Shafqat Ali Khan
Shafqat Ali Khan in 2009
Born17 June 1972
NationalityPakistani
Occupationclassical music singer
Years active1979 – present
Parent
RelativesSharafat Ali Khan (older brother)
AwardsPride of Performance Award (2009)
Ambassador for Peace Award by Universal Peace Federation, Washington (2018)
Websiteshafqatalikhanmusic.com

Shafqat Ali Khan (born 17 June 1972) is a classical singer of the khyal vocal genre, from Pakistan, belonging to the Sham Chaurasia gharana.[1][2][3]

The youngest son of Ustad Salamat Ali Khan,[3][4] Shafqat began performing from the age of seven, when he appeared at the Lahore Music Festival at Lahore, Pakistan in 1979.[2]

Shafqat Ali Khan is the custodian of a four hundred year legacy of classical music. A major Pakistani English language newspaper reportedly commented about him, "This line of musicians began with Mian Chand Ali Khan and Mian Suraj Ali Khan who used to quell the heart and soul of Mughal Emperor Akbar by singing for him."[4][2]

Awards and recognition

Describing a performance by Shafqat Ali Khan in New York in 1992, The New York Times wrote, "exuberant complications, in which melodic gestures join hand-waving and synchronized finger-pointing to form an eloquent symbiosis"..."Shafqat Ali Khan's more flamboyant approach to singing.[1][2] Khan has received numerous awards including the Amir Khusro Award in 1986,[3] a Ghanda Award from New Delhi University in 1995 and a gold medal from Faisalabad University in 2004.[3]

In his message, Shafqat thanks to his fans and said that he has displayed the country's soft image and message of peace in the world through his music.

Career

Besides performing in the United States, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Shafqat Ali Khan has performed concerts throughout Europe and in the United States and Canada.[1] His recording labels are HMV (UK), EMI (India), EMI (Pakistan), WaterLily Acoustics (USA), MegaSound (India) and Folk Heritage (Pakistan).[6][2]

Shafqat Ali Khan's performances at the Smithsonian Institution in the United States in 1988 and 1996 helped him establish himself as an important Hindustani classical music performer. According to a major newspaper of Pakistan, he has a 'magnetic stage presence and is known for his mastery of rhythm and ability to connect with audiences".[2]

Shafqat Ali Khan feels that since classical music is not commercial, all classical singers and other persons related to classical music cannot earn enough to make a decent living for themselves. So they should be given additional monthly support income by the Pakistani government.[4]

Shafqat ali khan has many students all over India and Pakistan. He has two sons, Faizan Ali Khan and Nadir Ali Khan, they are singing with their father in concerts these days.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c Bernard Holland (29 September 1992). "Classical Music in Review (1992 concert of Ustad Salamat Ali Khan and Shafqat Ali Khan at Merkin Concert Hall)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Ally Adnan (26 December 2014). "Interview with Shafqat Ali Khan - 'The India-Pakistan divide does not carry over to music'". The Friday Times newspaper. Archived from the original on 10 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "Tributes paid to the classical singers". Daily Times newspaper. 18 December 2015. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Nabeel Anwar Dhakku (31 December 2014). "Living legend wants state to preserve classical music". Dawn newspaper. Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan Deployed As Ambassador of Peace". Abb Takk News website. 14 July 2018. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  6. ^ Shafqat Ali Khan's music and music labels Retrieved 12 February 2024
  7. ^ "Shafqat Salamat releases song with sons". The Frontier Post newspaper. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
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