The Magnificence of Malkauns

"I rule over the emotions. I cause the deepest and gravest feelings to swirl slowly around you just as the Milky Way with millions of stars moves imperceptibly around a central point."

~ Malkauns -What the Ragas Told Me,Vasudev Murty

'Pyaar nahin hai sur se jisko'- Shafqat recorded this while he was part of Fuzon and this remained unreleased after the band broke up. It’s a favorite because of so many reasons : the words that would touch any music lover; the superb singing, but above all Malkauns!

Malkauns is an Audav (pentatonic) raga of the Bhairavi Thaat under the Bhatkande system of classification of Hindustani classical music. Re and Pa notes are omitted from this Raga. Ga, Dha and Ni are Komal. Its vadi (most prominent swara) is Ma and samvadi ( second most prominent) is Sa.

This video demonstrates its basics-

Performed late in night this ancient Raga is said to have been created to placate enraged Lord Shiva as he performed Tandava- the celestial dance. As Vasudev Murthy mentions about the  Raga- “ Komal Dhaivat gives peace, calm and order to the troubled turbulent mind.”

Considered a serious Raga it’s beauty is more pronounced when performed in vilambit (slow) taal (tempo) and Meend is a technique often used by artists while performing this Raga.

“The movement between notes is slow and gradual, like an elephant bearing me as I survey my Kingdom of lesser Raags. Each note blends into the next without breaking”

Another interesting aspect about the Raga and what makes it a unique one is (mentioned here )  that it is a Raga where all its swaras are nyaasa swaras- nyaasa swaras being the notes on which a phrase or a line of a composition in the Raga can end . And the more the nyaasa swaras in a Raga, the more is the scope for an artist for elaboration. Malkauns thus overcomes the disadvantage of restrictive elaboration space that is usually seen with pentatonic Ragas.

Beyond Boundaries

The talk of Malkauns, in a relatively modern Indian musical context, could never be complete without the mention of this beautiful, landmark song created by Naushad for the movie Baiju Bawra. A prayer to Lord Krishna- Composed by a Muslim, written by a Muslim and sung by a Muslim, a perfect example of music breaking all barriers.

Here Naushad talks about the making of the song and gives all credit to the great raga- Malkauns

Malkauns and the Patiala Gharana

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan sings a beautiful Malkauns composition-  Mandir dekh dare Sudama-

And for those who don’t know the connection between Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Shafqat- it is the same Gharana of course, but also the fact that Shafqat's grandfather, Ustad Akhtar Hussain, who was his first teacher, also happens to be one of the Ustads under whom Bade Ghulam Ali Khan trained. (read about it here)

Malkauns has been extensively sung by the Patiala Gharana members. Here are the doyens, the brother-duo of Ustad Amanat ali Khan and Fateh Ali Khan, creating magic with it.

Dhan Dhan wa kaarigar ke jisne ye sab khel racho hai

Another beautiful rendition of the same composition by Asad Amanat Ali and Hamid Ali 

 -  Tu hi , Tero naam .. sab ka palanahaar - Ustad Amanat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan

Piya ghar aaye more devo badhayi - AsadAmanat Ali and Hamid Ali

The Malkauns legacy created by Ustad Amanat Ali, yes he was he one composed Pyar nahi hai sur se  jisko, is now being carried on by the younger generations.

• Ustad Fateh Ali Khan's rendition 

• Asad Amanat Ali gives it a delightful twist in the middle and takes it some place else

• A young ,Shafqat performs it in an attire and format that not many have seen him perform in

• Salman and Ali Amjad, Ustad Amanat Ali’s grandsons singing 

The range of genres  for which the raga has been utilized is amazing – from Khayal and Thumri to Ghazals, Bhajans and Fusion

Listen to the beautiful Shehnai of Ustad Bismillah Khan - the tune that we are all so familiar with...

And  here’s another which breaks barriers - Ghulam Ali and Anup Jalota collaborate on a delightful Malkauns composition

A shabad, sounding lovely in Malkauns

Malkauns and Fusion 

So I decide to add this subheading after getting pointed to or reminded of (thank you ) some awesome compositions without which the post would be all but incomplete.

So under this we already had -

This Jazz version  by Shankar Jaikishen from their album "Ragas Jazz Style"

And this one by Charanjit Singh form his album "Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat"

And this, relatively recent, from the very popular CokeStudio Pakistan- the very heady and beautiful Kangna

But you havent heard anything yet if you havent heard this one from an album called Composer's Breath by the one and only Ilayaraja- one that features flute by Hari Prasad Chaurasia

This ethereal, primarily Malkauns/ Hindolam ( Hindolam being Carnatic equivalent of Malkauns) based piece is guaranteed to sweep you off your feet and take you to some place else.

