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IQBAL-MASOOD
The sons of Ghulam Mohammed are all set
to contend for their place in the sun with their music in the album Mera
Mulk Mera
Paigham...
When Tajdar Amrohi wrote the songs, and hit on the concept of the album Mera Mulk Mera Paigham, he immediately approached his childhood chums, composers Iqbal-Masood, and asked them to compose the lyrics for him. “They are a talented duo and share my excitement for the album. They can grasp my ideas, and their knowledge of Indian and Western music is amazing. With this album they will hopefully get their due recognition,” Tajdar Amrohi sings his pean for the composer duo.
Being the sons of the legendary composer Ghulam Mohammed, music was in Iqbal-Masood’s blood, and they honed their talent to perfection by training under their father and other experts. Masood, the older of the two, is well-versed in sitar, while Iqbal plays the congo, the dholak and the tabla. “I’ve got this knack for rhythm, while Iqbal’s forte is melody,” informs Masood, “We try to compose songs which tug at the heart-strings.”
The duo had decided to follow in their father’s footsteps after they worked with him on some films. In fact Ghulam Mohammed deemed them his worthy successors when he got a taste of their talent. Recalls Masood, “Way back in 1966, I composed a song and my father found it good for a first attempt. That’s when I decided to get into music direction, and formed a team with my brother.”
It was friend Tajdar Amrohi who gave them a break as composers in his film Ek Number Ka Chor. But with the film going by unnoticed, Iqbal-Masood could hardly register their presence. They continued with life by doing musical shows, and Iqbal even taught music in a school in Dubai. Now, after 10 years, the duo have got yet another chance to showcase their talent in the album Mera Mulk Mera Paigham. “We are thankful to Tajdarbhai for having faith in us, when he could have opted for any top composer for his ambitious album. He has taken out the best from us with his encouragement,” says Iqbal.
Mera Mulk Mera Paigham is aimed at re-creating the Pakeezah magic, and according to Iqbal-Masood this is one of those few albums where electronic sounds have been done away with. “We have gone in for the sound of the real instruments like the dholak and the tabla, since the synthesiser sound comes across as metallic and lacks depth. Also, we have used different musical instruments according to the mood of the song,” the duo explain.
The highlight of the album is, of course, the title song Watan se door baithe ho..., which the composer duo admit was tough to compose. “The lyrics of this song are touching and sensitive, and after 10 days of brain-racking sessions we came up with this tune which conveys the pathos in the song,” informs Masood.
Each song, be it the hip-hop 21st century or Aise mausam kahan is high on rhythm, and instantly catchy, assure Iqbal-Masood. “Our father was known as ‘The King of Rhythm’ and being his sons, rhythm rules ours senses too,” they say in unison.
Like their father, who was humble and unassuming, the sons too are self-effacing. Otherwise, in these times where leading composers have made a name mostly by flicking tunes, Iqbal-Masood who know their music well, would have made their mark. “They are pure artists and don’t know how to market themselves,” Tajdar Amrohi points out. Continues Iqbal, “The film industry knows we’re Ghulam Mohammed’s sons. We did get offers for composing for small films, but we didn’t accept them in the fear of getting stuck in the rut. We’d rather wait for the right opportunity.” Adds Masood philosophically, “Waqt aur taqdeer se pehle kuch nahin hota (Things happen when they are destined to happen). Mera Mulk... might just be our big break.”
S. K.