A solo ghazal-singing item on the university youth festival programme, run as separate male and female competitions and judged on voice, diction and feeling for the verse.
Gazal is a solo singing item in which the entrant sings a ghazal: a lyric poem built from self-contained couplets that share a refrain, set to a light-classical tune. The song is carried by the voice and by how well the singer brings out the meaning of each couplet, so it rewards clean diction and restraint more than display or elaborate ornament.
On the university youth festival template that carries it, Gazal sits in the Music category and runs as two separate competitions, one for male and one for female entrants, both at the single Students age group (17 to 25). Each entrant has a 10-minute window and is scored out of 100. The language is left open, so the entrant chooses the poem and the language it is sung in, which in practice is usually Urdu or Hindi.
A typical entry opens with a short instrumental or vocal introduction that fixes the key and the mood, then moves through the refrain and two or three couplets, with the singer pausing on a favourite line and repeating it with a change of emphasis. Accompaniment, where the organiser allows it, is usually harmonium and tabla, sometimes with a keyboard or guitar; the organiser should confirm what is provided on stage.
Organisers give Gazal its own slot because the form asks for something different from an open Light Music or classical entry: the panel is listening for pronunciation of the poetry and the emotional line of the couplets as much as for the tune. Keeping it separate lets entrants who specialise in the genre be compared with each other.
Where Gazal is run
On eTalenter’s current templates this exact item appears once, on the university-level youth festival template, where it sits in the Music category beside Light Music, Classical Music and Hindustani Classical Vocal. Closely related ghazal items appear under other titles elsewhere: the Kerala school Kalolsavam has its own Urdu-language item, Gazal Alapanam, and a northern university festival template lists ghazal as one of several light-vocal choices. Gazal under this exact title is a campus festival item, not a school-level one.
- Kerala, India
Key facts
- Individual competition, run separately for male and female entrants
- Single Students age group (17 to 25) on the university youth festival template
- 10-minute time limit per entrant
- Scored out of 100, with marks recorded per judge
- Language is open (Any/NA): the entrant chooses the poem and its language
- Not the same item as the school Kalolsavam’s Gazal Alapanam, which is fixed to Urdu and sits at school level
On eTalenter, Gazal is filed under Music and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Gazal is most often entered as an Individual competition, commonly run for Female, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to around 10 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Gazal
What a Gazal panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Diction: correct pronunciation of the poetry, especially Urdu or Hindi consonants, since a mispronounced word changes the meaning
- Voice quality: a steady, warm tone with breath control through the long phrases
- Sruti and melody: staying in pitch against the harmonium and keeping the tune faithful to the chosen composition
- Bhava: how well the singer conveys the mood of each couplet rather than singing every line at the same intensity
- Rhythm: holding the taal with the tabla and landing the refrain cleanly each time it returns
- Time discipline: finishing within the 10-minute window without cutting the closing couplet short
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Gazal under Scoring Setup, or start from the full solo song judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Gazal
How entrants and their teachers usually get Gazal right on the day:
- Choose a ghazal whose words you understand fully; if you do not know the meaning of a couplet it will show in your expression
- Practise the refrain until it returns identically each time, because the panel hears it repeatedly and will notice drift
- Rehearse with the accompanists you will actually use on the day, or confirm early what the organiser provides
- Have the text checked by someone fluent in the language, so each word is pronounced as the poet intended
- Time a full run-through with a stopwatch, including the introduction, and trim couplets rather than rushing
- Warm up the voice before you go on; ghazal is sung softly and exposes a tired or cold voice
Ready-made event templates that include Gazal
Open any template to preview it in eTalenter and install it as a live, editable event.
| Template | Category | Score label | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerala University Youth Festival | Music | Marks | 2 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Gazal judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter’s templates it’s most often run as an Individual entry, commonly for Female, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
Is Gazal the same as Gazal Alapanam?
No. Gazal is the university youth festival item, open to any language and run as separate male and female competitions. Gazal Alapanam is a different item on the Kerala school Kalolsavam syllabus, fixed to Urdu and judged for both genders together.
How long is each performance?
On the university youth festival template each entrant has 10 minutes, and the item is scored out of 100.
Does it have to be sung in Urdu?
The template leaves the language open, so the entrant chooses the poem. Check the organiser’s rules in case a language is specified for your festival.
Can I use a harmonium or tabla player?
Accompaniment is a matter for the organiser’s rules. Many festivals allow harmonium and tabla; confirm what is allowed and whether the venue supplies the instruments.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full solo song judging criteria guide, or browse every music competition item.
Try Gazal in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Gazal, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
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