And if you know Shankar Mahadevan only for his Bollywood songs , the ones that he sings or composes, you should know that his real awesomeness lies in his Carnatic renditions. Listen to this one if you want proof.

And last but not the least- this one by who else but Shafqat Amanat Ali. It marks his journey into exploring Fusion as a genre, where he collaborates with  the immensly talented Amir Zaki for a Channel V production. The awesome alaaps are Malkauns based, I am told

Get it in better quality here

"Easy for the beginner and challenging  for the most accomplished artist...," that's how Ramshreya Jha, a distinguished Hindustani Musician and scholar, describes Malkauns; "..as pleasing to the ears of a listener who has just begun to appreciate it, as it is for a music connoisieur" 

And that is why it is the magnificent Malkauns...

The Legacy (III)- Asad Amanat Ali Khan

The Man, the Music, the Memories...

25^th September, 1955 – 8^th April, 2007

My fascination with Asad Amanat Ali began with this particular video, in which he sings probably his most popular song- 'Umran Langiyan'

I am always captivated by the whole aura of his personality as he renders it... Here is a singer who is aware of his mastery over his singing, yet sings without arrogance. He wields a magical power over his audience… hypnotizes them, and indulges them with little treats that he knows will delight them. He playfully engages with the accompanying musicians, his handsome countenance glowing with joy as he sings and displays his mastery over the rhythm  Occasionally he dives deep into his artistic repertoire and pulls out enchanting little nuances … like a diver who explores the depth of the ocean and brings out the beautiful pearls hidden in it…

The song is written by Mazhar Tirmazi, who remembers Asad in an interview as-Khush Mijaaz and Khush Shakal… of a happy attitude and a happy demeanor  In the same interview he mentions the special connection that Asad had with this song- “He sung many songs,” says Tirmazi, “but his soul lay in this song.” He also laments the fact that the potential and the promise that Asad’s talent had could never be  fully fulfilled

Asad died young…he was only 52 when he passed away on this very day, 6 years ago in London.

Always missed by fans and family… “Ghar waapas jab Aaogey tum, Kaun tumhe Pehchaney ga, Kaun Kahega….Tum bin Ye nagari sunsaan”

Shafqat remembers his elder brother very fondly, as a very caring, loving brother, someone who valued relationships; a person who provided not just for his own but also the extended family, someone who kept everyone together.

In an interview on Asad’s first death anniversary Shafqat mentions how in their family the youngsters always maintain a respectful distance from the elders. Asad was almost 13 years older than Shafqat but he was always approachable- “There was a bridge which could always be crossed to reach to him in case of any problem or need.” He recalls a particular incident where he was was short of some money to buy a place for a studio. Asad sensed this and sent him the money even without his asking. When the very grateful Shafqat went to return some of the money back after sometime, Asad refused to accept it and reprimanded him lovingly - “Have you made too much money? Have you become that big?”

Shafqat and Asad came together only once to sing. It was a song of their father, Amanat Ali, that they sang together for album, which was a tribute to the late ustaad.

Shafqat had immense respect for his elder brother as a singer but the fact that they both very heavily influenced by their father’s singing and had similar singing styles is what prevented them from collaborating more often. Shafqat admits, though, that he learnt a lot from his brother. He always looked up to him as a role model and tried to emulate the way he dressed, the way he did his riyaaz,  and even the way he dealt with people.

Asad’s formal debut as a singer happened for a PTV program called Nikhar where he teamed up with his uncle, Hamid Ali (more of a peer and friend as they were of the same age group) and sang Raag Malkauns. It was Ustad Fateh Ali Khan who had suggested that they get together and sing as a Jodi. Asad reminiscences in a mehfil, “It was because he felt that I resembled Baba (Ustad Amanat Ali Khan) and Hamid resembled him (Fateh Ali Khan) and he wanted us to recreate the magic that they had spun as a musical team.”

And this pair too, wove magic. Hamid Ali recalls one of their early performances where they sang with the then Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, in the audience. She was impressed and is said to have complimented them by saying that the duo looked like a Ram –Laxman Jodi.

