It was raining music at Gayatri Vihar of Palace Grounds in Bangalore, when two friends - Ustad Ghulam Ali and Jagjit Singh - performed on the same stage on the Friendship Day i.e. on Sunday.

“Thukaraao...,” was the only word Jagjit Singh could utter (to start the ghazal ‘Thukraao ab ke pyaar karo main nashe mein hoon’) and the crowd went crazy to welcome its favourite singer with a huge round of applause. Ustad Ghulam Ali started with ‘Kabhi aah lab pe machal gayi’, preceded by sher (couplets in Urdu).

More than 4,000 Bangaloreans enjoyed the musical evening ‘Beyond Boundaries- A ghazal concert’, organised by Maam Entertainment and Standard Chartered Bank.

Youngsters comprised more than 80 per cent of the crowd, but many elderly people were seen swaying to the tunes too.

When Jagjit Singh made a swift transition from ‘Kal chaudhvi ki raat’ to ‘Tera chehra kitna suhana lagta hai’, the crowd roared with joy and surprise.

Similar was the condition when Ghulam Ali did it from ‘Humko kiske ghum ne maara’ to ‘Hungama hai kyun barpa’. Ustad Sahib sang on demand too.

Ustad Sahib’s ‘lafz-e-lehar’ in 12 varieties and ‘Chupke chupke raat din’ were specially appreciated.