Begum Akhtar is undoubtedly the queen of Urdu or Hindi Ghazals. This compilation album comprises of some of the Best Of Begum Akhtar Ghazals. Akhtari Bai Faizabadi, also known as Begum Akhtar (7 October 1914 – 30 October 1974), was a well known Indian singer of Ghazal, and Dadra, and Thumri genres of Hindustani classical music.

She was given the title of MallikaeGhazal (Queen of Ghazals). Akhtar was barely seven when she was captivated by the music of Chandra Bai, an artist attached to a touring theater group. However at her uncle's insistence she was sent to train under Ustad Imdad Khan, the great Sarangi exponent from Patna, and later under Ata Mohammed Khan of Patiala. Later, she traveled to Calcutta with her mother and learnt music from classical stalwarts like Mohammad Khan, Abdul Waheed Khan of Lahore, and finally she became the disciple of Ustad Jhande Khan. Her first public performance was at the age of fifteen. The famous poetess, Sarojini Naidu, appreciated her singing during a concert which was organized in the aid of victims of the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake. This encouraged her to continue singing Ghazals with more enthusiasm. She cut her first disc for the Megaphone Record Company, at that time. A number of gramophone records were released carrying her Ghazals, Dadras, Thumris, etc. She was amongst the early female singers to give public concert, and break away from singing in mehfils or private gatherings, and in time came to be known as MallikaeGhazal (Queen of Ghazal). Begum Akhtar's good looks and sensitive voice made her an ideal candidate for a film career in her early years. When she heard great musicians like Gauhar Jaan and Malak Jan, however, she decided to forsake the glamour of the film world for a career in Indian classical music. Her supreme artistry in light classical music had its moorings in the tradition of pure classicism. She chose her repertoire in primarily classical modes: a variety of raags, ranging from simple to complex. After the advent of talkie era in India, Beghum Akhtar acted in a few Hindi movies in the 1930s. East India Film Company of Calcutta approached her to act in "King for a Day" (alias Ek Din Ka Badshah) and Nal Damayanti in 1933. Like others of that era, she sang her songs herself in all her films. She continued acting in the following years. Subsequently Beghum Akhtar moved back to Lucknow where she was approached by the famous producerdirector Mehboob Khan, as a result of which she acted in Roti which was released in 1942 and whose music was composed by maestro Anil Biswas."Roti" contained six of her ghazals but unfortunately due to some trouble between producer and director, Mehboob Khan subsequently deleted three or four ghazals from the film. All the ghazals are available on Megaphone gramophone records. Begum Akhtar, meanwhile, left Bombay and returned to Lucknow. Her voice matured with time, adding richness and depth. She sang ghazals and other light classical pieces, singing them in her inimitable style. She has nearly four hundred songs to her credit. She was a regular performer on All India Radio. She usually composed her own ghazals and most of her compositions were raag based. She sang the timeless Bengali classical song "Jochona Koreche Aari".

Begum Akhtar or Akhtari Bai as some fondly remembers her is a true legend in the world of Ghazals. This compilation has some of the Best Ghazals sung by Begum Akhtar, such as o Jara Jab Bhi Bimar and Wafa Nahi Na Sahi. This one is a sheer bliss for Ghazal lovers.

=== ALBUM SONG DATA ===

All Songs sung by Begum Akhtar
All Lyrics & Compositions: Begum Akhtar

► Diwana Banana Hai To 0:00:01

► Wo Jara Jab Bhi Bimar 0:03:15

► Dabane Aske Oyala 0:06:51

► Tum Buta Habjai Ayse 0:10:07

► Le Gaya Josh E Junun 0:13:25

► Sayad Na Kafam 0:16:40

► Wafa Unyu Ke Badle 0:20:02

► Hamko Nazar Se Tum 0:23:16

► Khune Dil Ka Jab 0:26:20

► Khuda Ki San Hai Hame 0:29:41

► Maja Baha Tahiso Ke 0:33:06

► Wafa Nahi Na Sahi 0:36:15