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Anwar (singer)

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Anwar Hussain
Born (1949-02-01) 1 February 1949 (age 75)
Bombay, Bombay State, India
GenresPlayback singing
OccupationSinger
InstrumentVocalist
Years active1979–present
Websiteanwarsinger.com

Anwar Hussain (born 1 February 1949), known by the mononym Anwar, is an Indian playback singer.

Early years

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Anwar was born in Mumbai on 1 February 1949. His father, Ashiq Hussain (Ahmed Ali Khan), was an accomplished sitar and harmonium player and an assistant music director to the musician Ghulam Haider. Anwar is the brother of actress Asha Sachdev, through Ashiq's first marriage to actress Ranjana Sachdev, and the half-brother of actor Arshad Warsi through his second marriage after divorce. The siblings have never lived together and are estranged from each other.

The young Anwar was classically trained by Ustad Abdul Rehman Khan, along with Mahendra Kapoor, the same teacher who was the preceptor of the legendary playback singer Mahendra Kapoor also. Anwar started singing Mohammad Rafi songs at various concerts. It was during one of those musical shows that Anwar was spotted by the music director Kamal Rajasthani, who gave him a chance to sing for his film Mere Gharib Nawaz.

Singing career

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Anwar made his debut as playback singer in the film Mere Gharib Nawaaz (1973) and the music director who gave him this break was Kamaal Rajasthani. Music Director Kamal Rajasthani relates that during the recording sessions of the song "Kasme Hum Apno Jaan Ki" for this film, Mohammed Rafi was so impressed that he described Anwar as the one singer who could take his place after him. Indeed, the rendition of that song shows promise, but the film, flopped very badly at the box office and the songs also did not find traction with the audience.

In 1977, comedian Mehmood and music director Rajesh Roshan hired Anwar to sing for the film Janta Hawaldar. The songs "Teri Aankhon Ki Chahat", and "Humse Ka Bhool Hui", were picturised on famous actor Rajesh Khanna. Both the film and song were superhit; hence Anwar started getting work and recognition. Here onwards, for several years, Anwar was on a roll. He sang duets alongside playback singers Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and Alka Yagnik, under music directors Khayyam, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Kalyanji Anandji, Bappi Lahiri, Anu Malik and Dilip Sen-Sameer Sen. In a career span stretching over thirty years, Anwar sang a variety of songs including filmi songs, classical songs and contemporary ghazals, bhajans, qawwali, and Sufi songs.

The Hindi blockbuster movie YEH ISHQ NAHIN ASAN released on DEC 31, 1984 exclusively featured Anwar Hussain as the male singer lead besides others. This movie starred Rishi Kapoor, Padmini Kolhapure, Radha Saluja and Yogita Bali where the character of the poet/architect Salim Ahmed Salim was played very well by Rishi Kapoor who is well-known to request his playback singer and by then Mohammad Rafi had already left the world (July 1980) and the closest semblance to his voice was Anwar Hussain's rather than Shabbir Kumar's. Frankly, the gazals and songs sung by Anwar Husssain for this movie excels any other movie-group for which Anwar Hussain may have sung.

Recent years

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In an interview given to Hindustan Times in November 2007, he cite the rise of Kumar Sanu after the release of Aashiqui as the reason for his moving to the United States, where he gave music lessons and performed live shows to audiences in San Francisco and Los Angeles.[1]

In 2004 Anwar composed an album called Meri Aashiqui Se Pehle broadcast on popular RKB show of Sahara Channel. All the songs in the album were mesmerising so much so that one would sense the magic of Mohammad Rafi and appreciate Anwar's talent.

In 2007 he admitted being in construction business. He stated that he was expecting the release of his latest album Tohfa.[1]

He is not in good terms with his half brother Arshad Warsi and half sister Asha Sachdeva.[2][3] He was reported by the Mumbai Mirror to be living on a very meager income obtained by singing in a night bar.[2]

Thanks to a 20 November 2010 interview[4] published in the Mumbai Mirror, Anwar got a few offers to sing for few TV shows like Rishton Ke Bhanwar Mein Uljhi Niyati.

Notable songs

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Film songs
Other selected hit songs
Selected classical ghazals
  • Bahar Aai Hai Bharde
  • Aap Ka Aitbar Kaun Kare
  • Tarkh-E-Mohabbat
  • Tu Hi Apne Hath Se
  • Phool Si Soorat
Selected contemporary ghazals
  • Lab Pe Tere Iqraar E Mohabbat
  • Yeh Kafas Hi Mujhko Aziz Hai
  • Jabse Kareeb Hoke Chale
  • Ghadiyan Ginte Din Beete
Contemporary ghazal albums
  • Nagma
  • Mehboob Mere
  • Tohfa

References

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  1. ^ a b "Manmohan Desai threw me out: Anwar". 21 November 2007. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Arshad's half brother in financial mess - Times of India". The Times of India. 20 November 2010. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  3. ^ "9 Celebs Who Don't See Eye To Eye With Their Families". The Times of India. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  4. ^ "Tables turn for Anwar Hussain - Mumbai Mirror -". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
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