The going was great for Mohd Aziz in the 1980s. The great Mohd Rafi and Kishore Kumar were no more. And the only competition that Aziz, affectionately known as Munna, had was Shabbir Kumar.

Shabbir sang offkey. I openly supported Aziz’s voice in the music columns that I did during those days. And got slammed for it. But I didn’t care if I was being trolled, at a time when trolling had not been invented. Mohd Aziz, however, had a vast range, and could sing at a staggering pitch. It was a pleasure to hear him hold his own in his duets with the indomitable Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.

 Lataji and Aziz sang a number of duets in the 1980s and early ’90s, including the timeless Patjhad Sawan Basant Bahaar (from the film Sindoor) and Bali Umar Ne Mara Haal Yun Kiya (from Awaargi).

Says Lataji, “I recall him as a very kind-hearted soft-spoken man with a good mastery over the seven notes. Woh sur achcha lagate the (he pitched his voice well). Composing maestros Laxmikant-Pyarelal were also very fond of Mohd Aziz’s voice. We sang the duets Patjhad Sawan Basant Bahaar and Naam Sare Bhool Jaaane Lage for Laxmi-Pyare. These were melodious numbers, at a time when melody was on the wane. I enjoyed singing with him.”

Alka Yagnik, who sang one of her best songs, Tu Na Ja Mere Badshah (in the film Khuda Gawah) with Aziz, remembers him fondly. “Like me, he was also from Kolkata, so I kind of knew him from my childhood days. Munna (Mohd Aziz) was always very cheerful, sweet-spoken and an endearing person. And he had a powerful voice. He was one of Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s favourite singers. I sang many songs with him; the best one being Tu Na Ja Mere Baadshah. I am deeply saddened and shocked by the news of his sudden death.”

Of Aziz’s meteoric rise and swift fall, Alka shrugs and says, “Well, what do I say to that now? So many prolific singers have vanished. But he still used to do concerts and had quite a repertoire of popular songs to his credit.”

The very talented music composer Rajesh Roshan, who gave Aziz some of his career’s best numbers, including Ek Andhera Laakh Sitare in Aakhir Kyon and Main Se Na Meena Se Na Saqi Se in Khudgarz, says, “What a beautiful singer! But above that, he was a great human being, who always met you with open arms. There are many singers who have wonderful voices and can sing well. But there are hardly any singers who can put life into a song the way Mohd Aziz did.”

Composer Anu Malik, who asked Aziz to sing for Amitabh Bachchan in Manmohan Desai’s Mard, is shocked at the singer’s premature demise. “I gave him his earliest break in Mard. A very soft spoken, tremendously hardworking singer. Always ready to learn, improvise and give his best. May his soul rest in everlasting peace and may God give his family immense strength to bear this irreparable loss. A shining musical light of the ’80s and early ’90s has dimmed, but shall never ever switch off. He shall live in the hearts and minds of music lovers forever.”