The Jodi was however not meant to be forever and due to differences the two had to part ways. Asad went solo and also began to foray more into the lighter forms of singing because he felt that they were more appreciated by the new generation audiences who neither had the taste nor the patience to appreciate the classical music in its purest forms. But he felt hurt if he was considered a lesser singer just because of the fact that he was singing other genres. In an interview with Ally Adnan he says…

“It is true that I have trained in classical music, but that is the only type of training a singer can have.You cannot train someone in light music.I have very sound training in classical music and I use that to sing all types of music….If I am to be judged I should be judged on the quality of my singing, not by the genre I choose to sing”

He sang Ghazals and his uniquely textured voice- slightly grainy, slightly nasal with a melodious tinkle, made them memorable. He loved films and Shafqat remembers his fondness for them and how he would sometimes bunk his riyaaz to watch a movie. So it was a sweet coincidence that he sang several songs for Pakistani films and was quite a popular playback singer through the 80’s, but in his own words “the charm (to sing in films) wore off very soon”

One of his favorite Ghazals, and mine too…

And another favorite in Punjabi…

A song from from a Pakistani film

His singing training, which began with his often “cursing himself for being born into a family of musicians who didn't let him do anything but sing” when as a child he had to wake up at 6 in the morning for his riyaaz, progressed to practicing for up to 18 hours a day so that he could “live up to the expectations of everyone and deserve being called the son of Amanat Ali Khan” and culminated in music becoming the “most important thing in his life”. He was awarded the “Pride of Performance” the highest civilian- award in Pakistan for his contribution to music just a couple of weeks before his death.

He often ended performances with this song written by the poet Ibn-e-Insha and originally sung and popularized by his father. He saved it for the last because he would be so emotional after singing it that he couldn't carry on. He died young, just like the poet, and his own father, and thus, became a part of a legend and also a superstition associated with the song…

For me, Asad is, and shall always be, the joy of music, personified. I am pretty sure he must be busy singing happily in mehfils in the heavens above with the angels applauding.

……

Special thanks to Ally Adnan who shared an interview that he had done with Asad in 1989, from which I have quoted extensively J

Jingle Bells, Soap Bubbles & Other Such... (III)

Keeping the Music Alive..

This one talks about the songs Shafqat has sung as a tribute to various artists- musicians and composers

"The only thing better than singing is more singing" ~ Ella Fitzgerald

Noor Jehan

In a radio interview an RJ asked Shafqat Amanat Ali, "Who is the one female singer in Pakistan that you would choose to sing a duet with?" "Madam Noor Jehan," was his instant reply. The legendary singer, who enthralled generations in the sub-continent with her sweet and melodious voice, the one who was aptly conferred the title of "Mallika - e- Tarannum" is the pride not just of Pakistan but of music lovers across the subcontinent.

Here is Shafqat paying her a tribute by singing one of her songs. This was when he was a part of the Fuzon band

And this is the original by the legend herself 

The closest thing that can help one to imagine how Shafqat would have sounded if he sang with Noor Jehan  would be  this duet of hers for a Pakistani film which she sang with  Shafqat’s father, the great Ustad Amanat Ali.

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Ustad Amanat Ali Khan/ Asad Amanat Ali

 

Shafqat maintains that one of the greatest inspirations for his music is his own father who enjoyed a great amount of popularity and respect among the music lovers in the 60’s. Not only was he an accomplished classical vocalist, he is also ranked among the finest Ghazal singers of all times.

Shafqat recalled a very interesting anecdote related to his father in a TV interview recently. In the 60’s there was a particularly bad year in Pakistan where the monsoons had been much delayed causing a lot of woe, especially to the farmers. The great Ustad, a firm believer in the power of music, suggested to one of his radio producers that they should compose a prayer to God requesting him to end the plight. Legend has it, that as the song was being aired on the radio, the first drops of the monsoon actually began to fall…

Here’s Shafqat singing the same song

He sings one of his father’s ghazal  here and also pays tribute to his brother Asad Amanat Ali, another star of the family.

Hothon pe kabhi unke mera naam bhi aaye- is one of the most popular ghazals rendered by Ustad Amanat Ali and one of my favorites. And Kisi aur gham mein itni khalish e niha nahi hai would probably make it to the top 3 of my all-time favorite ghazals

Here are the original renditions by the maestros

Both the brothers have paid a tribute of their father by singing one of his songs together.

The original

You can see that both the brothers have inherited their father’s singing traits. While Asad has more of the khanak, the joyful tinkle in the voice and the ability to play with the notes, Shafqat has inherited the calmness, the sukoon, the ease, as well as the ability to explore and pursue the notes to their ultimate height or depth!

