Due to a lack of opportunities to make their living in the country, a number of experienced Pakistani musicians have in recent years migrated to countries of Europe and North American continent. The Pakistani artistes who have said goodbye to their country of birth include composers, instrumentalists, percussionists and practitioners of light and classical vocal varieties. The first to leave the country was late Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, who became a victim of the superciliousness of a top radio boss that he started making periodical visits to India in the early 1950s as a prelude to permanent settlement there.
When the Indian government offered him the privilege of Indian citizenship he did not think for a minute and accepted it and the kind of respect he received there he could not have perceived even in his dreams. He was awarded the highest civil award of the country before he was incapacitated by a stroke. His entire family accompanied him to his the country of adoption, where his son late Ustad Munawwar Ali Khan and his grandson Ali Raza established their credentials as mellifluous classical vocalists. Another grandson of late Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, who recently visited Lahore, Jawwad Ali Khan is now counted among budding classical singers of India.
The first Pakistani composers to settle in the United States was Master Tufail son of famous composer Master Inayat Husain and if memory does not play a trick with me it was in the late 1960s when he availed the first opportunity to become an American citizen.
Sohail Ra'ana, an inveterate composer, who has dozens of successful movies to his credit migrated to Canada over a decade ago, when the crisis-ridden Pakistan film industry had nothing to offer him. Earlier once the most popular playback singer of Pakistan Saleem Raza, had to say leave Pakistan with a heavy heart, when he was ignored by the Lahore-based film industry.
Over 800 songs to his credit, a large number of them became uproariously popular, he set up a music school in a province of Canada, which attracted the attention of many expatriate Pakistanis and Indians. However, his death due to renal failure caused the school to cease its activities.
Sitar player Ashraf (Tony) Sharif Khan, who likes to be addressed as an Ustad, went to Germany where he has settled permanently and making comfortable living. He visited Lahore a few weeks ago to demonstrate his melodic prowess, which he has developed after hard training spanning several years. At concerts arranged in Lahore by several arts promoting organisations, he succeeded in providing his mettle as a competent gharana musician. His concerts brought back the nostalgic memories of his illustrious father late Ustad Muhammad Sharif Khan Poonchwaley, who was the pride of his country.
Tabla player Abdus Sattar Taari, a progeny of late Ustad Shaukat Husain Khan, who, too, is settled in the United States, is yet another frontline musician of Pakistan whose talent has been lost to the country of his birth.
Violinist Dilshad Hussein along with his son visited the United States a few years ago where he presented several concerts. Later, he got a job with Radio Voice of America, which helped him and his son to become naturalised Americans. He too was in Lahore just a week or so ago when he demonstrated his expertise in playing a violin at concerts held in the city.
There are a number of other Pakistani musicians, who have settled in foreign countries in addition to the ones mentioned above. Also waiting in the wings are those who are aspiring to get opportunities to settle abroad. I don't recall them and therefore am not in a position to mention their names. I know a number of senior Lahore-based vocalists, who will avail the first available opportunity to settle in India.
Why so many talented musicians have left Pakistan for greener pastures abroad? Having spoken to a number of them during the past several years, I have come to the conclusion that the major factor for motivating them to desert their country has been money, which they thought they would make abroad aplenty. The second factor, in my opinion, was a lack of recognition of their talent in their own country, which hurt them emotionally. The desire to make good money abroad has had the better of their patriotism. How could they survive just by Wah Wah (appreciation) alone.
This reminds of an incident that took place in the early 1950s at the residence of late Hayat Ahmed Khan in Lahore, where a concert had been arranged by the host for Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Included among the attendees were Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan, former Pakistani High Commissioner in India, poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Commissioner Lahore Division B.A. Qureshi and a number of socialites and votaries of classical music. Before the beginning of the start Raja Ghazanfar Ali Khan requested Bade Ghulam Ali Khan to stop making frequent trips to India and settle in the country of his birth. In response the burly Khan Sahib said while pointing to his tummy. "Raja Sahib", he said respectively but in a tone that was a bit sarcastic, "Hamaray saath bee pait laga hooa hai, aur maira pait to bohat bara hai" Raja Sahib, we too have tummies (to fill in) and mine is a very big one". The inference was quite clear.
Both the government and society in Pakistan have failed to take care of the mundane needs of their creative artistes and the neglect of the cultural bureaucracy in the country forced them to leave the country. In the final analysis, we all are responsible for the brain drain of creative artistes, who are now enjoying a good standard of living in foreign countries. We easily forgot that it is the responsibility of the State and its people not only provide recognition to the creative talents in the country but also to take care of their mundane needs so that the artistes can support their families in an environment of peace, security and assurance.