Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan

Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan ( ur, ; ; born 26 February 1965) is a Pakistani pop and classical singer, songwriter, and composer belonging to the Patiala Gharana tradition of music. He was the lead vocalist of the Pakistani pop rock band Fuzön until 2006 and is a prominent playback singer in the Indian film industry. The youngest son of noted classical vocalist Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, Ali started his musical training at the age of four under the tutelage of his uncle, Ustad Bade Fateh Ali Khan, who was widely regarded as the foremost exponent of Hindustani classical music in Pakistan.

Ali rose to prominence in both India and Pakistan with the lead single "Aankhon Ke Saagar" and the song "Khamaj" (also known as "Mora Saiyaan") from Fuzön's debut album, '' Saagar'' (2002). In 2006, Ali went on to achieve breakthrough success in Bollywood with two songs – " Mitwa" (from the film ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'') and "Yeh Honsla" (from the film '' Dor''). Both songs earned Ali significant commercial success and critical acclaim, and helped him quickly establish himself as a playback singer in the Indian film industry. Since his Bollywood debut with ''Mitwa'', Ali has sung prolifically for Bollywood movie soundtracks, with "Bin Tere" ''(I Hate Luv Storys)'', "Kyun Main Jaagoon" ''( Patiala House)'', "Dildaara" ''(Ra.One)'', " Phir Le Aya Dil" ''(Barfi!)'', "Tu Hi Mera" ''(Jannat 2)'', and "Darmiyaan" ''(Jodi Breakers)'' being some of his most popular Hindi movie songs.

Ali is well known for his numerous live performances in ''Coke Studio Pakistan'' where he has collaborated with Rohail Hyatt and Strings (among others) and has performed original music composed for ''Coke Studio'' as well as modified renditions of his own songs. His three solo albums – '' Tabeer'' (2008)'', Kyun Dooriyan'' (2010), and ''Muh Dikhai'' (2015) – were well received in both India and Pakistan. Ali is particularly noted for his Sufi style of singing, and several of his songs feature mystical themes and references to Sufi philosophies. In 2015–16, he served as a judge and coach on Zee TV's ''Asia's Singing Superstar'' along with Shankar Mahadevan.

Ali was awarded the highest national literary award of Pakistan, the Presidential Pride of Performance, on 23 March 2008 for his contributions to the arts, making him the sixth person in his family to receive the honour. In July 2020, he was included on the New York Press News Agency's list of the ''100 Most Influential People in Asia/UK/EU''. According to data released by Spotify in February 2022, Ali is among the most streamed Pakistani artistes in the world.

Early life and background

Shafqat Amanat Ali was born into a Punjabi Muslim family in Lahore, Pakistan to noted classical singer, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan and his wife Almas Amanat Ali Khan, on 26 February 1965, making him the seventh generation of the Patiala Gharana, which was founded in the mid-late 19th century by his great grandfather, Ali Baksh 'Jarnail' Khan. He is one of seven siblings, the youngest brother of prominent vocalist Asad Amanat Ali Khan, and nephew to renowned Patiala Gharana exponents, Ustad Bade Fateh Ali Khan and Ustad Hamid Ali Khan.

Musical training and influences

Being born into a traditional vocal gharana, Ali has shared that music was his "only calling in life" and that he always aspired to become a singer because he wanted to carry forward his family's musical legacy. Ali began training in classical music at the age of four and has stated that he "never had to look outside hehome for musical influences." He considers his grandmother his first teacher and lists his grandfather, Ustad Akhtar Hussain as his guru, recollecting that his earliest memory is of his grandfather teaching him a composition as a three-year-old. Referring to his initial training with his grandmother, Ali narrates, "The discipline she inculcated in me and the way in which she passed on anecdotes of '' ragas'' led me to an understanding of each '' bandish''." Ali completed his musical training primarily under the tutelage of his uncle, Ustad Bade Fateh Ali Khan, but has stated that he learned music from his brothers, sisters, and aunts as well.

Ali was only nine years old when he lost his father, but considers him his greatest inspiration and influence in his craft and creative process. In an interview, while referring to his father, he revealed: "I have always wanted to be like him, sing like him, look like him. He is my inspiration. It is a compliment for me if someone says that I sound like him." Ali has also shared that some of his vocal techniques are inspired by his older brother, Asad Amanat Ali Khan: "I have borrowed a few things from him which I incorporate both in my performances and songwriting. Since we both followed our father, sometimes people say that I sound both like my father and brother, and this makes me particularly happy."

Ali has described his upbringing as being fairly strict and recalls that he (along with his brothers and cousins) was expected to train rigorously and do ''riyaz'' (practice) for several hours a day as a child — around four training sessions a day every two hours. He notes: "Growing up, music was all around us day in and day out and every elder could correct us and guide us. The endless practice sessions seemed boring and tedious as a child. Each nuance had to be practiced again and again, till we could perfect it as per the standards of our elders. And they would then command us to practice some more. The practice had to be done sitting cross-legged on the floor and one's legs would hurt. It was both emotionally and physically draining, but in hindsight this was a small price to pay for achieving perfection in our art''.''"

Similarly, in another interview, Ali stated: "we were constantly given feedback on our singing...which continued for seven to eight hours per day or basically anytime we were not in school. Everyone in the family knew music so anyone who would pass by and hear me doing ''riyaz'' would correct me if I was going wrong or attempting something difficult." Ali has mentioned that although growing up in a family of distinguished singers and musicians helped him learn music well and hone his vocal skills, it also created myriad expectations and pressures, stating: "Being someone from Patiala Gharana is not easy. People expect a lot from you and there is lot of pressure to live up to that."