Read about and hear Shafqat’s rendition of Asad Amanat Ali’s famous Punjabi song Umra Langiaan- in this blog post 

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Mehdi Hassan

"He had a very mellow and melodious voice with an immense command on diction at the same time. You don’t need anything else to make an outstanding singer,"- Shafqat Amanat Ali about the Mehdi Hassan after the passing away of the Ghazal King

Here's Shafqat singing his "Zindagi mein to sabhi pyaar kiya kartein hain"

And Mehdi Hassan’s live rendition 

And here he sings a Mehdi Hassan song composed by the great composer Sohail Rana

The original

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Sohail Rana is also the composer of the very popular Aaj Jaane Ki zid na karo- read more about Shafqat’s rendition of the song as a tribute to the composer here

Jagjit Singh

One of the most popular Ghazal singers, ever, whom we lost not so long ago… and when the industry joined hands to pay him a tribute , Shafqat Amanat Ali was there, too, with this ghazal of his

The original

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Bollywood retro

And when I hear Shafqat sing..

Lata Mangeshkar ‘s Allah tero naam

Hemant Kumar’s Ye Nayan dare dare

Rafi’s Ajhun na aaye balma & Din dhal jaaye

Kishore’s tere bina zindagi se koi ( towards the end of  this video) 

http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/244220/wish-i-had-sung-tere-bina-zindagi-se-koi-shafqat.html

And above all  Saigal's (unfortunately only on a TV promo, and thus very briefly)  main kya jaanu kya jadoo hai
(for  a show on Geo TV- if someone has a video of it please do share)

I start thinking that Shafqat should formally sing some of the golden classics from Bollywood for an album. I even have a wish list…

• Kasme wade pyar wafa  by Manna Dey
• Koi sagar dil ko and Man re tu kahe na dheer dhare by Rafi
• Wo sham kuch ajeeb thi by Kishore
• Sajnwa bairi ho gaye and Kahin door jab din dhal jaaye by Mukesh…and the list could go on and on…

As they say... if wishes were horses... :)

When Tradition Treads the Paths of Tomorrow...

“From our ancestors come our names, but from our virtues our honors”

In all his interviews Shafqat Amanat Ali is inevitably asked a question about the great musical legacy of the Patiala Gharana that he has inherited from his forefathers. And he takes a lot of pride-(and rightly so) in talking about the great musical tradition of the family, where every child born into the family is raised on a daily dose of musical intricacies and nuances.-Training so rigorous, that it builds not just their knowledge of music but even teaches them a thing or two about life itself.

“Learning classical singing is not a time bound process, it is life long- that’s what was drilled in right from the beginning by our elders,” says Shafqat Amanat Ali. “When you begin learning by keeping this in mind it gives you a lot of inner strength.”

The tradition of Gharanas- the different schools or styles- in the Hindustani classical music fascinates me. The concept of a guru passing on his wisdom to his students, who then carry forward the unique style and interpretation, and the specific techniques of rendition, is intriguing and very interesting.

The timeline of the Patiala Gharana boasts of many a great name and their glorious achievements. But if there is just one thing that could sum up this tradition of inheriting, preserving and passing on music, it has to be this video

Salman Amjad and Ali Amjad are Shafqat’s nephews, the sons of his eldest brother the late Amjad Amanat Ali, who himself was an accomplished classical vocalist. And here they sing the composition of their grandfather’s grandfather. It’s heartwarming to watch the young duo sing what was composed almost 200 years ago by someone who established the tradition which they grew on.

The Patiala Gharana founders were Ali Baksh and Fateh Ali Khan, formidable names in the singing circles of the North India in the nineteenth century. They were referred to as Aliya-Fattu. Such was the prowess of their voices, that they were awarded the respective titles of General and Colonel by Lord Elgan, Viceroy of India, in recognition of their contribution to music. So Aliya -Fattu are also commonly referred to as Jerneil and Kerneil… some even called them the Sur kaptan- the captains of sur.

Ali Baksh’s legacy was furthered by his own son and disciple, the very accomplished Ustad Akhtar Hussain. Whereas Fateh Ali’s son Ashiq Ali was guru to disciples who formed the Kasur branch of the Patiala Gharana that boasts of bigwigs like Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.

Akhtar Hussain enjoyed the patronage of Patiala’s King but had to shift to Pakistan after the partition in 1947. 

