KOCHI: Prominent Malayalam Ghazal singer and composer Umbayee passed away on Wednesday evening at a hospital in Aluva. He was 68.
Umbayee was born in Mattanchery near Kochi. He is known for his soulful Ghazal renditions of old Malayalam songs. A talented singer, Umbayee (original name is PA Ibrahim) released his first album in 1988. He has released more than ten Ghazal albums and has associated with prominent music directors and lyricists in Kerala.
Umbayee has composed music for poems written by literary stalwarts like ONV Kurup and Satchidanandan. He has also sung Ghazals of legends like Mehdi Hassan, Jagjit Singh, etc.