Ustaad Muhammad Abdullah Tibat Bakal (July 14, 1914 – January 03, 1982 S/o Kh.Abdul Gani Bota Wani) was a non Caste Sufiyana Vocalist and Instrumentalist (Santoor etc) famously known as the “King of Santoor”. He was regarded as one of the most successful Vocalist of North India and Central Asia. In 1972, he was the First Person from J&K to whom Sangeet Natak Academy Award was given by the President of India.
He was honored with Robe of Honour By Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Pride of Performance, Kala Kendra and Golden Jubilee Award – All India Radio by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. He remained a leading Sufi singer and instrumentalist (Santoor) of Kashmir at global level. In 1944, Taj Company of Lahore recorded some Solo instrumental Santoor recitals/wadans of Ustaad Tibetbaqal besides other recitations and archived them for preservation.
Ustaad Muhammad Abdullah Tibetbaqal was a master of unique, exceptional and a very tuneful voice. He improvised Sufiyana music to a great extent by introducing to it new techniques vocally as well as instrumentally. Though the Sufiyana music was traditionally sung in Persian language but the legendary Ustaad for the first time added Kashmiri Sufi poetry to it and this new experience got global appreciation especially from lovers of Kashmiri language.
The above Bhajan is one of the rear gems sung by him.