Kerala ghazal singer Umbayee dies at 68

Dubai: Prominent Ghazal singer Umbayee (PA Ibrahim) from the south Indian state of Kerala has died at a private hospital in Aluva, Kerala, according to local media reports. He was 68. Umbayee has been  undergoing treatment for cancer for the last few years.

Active in the music scene for the last 30 years, Umbayee was a pioneer in the field of Malayalam ghazal. He has about a dozen music albums to his credit and has held mehfis – music concerts-  extensively in India and outside.

Brief history

Umbayee was born in 1952 in Mattanchery near Kochi. His real name was Ibrahim. As a child Umbayee did not have a supportive environment towards music. His father was vehemently opposed to his son being inclined to music. Seeing his son distracted by music, father packed Ibrahim off to Bombay (now Mumbai), where he met Ustad Munawar Ali Khan who accepted Ibrahim as his disciple.

Ibrahim studied music from Ustad for about 7 years without any interruption.

Umbayee is known for popularising the genre of ghazal in Kerala. His albums include Gazalmaala, Hrudyaraagam, Madhuramee Ganam and Orikkal Nee Paranju