Aziz Mian was one of the leading traditional Qawwal’s of Pakistan known for his unique style of Qawwali singing. He was truly regarded as “Shehnshah-e-Qawwali”. Considered one of the greatest Qawwali singers of all time, even today, he is one of the most popular Qawwalis in the world who has given us many successful Qawwalis. He holds the record for the longest commercially released Qawwali, Hashar Ke Roz Yeh Pochonga, stretched over about 150 minutes.
Aziz Mian was born in UP (Uttar Pradesh), India, as Abdul Aziz. The exclamation Mian, which he often used in his Qawwalis, became part of his stage name. He began introducing himself as Aziz Mian Meeruthi. The word Meeruthi refers to the city of Meerut in northern India from where he had migrated to Pakistan in 1947.
When he was 10, he started learning the harmonium under the tutelage of Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan of Lahore. He received sixteen years of training at Data Ganj Bakhsh School in Lahore, and earned a Masters (MA) in Urdu Literature, Arabic and Persian, and also did BA in English from the Punjab University, Lahore.
Considered as one of the unconventional Pakistani Qawwals, voice of Aziz Mian was sharp and powerful. He was the only prominent Qawwal to write his own ghazals (although like others he also sang songs written by other poets). He was a contemporary and often a competitor of the Sabri brothers.
Aziz firstly started performing in private gatherings. But, his official ‘debut’ came in 1966, when he performed before the Shah of Iran, Reza Shah Pahlavi. Shah-e- Iran was so impressed of his performance that he presented Aziz Mian with a gold medal.
From onwards, Aziz Mian gained a great popularity and started releasing albums. Beside singing qawwalis, he was also an expert in singing ghazals. He was renowned member of the Qawwal community for his unique and thunderous voice. At early days of his career, he was declared the Army Qawwal due to his early stage performances were for military personnel in military barracks. He was known for a “more recitative, more dramatic idiom” and tended towards the religious side of qawwali rather than the entertainment qualities, although he also achieved success in more romantic Sufi qawwali.
He was fond of discussing religious and Sufi contradictions in his qawwali. He addressed Allah directly and complained about the woes of man. In addition to his own poetry, Aziz Mian recited the poetry of Allama Iqbal, and several contemporary Urdu poets, including Allama Iqbal, Qamar Jalalavi, Jagar Moradabadi, Tabish Kanpuri S.M. Sadiq, Saifuddin Saif and Qateel Shifai.
Aziz Mian had 12 children. And his nine sons were Amir Khusro, Shibli, Junaid, Tabriz, Imran, Naeem, Aslam and Farhan etc. His son Shibli is not a Qawwal but his successor in Sufism, while all the other sons follow in his footsteps in Qawwali. He is very similar to Aziz Mian in his style and, like other sons of famous Qawwals (for example, Amjad Sabri, or Waheed and Naveed Chishti), he performs many of his father’s successful Qawwalis. However, Tabrez is considered the closest to his father’s style. His forms and his style mirror his father’s. Tabrez also visited North America to pay tribute to Aziz Mian Qawwal.
Aziz Mian Qawwal is considered one of the greatest and most influential Sufi Qawwali singers. His famous Qawwali was featured in the Indian film Cocktail and was sung by his son Imran Aziz Mian. A bridge was named after Aziz Mian, Aziz Mian Burj. Near his shrine in Multan.
Aziz Mian died on 6 December 2000 in Tehran, Iran from complications of hepatitis. He was in Iran to perform on the anniversary of Imam Ali at the invitation of the Iranian government. He is laid to rest at the mouth of the Naw Bahar Canal in Multan. His death anniversary (Urs) is celebrated on the first Thursday of May every year. The Urs celebrations begin with the ‘Ghusl’ ceremony of the Rasm Sandal by Mian Sahib’s son Shibli Aziz and Baba Nader Hussain, popularly known as ‘Totan Wali Sarkar’. Who is Aziz Mian’s Pir-e-Murshid? The Urs celebrations continue for three days, beginning with the ‘Ghusl’ ceremony followed by the ‘Chadar Poshi’ and the ‘Mahfil Sama’ of Qawwali. Around seven to eight Qawwal groups perform their art. The festival ends after the final ritual of ‘Qul’.
Here are some of Aziz Mian’s hit Qawwalis.
1. Nabi Nabi Ya Nabi Nabi
2. Allah Jaane Kun Bashar Haar
3. If I didn’t drink, it wouldn’t have been a thing
4. I danced your love
5. I won’t find heaven
6. My people said the Prophet
7. Benazir is a man
8. Hey, poor Tony
9. In their eyes
10. What do I know, Ram
11. I smile like this without faith…
