ISLAMABAD: Legendary Qawwal, poet and musician Aziz Mian was remembered Wednesday on his 23rd death anniversary where people from all walks of life through various media platforms paid glowing tributes to his lifetime unforgettable services in the entertainment industry.
Aziz Mian was born as Abdul Aziz in Delhi in 1942. The exclamation Mian, which he often used in his qawwalis, became part of his stage name. He was also famous for singing ghazals in Qawwali style. He began to introduce himself as Aziz Mian Mairthi.
The word Mairthi refers to Meerut, a city in northern India, from which he migrated to Pakistan in 1947, Private news channels reported.
At the age of ten, he began learning the art of Qawwali under the tutelage of Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan. He received sixteen years of training at the Data Ganj Baksh School of Lahore, and earned degrees in Urdu literature, Arabic and Persian from the University of Punjab, Lahore.
Aziz Mian was one of the non-traditional Pakistani Qawwals. His voice was raspy and powerful. Aziz Mian was the only prominent qawwal to write his lyrics. For his service in philosophy and music, the Government of Pakistan awarded him the Pride of Performance medal in 1989. In addition to his poetry, Aziz Mian performed on the poetry by Allama Iqbal and a number of contemporary Urdu poets.
Aziz Mian died from complications of hepatitis in Tehran on December 6, 2000.