Recordings of Ustad Akhtar Hussain from Pakistan radio:

Desi Todi

Bihag

His sons Amanat Ali and Fateh Ali made a very successful musical debut in 1945. Fateh Ali remembers in an interview how he and his brother sang in a gathering of some of the most distinguished names and at the end of the recital he was bewildered when instead of congratulating the singers they all rushed to embrace and compliment their guru and father.

Young Amanat and Fateh Ali singing Raga Bihag : 

Shafqat, the youngest son of Ustad Amanat Ali started his training in music at the age of 4. His grandfather, Ustad Akhtar Hussain, formally began his training as it was tradition for the head of the family to introduce every child in the household to the music of the Gharana. Unfortunately both his grandfather and father could not live long enough to guide him in his musically journey. His chacha, Fateh Ali, therefore donned the mantle of his mentor as he was for the rest of the children in the family. In a household so full of potential stars Shafqat often felt that his own skills were sidelined and not encouraged as much. But music was his calling and he was determined to chart his own course in the territory on which his family had ruled for generations. Struggling over the years and often asked by his uncle and elder brother to take up another profession, Shafqat found his calling in fusing the age old musical wisdom that he had inherited from his forefathers with the sounds and beats and arrangements which came from the west.

Shafqat maintains that he is not the first to take a slightly different course from the traditional path. “Classical music too has various forms… one of the earliest forms is Dhrupad which is still there but relatively rare now. After that Khayal gayaki took the front seat and Khayal was what our Gharana started with mainly and made a name with. Thumri followed and was again sung by us, then Ghazal was popularized by my father and brother Asad, who also experimented with pop.”

Shafqat is right when he says he is not the first one to travel down a different path. Even if we talk of fusion, he wasn’t the first in the family to do it. Ustad Fateh Ali Khan’s collaboration Ragas and Sagas with the Norwegian Jazz saxophonist, Jan Gaberek was hailed as perfect blend of the east and the west.

Even singing for films is not a first by Shafqat. His father Ustad Amanat Ali has done playback and Asad Amanat Ali also sang for many Pakistani films in the 80’s. Many might not know that he has even lent his voice for a Bollywood song.

Shafqat might have taken a slightly different route than the usual but his commitment to carry forward  his inheritance of the musical wealth is very evident in his own music. He has understood that changing times require changing strategies. Audiences in general today do not have the time or patience to sit through mehfils and respond much better to live stage concerts, for example. So he cleverly has packaged some of the gems of his elders and presented them to the music lovers in a new form.

Let’s take his Khamaj for instance, one of his most popular songs till date and my absolute favorite. This is adapted from a traditional thumri ,also sung by his father, and uncle. Shafqat just took it and in his own words “made it more contemporary”. He added more words to give it the shape of a song and whether he did justice to this gem is for everyone to see, or rather hear.

His Kartar in Darbari is another one that is inspired by an old Patiala Gharana asthai, sung earlier by Ustad Amanat and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan. “I wanted people to hear it from my perspective,” says Shafqat. So the scintillating orchestra  arrangement is Shafqat’s addition and tribute to this beautiful piece!

“Pyaar nahi hai sur se jisko”- a beautiful composition by Shafqat’s father is like a gentle reprimand and more than that an invitation to people who haven’t realized the importance of music . Sung by many members of the family, this song gets a modern feel with Shafqat’s version for Fuzon, before the band broke up.

Shafqat's classical rendition

And the Fuzon version

“One who walks in another's tracks leaves no footprints”

Charting a new path, like Shafqat has done, in the world of music is always fraught with risks. On the one hand you have the purists, who will always examine the work under a microscope, and on the other, are the average masses who generally have low tolerance level for something that is too intricate and difficult to understand- A double edged sword if you will; or a tight-rope walk where balance is the key. So far Shafqat Amanat Ali has done well in maintaining that balance. The double-edged sword has enabled him to carve a special niche for himself , which allows him to stay true to the tradition of which he is a torchbearer, and also showcase his versatility. He currently is in a position where he has competently covered everything from (Raga) Eeman to (Playback for) Emraan Hashmi

“I believe in adapting to the changing times but without forgetting my roots and the roots still are and will always be in the classical music. Those roots are my identity and I cannot be separate from my identity," he says.

As his fan I look forward to a possibility of Shafqat considering a pure classical album at some stage in his career. But at the same time I remain equally excited about his forthcoming album and his future Bollywood numbers which will showcase his own ingenuity that was nurtured by the age-old tradition of the Patiala Gharana. 

