he said.
"I'm not angry but very hurt. I have always got love in India," Ghulam Ali said. The Aam Aadmi party government in Delhi swooped in and invited the singer to perform in the national capital saying "music has no boundaries"
Whether Indians can enjoy Ghulam Ali live in concert or not seems to be entirely in the hands of political players, but here are five tracks by the maestro that you can enjoy sitting at home without any interference from non-musical entities. At least for now.
Anil Arora, Mr. Bookworm, R.I.P.
When Train 18 Tricked To Be Modi’s Bullet Train
Solskjaer’s Magical Case For Manchester United Exceptionalism
Seven Reasons Why I Am Not Moved By Last Week's Indo-Pak Tension