Ghazal lovers can rejoice this Valentine’s Day!

The Royal Opera House, Mumbai presents Talat Aziz: Celebrating 40 Years of the Legend an evening celebrating the four-decades long musical journey of renowned Ghazal Singer Talat Aziz, who brings his unique blend of powerful vocals, poetic verses and soothing melodies to the Opera House stage for the first time ever.

Please read below for a description of the performance:

Talat Aziz is one of the country’s leading Ghazal singers whose versatility and consummate talent make him one of the most successful vocalists in the industry today. Hailing from historic Hyderabad, he was trained in music by Ustad Samad Khan and Ustad Fayaz Ahmed of the Kirana Gharana. He released his first album, an instant success in 1980, under the aegis of Jagjit Singh, which is still considered a timeless classic. His music has sound tracked a number of tele-serials and Bollywood films over the years, the most notable of which include Gumrah (1993), Umrao Jaan (1981) and Everybody Says I'm Fine! (2001).

An evergreen favourite, with a distinctively smooth voice and charming stage presence, Talat is sure to entrance ghazal lovers and music enthusiasts alike. The evening will consist of many popular ghazals and Bollywood tunes sung by the legend himself with musical accompaniment.

The Royal Opera House, Mumbai provides a unique platform in the city for people to encounter the breadth of musical genres, cross-disciplinary musical dialogues and eclectic fusion collaborations. We are keen to support and showcase unique events that defy easy categorization and blend the traditional with the contemporary, and find synergies in fascinating ways. This event celebrates the best of Indian classical, traditional and cross-over Bollywood music. 

Join us to be spirited away to the romantic and melodious world of one of the greatest living Ghazal singers of all time!

About the Performers

The Mumbai-based Talat Aziz, born in Hyderabad, has musically trained under greats such as Ustad Samad Khan of the Kirana Gharana, Ustad Fayyaz Ahmed Khan and culminating it with none other than Mehdi Hasan. It was in February 1980 that Talat Aziz was launched by ghazal virtuoso Jagjit Singh. “I dedicate these decades to my gurus, and specially to the Greatest Maestro and my inspiration and Ustad of all time , Mehdi Hasan without whom I would never have immersed so deeply in the beauty of the ghazal which is Hindustani classical and semi-classical ragas fused with rich poetry to reach the hearts of listeners.” At this time, Talat Aziz also remembers the lately-passed film-music composer Khayyam, for whom he sang “Zindagi jab bhi teri bazm mein” and “Phiri chidi raat”,a duet with legend-in-her-own-right Lata Mangeshkar. Talat Aziz has also sung for other films, showcased his acting talents in films and television serials, composed music for television, hosted television and radio shows, curated content for popular media on ghazals and meaningful poetry, and taken the true ghazal even further with the world’s first digital ghazal audio and video “Woh Shaam” which reached more than 600,000 people in two weeks through social media. “There is so much more to do,” says Talat Aziz, “collaborate, compose and just sing, sing, and sing ghazals to soothe people and fill their hearts with meaningful music and poetry.” Talat Aziz continues to perform sell-out shows all over India and internationally. For more details see: www.talataziz.com.

About Partners

Royal Opera House, Mumbai is widely touted as Mumbai’s Cultural Crown Jewel and India’s only surviving Opera House. The original idea for the space was conceived of in 1908, inaugurated in 1911 by King George V, and eventually completed in 1916. The design incorporated a blend of European and Indian detailing. The space became a cinema in later years before falling into disrepair and shutting by the 1990s. Fittingly, the space has been owned by the Royal Family of Gondal since 1952 and was eventually restored by conservation architect, Abha Narain Lambah under the leadership of His Highness, Maharaja Shri Jyotendrasinhji of Gondal. The Royal Opera House Mumbai, now one of the last remaining Baroque structures in the city, reopened after 23 years in October 2016. The building was included on the 2012 World Monuments Watch to raise awareness about its history and significance, and support preservation efforts. The building has since been recognized with an Award of Merit in the 2017 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The restored facilities feature a 575-seater 3-level auditorium with an orchestra pit and state of the art technological upgradations, including acoustics, stagecraft, lighting and air-conditioning, alongside retaining the old-world charm of the proscenium stage, the royal boxes and the magnificent regal chandeliers. Some more enhancements to the venue include a motorized screen, co-axial ceiling speaker system, Four-zone volume control and all round wifi access. Today, it stands as a key performance and creative hub in the city’s cultural landscape, while being a premier heritage landmark. 

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