Umra Langiyaan

"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music”

-  Sergei Rachmaninov

I have to say that my becoming and admitting to being a diehard Shafqat Amanat Ali fan is a pretty recent happening. I have admired his voice and work in since his debut album Sagar as a part of the Fuzon band and I welcomed his entry into Bollywood with the very endearing Mitwa, like any other music lover, but it’s only recently that I realized what a beautiful body of work he has managed to do in the past few years both in Bollywood and outside it.

What is it that makes Shafqat's voice and work so special for me? And before I put forward my reasons I would like to add the disclaimer that I am no expert in critiquing music. I talk like a lay person, an average music lover, who can attribute the ear to music to many a winter evening spent with my granddad- him playing his harmonium and singing his favorite folk songs. He was a good singer and his enthusiasm was infectious. Or could it be my dad? Two walls of his room are lined with his massive collection of music tapes, the titles of which include pretty much all the greats of  the Hindustani classical music. The tapes would be played religiously each morning and evening for hours (I even protested, sometime) and the music still reverberates inside me.

Coming back to the reasons why I think Shafqat‘s voice is special: the number one of course is his rigorous training in classical music. And then there is the spiritual element of his personality which gets reflected in the words that he writes or the music that he composes. And last but not the least is his ability to keep up with times, to experiment, fuse and reinvent his music to make it more in tune with the times- The way he chooses his songs when he sings for the others in Bollywood also reflects that. While the latter two might become topics for later blogs, for this one I want to stick to his background in classical music.

When I searched for his non Bollywood music, I stumbled upon this video. 

It sounded interesting – both the words the music. And then it led me to discover the other star of his family, the much loved Asad Amanat AliKhan, his elder brother who passed away, relatively young in 2007. This was one of his most loved song. A Punjabi song written by Mazhar Tirmazi interspersed with some lines of Ghulam Farid. The YouTube comments and the reactions of the audience say it all. But more than everything it’s the joy on his face while he sings which reflects the passion that this family has for their music.

It is not fair not compare the two renditions as the one by Shafqat is done on request in a live concert, impromptu, with a rock band as an accompaniment, while Asad Amanat Ali performs in a studio mehfil with traditional instruments. The quality of sound and video are also vastly different (Shafqat’s is probably captured on phone)

But the point is that these two stars come from the same family. They were taught and polished by their grandfather, father and uncle who are stalwarts of music. Both the brothers’ singing has the ability to surprise. While Asad’s voice for me is like a playful mountain brook which can make you marvel at its ability to change its course at will, Shafqat’s comes across as a placid lake that makes you wonder what is coming out next from its depths. That’s the power of classical discipline, the might of the musical genes! It gives a singer the authority and the control that sets him apart form an untrained voice.

"Umran Langiyaan", when translated form Punjabi, means “lifetimes have passed”. It definitely takes more than one lifetime for listeners like me to even begin to grasp the might of this music which has transcended through generations in this musical clan…

Roots and Wings

 “I had an inheritance from my father,

It was the moon and the sun.

And though I roam all over the world,

The spending of it’s never done.”

― Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls

Shafqat Amanat Ali hails from an illustrious musical family and is infact the seventh generation performer, who carries forward the tradition of the Patiala Gharana that was founded by his great grandfather Ali Baksh.

Imagine growing up in a household where music is a way of life and comes as natural as breathing … (Shafqat recalls his first lessons of music from his grandmother, here) Having lost his father, Amanat Ali Khan at a relatively tender age of 9, his musical training came from his uncle, Fateh Ali Khan

Amanat Ali and Fateh Ali performing together

Fateh Ali Khan talks about his Gharana and Gayaki

“Every child born in the family had to compulsorily train in music for 10-12 years and though no one was forced to take up music as a career, at the end of the rigorous grinding they all just wanted to be musicians”- says Shafqat. 

According to him, his elder brother’s sons Amjad Amanat Ali’s sons Salman Amjad and Ali Amjad are ready to enter the industry whereas Sikander Asad (brother,Asad Amanat Ali’s son) is also waiting for the right time to surprise everyone. “Even my own 15-year-old son Saadat Ali Bakhs is getting formally trained from the gharana”( Read the interview)

Someone has said, “The songs of our ancestors are also the songs of our children” – and this is so true for the great tradition that Shafqat today represents.Here’s hoping that many generations of this family will continue to enthrall the music lovers worldwide!