Hindustani Classical Legend Passes Away Unsung. Talat Aziz Remembers

One of the Ghazal's most accomplished exponents Pandit Vitthal Rao died unsung in anonymity . His body was recovered from a morgue in Hyderabad.

Pandit Vitthal Rao was considered not only one of the last of the Ghazals purists he was also the last singer in the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad.

His death in anonymity shocked the purists and the Ghazal maestros.

Ghazal's predominant exponent Talat Aziz who knew Pandit Vitthal Rao personally said , "It is extremely sad that an artiste of his calibre had to go this way. I had known him since my childhood. In fact, my father(singer Abdul Azim Khan from Hyderabad) used to encourage him."

Talat Saab recalls listening to Pandit Vitthal Rao's masterly performances. "I have tender memories of listening to him sing at the mehfils in our house...He was also the official court singer to Moazzam Jah the second son of the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad. He was well-versed in Urdu and even sang in Pharsi...He could read and write in Pharsi. Although he was from Marthawada he was a complete Hyderabadi conversant with all the nuances and cultural habits. He was a very soulful singer with a beautiful melodious voice and her served the Ghazal beautifully ."

Talat meet Pandit Vitthal Rao some time ago. "In fact a year back I had gone to sing for a felicitation his disciples had in his honour .After Anoop Jalota and I sang he astonished us by singing on stage for over one and a half hours.An era has ended.And although people do not know his name nationally as well as they should, it doesn't take even a bit away from his tremendous contribution to the pure form of ghazal singing. May his soul rest in peace."

Adnan Sami who is a great admirer of Pandit Vitthal Rao expressed sadness at the Legend's wretched final days. "He was a true maestro of the Ghazal, a textbook of pure singing. With his death we've not only lost a great artiste we have also lost the last traditional court singer of the last Nizam of Hyderabad. May the Lord bless him as he journeys to the court in Heaven to regale God."

The nightingale Lata Mangeshkar expresses deep sorrow at the way musicians are treated in our country. "So many of them have died in financially unsound conditions. Aisa nahin hona chahiye. We artistes don't think of the future. For us it's just the song. I tried long ago to fight for singers' royalty singers. A lot of my colleagues accused me of being money minded. But that's okay. Better money minded than poor and helpless."