The Music of Pakistan includes diverse elements ranging from music from various parts of South Asia as well as Central Asian, Middle Eastern, and modern-day Western popular music influences. With these multiple influences, a distinctive Pakistani music has emerged.
The ghazal is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. Ghazals often deal with topics of spiritual and romantic love and may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation from the beloved and the beauty of love in spite of that pain.
Urdu poetry is a tradition of poetry and has many different forms. Today, it is an important part of the culture of India and Pakistan. According to Naseer Turabi there are five major poets of Urdu: Mir Taqi Mir (d.1810), Mirza Ghalib, Mir Anees (d.1874), Muhammad Iqbal and Josh Malihabadi (d.1982). The language of Urdu reached its pinnacle under the British Raj, and it received official status. All famous writers of Urdu language including Ghalib and Iqbal were given British scholarships. Following the Partition of India in 1947, it found major poets and scholars were divided along the nationalistic lines. However, Urdu poetry is cherished in both the nations. Both the Muslims and Hindus from across the border continue the tradition.
Qawwali is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing originating in South Asia. Originally performed at Sufi shrines or dargahs throughout South Asia, it is famous throughout Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and has also gained mainstream popularity and an international audience as of the late 20th century.
Islamic music may refer to religious music, as performed in Islamic public services or private devotions, or more generally to musical traditions of the Muslim world. The heartland of Islam is the Middle East, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Africa, Iran, Central Asia, and South Asia. Due to Islam being a multi-ethnic religion, the musical expression of its adherents is vastly diverse. Indigenous traditions of various part have influenced the musical styles popular among Muslims today. The word "music" in Arabic, the language of Islam, is defined more narrowly than in English or some other languages, and "its concept" was at least originally "reserved for secular art music; separate names and concepts belonged to folk songs and to religious chants".
The qaṣīda is an ancient Arabic word and form of poetry, often translated as ode, passed to other cultures after the Arab Muslim expansion.
Asrar ul Hassan Khan, better known as Majrooh Sultanpuri, was an Indian Urdu poet and lyricist in India's Hindi language film industry. He wrote Hindustani lyrics for numerous Hindi film soundtracks.
Abu Al-Asar Hafeez Jalandhari PP HI was a Pakistani poet who wrote the lyrics for the National Anthem of Pakistan and the Anthem of Azad Kashmir. He wrote in Urdu and Persian languages and is widely celebrated throughout Pakistan.
Mushaira is a poetic symposium. It is an event where poets gather to perform their works. A mushaira is part of the Culture of North India, Pakistan and the Deccan, particularly among the Hyderabadi Muslims, and it regarded as a forum for free self-expression.
Mirza Ghalib is a 1954 Indian Hindi and Urdu language biographical film, directed by Sohrab Modi. Based on the life of well-known poet Mirza Ghalib, the film was acclaimed upon release. It stars Bharat Bhushan as Ghalib and Suraiya as his tawaif lover, Moti Begum. The film won the President's Gold Medal for the All India Best Feature Film and the President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi in the 2nd National Film Awards for 1954. The film is also considered as one of Suraiya's best performance.
Khumār Barabankvi was the pen name of a Urdu poet and lyricist from Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India. His real name was Mohammed Haidar Khan.
Nayyara Noor was a Pakistani playback singer, considered one of Pakistan's most popular singers. She was known for performing in live ghazal singing concerts in Pakistani TV shows and in concert halls around the country. The national song in Nayyara's voice, "Watan ki mitti gawah rehna", is listened in Pakistan.
Kavi Sammelan is a gathering of poets in the Hindi Belt of northern India. The participants recite their poetry to each other and have a general discussion on literary issues. This may take place among the poets but is mostly done before an audience. Kavi sammelan specifically dedicated to comedy (Hāsya) and satire ("Vyangya") are known as Hasya Kavi Sammelan.
Mohsin Changazi,, is a Pakistani Urdu poet of Hazara descent. He has participated several poetry gatherings in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. He has also received awards including the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in 2010.
Raees Warsi is a Pakistani American Urdu poet, journalist, lyricist, TV anchor and social worker. He has blended contemporary issues into classic rhyme. Where Urdu poetry was confined to the issues of love, romance and its tragedies till the early 20th century, Warsi and some other notable contemporary poetry have expanded Urdu poetry to the demands of modern realism while still maintaining the classic rhyme. He currently resides in the United States.
Hammad Niazi is a Pakistani Urdu language poet. He writes ghazals and poems. He won the second position in the gazal competition held at the 2009 Annual Women’s Week at Fatima Jinnah Women University.
Saleem Kausar, born Muhammad Saleem is a Pakistani Urdu poet. He has published several poetry books. He has also written various title songs for different TV play serials. He has attended several poetry gatherings in various countries.
Muhajir culture is the culture of the various Muslims of different ethnicities who migrated mainly from North India in 1947 generally to Karachi, the federal capital of Pakistan and before 1947 Karachi is the capital of Sindh. They consist of various ethnicities and linguistic groups. The Muhajirs are mainly concentrated in Karachi and Hyderabad.
The Urdu ghazal is a literary form of the ghazal-poetry unique to the Indian subcontinent, written in the Urdu standard of the Hindostani language. It is commonly asserted that the ghazal spread to South Asia from the influence of Sufi mystics in the Delhi Sultanate.
Rekhta is an Urdu literary web portal started by Rekhta Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Urdu literature. The Rekhta Library Project, its books preservation initiative, has successfully digitized approximately 200,000 books over a span of ten years. These books primarily consist of Urdu, Hindi and Persian literature and encompass a wide range of genres, including biographies of poets, Urdu poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. The collection originates from public and research libraries in the Indian subcontinent. It serves content in multiple scripts such as Devanagari, Roman and, primarily, Nastaliq. It hosts books from centuries earlier and is recognized as the largest website in the world for the preservation of Urdu literature.
