Shobha Kunju Muhammed, a native of Kasarkot, has returned with Gurudakshina, a famous singer, following more than 4 years since the departure of Umpai, who was the voice of the ghazal evenings of Malayalam. The music album ‘Jamanantaramanai’ prepared by Manorama Music is also a musical tribute to the singer’s memories. Shobha has penned the lyrics for the ghazal song and is acting in the background. Ghazal is sung by Hariharan. Shobha’s son Dr. Arif Mohammad has given the tune.
Shobha had to wait 4 years following the departure of Umbai, who rose from the streets of Mattancherry to become the ghazal emperor of Malayalam, to prepare his musical gift. Umbai was a family friend and teacher to Sobha. Umbai would regularly come to Shobha’s family home to practice singing ONV and Yousafali Kecheri’s poems as ghazals. Shobha still has the memories of spending most of the evenings in gazalina. “When converting poems into ghazals, some lines have to be slightly changed according to the melody. I will do such corrections on that day. After writing it and sending it to ONV sir etc., they used to give very good comments. Maybe that’s why Umbai would always tell me, try writing a ghazal song of your own. But he did not have the courage to do so. Umbai was more proficient in Urdu than Malayalam. I do not know the meaning of some Malayalam words. I used to explain all that to him. Shobha waxes eloquent on her memories of Umbai.
Shobha enters the world of ghazals by telling and explaining the meaning of ghazal songs to Umbai. Never studied music. Never wrote poetry before. But all Umbai’s ghazals have Shobha’s signature. That is what inspired me to write later. At Umbai’s encouragement, Shobha wrote lyrics for four ghazals. Umbai liked everything very much. Husband Muhammad Kunju and family provided all support.
Umbai kept on insisting, ‘Once the nine ghazals are written, let’s make it an album and I will sing it myself’. But before completing the 9 ghazals, Shobha’s dream went like a half-cut ghazal before making the album. It became a huge trauma for Shobha. Sobha decided that she should deliver at least one of her ghazals to Umbai’s fans when the sadness of not being able to keep her promise to the Guru turned into a sense of guilt.
The music album ‘Jamanantaramanai’ is Shobha’s return to gazalenas and harmony, which Umbai had left behind. Dr. Shobha’s son in Vienna. Arif gave the melody to the ghazal. Shobha’s dream was to have Hariharan sing in Umbai’s absence. The wish was to release on August 21, the day of Umbai’s death anniversary, but due to technical issues, it was delayed once more. However, Shobha is thankful that she was able to present Umbai with the most appropriate Gurudakshina, albeit a little late. Shobha is the sister of social worker Sheeba Amir.
