Tanya Wells lived in India for three years, following which she studied Indian classical music. This perhaps explains her interest in Hindustani music and poetry.
In a new video, which has earned her attention globally, Wells performs one of Faiz Ahmad Faiz’ most popular ghazals, Gulon Mei Rang Bhare, to music from Mehdi Hassan’s rendition of the same.
Another recent rendition of the ghazal in popular culture was seen in Vishal Bharadwaj’s 2014 film, Haider, where it was performed by singer Arijit Sing.
Gulon Mei Rang Bhare, like much of Urdu poetry, talks of longing and requesting the beloved to finally relent and come back to the lover. Here is the original version by Mehdi Hassan.
Wells credits Mehdi Hassan in a Facebook post for her impeccable Urdu, and her spectacular version of the ghazal.
When asked about her interest in Indian Classical music, Wells replied with:
I lived in India for a while and I studied at an international boarding school for around three years. The place was beautiful since it was situated in the foothills of the Himalayas. We used to sing bhajans (devotional songs) in various languages – such as, Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit and Urdu. It’s because of this reason that I developed a flair for singing in different languages.Tanya Wells
A look at Wells’ Facebook page reveals her interest and expertise in ghazals. She recently also covered Man Kunto Maula, originally a qawwali song composed by the Sufi poet and musician, Amir Khusro, in praise of Ali ibn Abi Talib, an important figure in Muslim theology, and performed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)