Munshi Raziuddin Ahmed Khan (1912 – 2003) was a Pakistani
Qawwali
Qawwali ( Punjabi: (Shahmukhi), (Gurmukhi); Urdu: (Nasta'liq); Hindi: क़व्वाली (Devanagari); Bengali: কাওয়ালি (Bengali)) is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing, originating from the Indian subcontinent ...
singer, a classical musician and a researcher and scholar of music. He belongs to the well-known Qawwal Bachchon Ka Gharana of
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
Nizam of Hyderabad
The Nizams were the rulers of Hyderabad from the 18th through the 20th century. Nizam of Hyderabad (Niẓām ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah) was the title of the monarch of the Hyderabad State ( divided between the state of Telangana, Mar ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
with his cousin Bahauddin Khan. However, after the fall of Hyderabad in 1948 to India, he moved to
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. In 1956, he formed a qawwali group along with his cousins, Bahauddin Qawwal and Manzoor Ahmed Niazi.'This way to Qawwali Gali' (Qawwal Street) in Saddar Town, Karachi Dawn (newspaper), Published 24 Oct 2015, Retrieved 22 March 2022 This ensemble or group lasted until 1966.
After 1966, Munshi Raziuddin turned to solo work, forming his own Qawwali party, and was a successful qawwal until his death in 2003. Traditional
Qawwali
Qawwali ( Punjabi: (Shahmukhi), (Gurmukhi); Urdu: (Nasta'liq); Hindi: क़व्वाली (Devanagari); Bengali: কাওয়ালি (Bengali)) is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing, originating from the Indian subcontinent ...
singing heritage of the city of
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
can still be felt and seen in a small neighborhood in Karachi named Qawwali Gali (Qawwali Street) in the Saddar Town area of Karachi city, where a street is named after ''Munshi Raziuddin Qawwal''.
He trained his sons Farid Ayaz & Abu Muhammad, ''Ghulam Akram'' and ''Ali Akbar''. He also trained his nephews ''Qawwal Najmuddin - Saifuddin & Brothers'' (Sons Of Bahauddin Qawwal), and his other nephews Abdullah Manzoor Niazi & Masroor Ahmed Niazi (sons Of Manzoor Niazi).
Munshi Raziuddin was succeeded by his sons, Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad, who perform as Fareed Ayaz Qawwal in 2022.KARACHI: Homage paid to Qawwal Munshi Raziuddin Dawn (newspaper), Published 9 July 2007, Retrieved 22 March 2022
Awards and recognition
* For his contribution and devotion to Sufi music, he was awarded with the Pride of Performance Award in 1967 by the
President of Pakistan
The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.Munshi Raziuddin Qawwal - Shikwa/Jawab E Shika