Lost legacy: A melodious voice, a troubled soul

Forgotten musician Hidayatullah roams the streets, recounting his glory days.

PESHAWAR:

Renowned Pushto crooner, Hidayatullah, speaks of grand cultural gatherings packed with an appreciate audience swaying to the beats of Pakhto musicians. He will also invite you there, offering to speak in further detail. But this is mere recollection of the heydays of a happening cultural scene – a figment of his imagination, a delusional faux pas.

A debilitating mental illness has left Hidayatullah, who was once considered a pioneer of Pushto ghazals, wandering the streets of Peshawar. He has lost a great part of his memory and has been largely forgotten by his people. The past, however, lingers in his mind.



The winner of Pride of Performance talks about the gatherings and the people present there with great pride. “I don’t need anything and I am living a contented life,” Hidayatullah told The Express Tribune after a lot of insistence. “Whatever is happening is perhaps for the better. This seems to be the demand of the times so we should not complain about our situation,” he said, without elaborating further.

Though he doesn’t know much about any new singers, Hidayatullah still remembers where he got his first musical inspirations from: Muhammad Rafi. He also remembers Khyal Muhammad, Gulzar Alam, Gulnar Begum and Kishwar Sultan among the older singers, whom he considers to have offered sacrifices for Pushto music.

Through the years

Born in nearby Dagbehsud, Pabbi, the artist permanently shifted to Peshawar due to an increasingly demanding schedule. He initially learnt music from Master Andaleep. But after his mentor’s death, Hidayatullah had no other alternative but to order books from an Indian musical academy, get them translated with the help of a professor and continue to practice by himself.

In 1970, Hidayatullah recorded ‘Rasha o rasha’ and ‘Da khanda wrazay di’ for the first Pushto film, Yusuf Khan Sherbano, with Rehana Yasmin. In 1995, he was awarded the prestigious Pride of Performance Award, followed by a number of honorary certificates over the years. Besides Afghanistan and the Middle East, he has performed frequently in Canada, Sweden, Norway and other European countries.

Known as the Muhammad Rafi of Pushto music, Hidayatullah has also served Hindko and Urdu music for decades.

One of his most famous songs ‘Qissa khwani de wijkar ajab lehr hondi ay’ was sung for the first Hindko film. He notably sang for films Da Gudar Gharha and Peghar. Other melodious numbers by him include ‘Sta de stergo bala wakhlama’, ‘Che kum khwa goram sta da husan nandaray di’, and ‘Manzal da tolo yao de au safar juda juda’. Besides these, Hidayatullah has hundreds of popular hits to his credit.

Ibrahim Zia did extensive research on Hidayatullah in his book Peshawar ke Fankar, showering great amounts of praise, although Hidayatullah does not remember this.

Due to his naturally melodious voice, during the better days of Pushto cinema, a film would be incomplete without a song contributed by him. Hidayatullah has also served Radio Pakistan and PTV for decades. While in his peak days, he would famously perform without charge, saying “I do it just to promote
my culture.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 27^th, 2013.