Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — The Indian community here has bid adieu to one of its renowned singers and music composers Mashood Thangal, who returns to India after carving a niche in the artistic and musical realms in the city. Several prominent figures of the community paid rich tribute at a grand farewell party organized by the Calicut Music Lovers Jeddah and Jeddah Expatriates of Areekkad Welfare Association (Jeava Jeddah) at Seasons Restaurant on Sunday.
Jeava President Basheer Ambalavan, Calicut Music Lovers President Mohammed Rafi, Secretary Hashim Kozhikode, Gopi Nedungadi, V.K.A Rauf, P.M. Mayinkutty, Jaleel Kannamangalam, C.K Shakir, Shibu Thiruvanandapuram, C.K Morayoor, Abdul Majeed Naha and Shabnam were among those who spoke on the occasion.
The singers, who gave musical tribute, included Jamal Pasha Pulikkal, Mirza Sharif, Danya Prasanth, Mumthas Abdurahman, Asha, Rafi Kozhikode, Mansoor Feroke, and Khan Sahib. Thangal left the audience in tears when he sung a heart-touching song that reflected his agony of leaving the land of the Two Holy Mosques as well as music lovers of Jeddah, which he said, was a “very supportive city for artists and singers.”
Thangal, in his brilliant career that spanned for two decades in Jeddah that included scores of Arabic songs apart from Malayalam and Hindi, was employed in the firm of prominent health business tycoon K.T. Rabeeullah. After working as marketing manager at one of Rabeeullah’s clinics for one year, he joined Modern Electronics Company, the exclusive distributor of Sony products in the Kingdom, and worked there for more than 18 years and quit the job after serving as sales coordinator in the Western region.
Thangal performed hundreds of musical programs in various parts of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, including Riyadh, Dammam, Dubai and Doha. He was instrumental in the birth of many lyricists in Jeddah such as Usman Edathil and Usman Pandikkad. There are several Arabic singers, including Hashim Baroom, among these friends and he attended numerous musical programs along with them.
Thangal belongs to a music family with his mother the late S.M. Jameela Beebi his mentor and guru in the music field. A well-known lyricist, Beebi had to her credit more than 1,000 songs, and some of them sung by famous playback singers such as Dr. K.J. Yesudas and Sujatha. The theme of her songs drew attention to the plight of women and making them aware of the need to have proper education and empowerment.
“My mother, a talented lyricist, used to write me letters in the early years of life in the Kingdom and these were in the form of lyrics. She remained a stellar pillar in grooming me as a singer and music composer,” Thangal told Saudi Gazette. “My base in the musical life is my beloved mother, who inherited the talent from her father who too had a musical background. We hail from Androth, Lakshadweep.”
Thangal is the grandson of Nalla Koya Thangal, the first member of parliament from Lakshadweep, and Nalla Koya’s son Kunji Seethikoya Thangal is his father. Since school days, Thangal was chosen as B high grade artist at Calicut station of All India radio. The Calicut station aired several of his songs and all these were written by his mother and composed by him.
“While coming to Saudi Arabia, there were around 45 popular song cassettes of mine available in the market. The last album was released one day before coming to KSA. It is titled “Volume 2 of Ahlul Bait,” which is a collection of Qawali songs written by my mother.
“Among these, are several Arabic albums, including Qaseedatul Mashhoor. It is a collection of famous songs and odes of eminent Arabic singers of all time. Ghafour Al-Qayyam has done its music composition. I was in the band of famous Malayalam singers Vilayil Faseela, the queen of ishal or rhyme, I.P. Siddeeque, M.A. Ghafour, Kannur Shareef, and lyricist Bappu Velliparamba before leaving for the Kingdom.”
Thangal is now settled down in Calicut. Fairooz Mumthaz is his wife. The couple has one daughter Tameema Sultana and two sons Sayyid Tamir, and Sayyid Tanweer.