Exposed to numerous genres of music from a young age, Ali gravitated towards Sufi music fairly early on, drawn to its emphasis on humanism, spirituality, peace, and tolerance. He recalls visiting and spending time in various dargahs as a child and being enthralled by qawwali and other forms of devotional music being sung by Sufi practitioners. Ali asserts that these early experiences with Sufi expression and philosophies helped him develop his own approach to music later in life.

Ali has mentioned in various interviews that he is an admirer of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ravi Shankar, Manna Dey, S. D. Burman, R. D. Burman, and Roshan Ara Begum, and he lists Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, and Asha Bhonsle as his favourite playback singers.

Education

Ali attended Rang Mahal Mission High School and Sacred Heart High School in Lahore and describes himself as an average student. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1988 from Government College University, Lahore (now known as GC University). He regularly took part in music competitions while in high school, and as a college student, performed regularly in music festivals and shows in Lahore and beyond, quickly establishing himself in the local music scene.

Ali notes that listening to The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Doors, and Michael Jackson while in college was especially impactful for him, helping him learn how to dissect rhythm, explore similarities across musical genres, and fuse them together. He describes that "there was a sense of adventure nlistening to these divergent sounds" and that "when I would hear these western songs, I would often do '' alap'' over hemand incorporate classical improvisations no these songs." Ali was the first person in his family to go to college and graduated with the Roll of Honour from the Music Society of Government College University, in addition to being the college colour-holder in music.

Career

2001–2004: Career beginnings, Fuzön, and rise to prominence

After graduating from college, Ali worked briefly as a high school music teacher in Lahore. Subsequently, he moved to Karachi, Pakistan to work with various composers, producers, and music arrangers to get his first music album off the ground. He describes this period of his life as a time of struggle and remembers sleeping many a night inside vocal booths and in the lobbies of recording studios. Due to several issues, his initial album did not eventually receive a release by the record label he had been working with. During this period, he sang numerous jingles for TV commercials while simultaneously continuing to work on his own music, recalling in an interview, "I cannot forget my days of struggle in Karachi, I did everything that came my way, right from singing jingles to voiceovers and every other odd job related to singing." Ali recollects that at this stage of his career as a struggling artiste, he was grateful for the support extended to him by his older brother, Asad.

It was during this time that Ali met his soon-to-be bandmates, and together they went on to form the pop rock band Fuzön in 2001. Ali describes that the name of the band was a reference to their unique brand of music that 'fused' together elements of modern pop rock with traditional Hindustani classical, Pakistani folk, and Sufi music. "Aankhon Ke Saagar" was the first song to be composed and recorded for their debut album ''Saagar'' (2002, Empire Music and Virgin Records), followed by "Khamaj" ("Mora Saiyaan")'','' and both songs went on to become enormously popular in both Pakistan and neighbouring India. The songs "Khamaj (Mora Saiyaan)" and "Teray Bina" from ''Saagar'' were featured in the soundtrack of Nagesh Kukunoor's 2004 film, '' Hyderabad Blues 2''. ''Saagar'' also made history by becoming the first studio album to be released by a band simultaneously in both India and Pakistan.

2006: Breakthrough in Bollywood and rising popularity

Ali was introduced to the Indian film industry by singer and music composer Shankar Mahadevan. One morning while driving to his studio, Mahadevan heard ''Aankhon Ke Saagar'' on the radio and immediately called the radio jockey who was his friend, to get Ali's contact information. Ali eventually went on to sing the massively popular Sufi rock ballad " Mitwa," composed by Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy for the soundtrack of the film ''Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'' (2006). The song topped musical charts across India and received widespread critical acclaim, helping propel Ali into stardom. The same year, Ali also sang the song "Yeh Honsla" (composed by Salim–Sulaiman) from the Hindi film '' Dor''. Ali garnered significant critical acclaim for this song, which he described as "simple, uncomplicated and serene – a true prayer to the soul."

Since his Bollywood debut with ''Mitwa'', Ali has worked prolifically as a playback singer for Hindi movies, with "Bin Tere" ''(I Hate Luv Storys),'' " Phir Le Aya Dil" ''(Barfi!),'' "Teri Jhuki Nazar" ''(Murder 3),'' "Dildaara" ''(Ra.One),'' "Darmiyaan" ''(Jodi Breakers),'' "Kyun Main Jagoon" ''( Patiala House),'' "Tu Hi Mera" ''(Jannat 2),'' and "Tere Naina" ''( My Name Is Khan)'' being some of his most popular Hindi film songs. Ali collaborates frequently with Indian film composers Pritam, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, Vishal–Shekhar, and Salim–Sulaiman.

2008: First solo album and notable collaborations

After leaving the band Fuzön in 2006, Ali chose to focus on his solo career as a vocalist. Based on folk and Sufi works, his debut solo album '' Tabeer'' was commissioned by the Music Today label and released in September 2008. '' Billboard'' magazine described the album as a modern reworking of "traditional Sufi poetry." The video of the lead single of the album, "Khaireyan De Naal," was aired on all music channels in India and Pakistan. Ali composed and sang a modified version of this song for the Bollywood movie ''Tevar'' in 2015''.'' In 2008, Ali sang the songs "Phir Wohi Raastey" and "Allah Megh De" for the multi-award-winning Pakistani film ''Ramchand Pakistani'' which highlighted the plight of cross-border prisoners in both India and Pakistan.

Also in 2008, Ali wrote, composed, and sang the song "Paiman" to raise awareness about maternal and neonatal health and wellbeing. The song and its music video were part of a USAID-funded health communication initiative called PAIMAN (Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns), with partner support from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs and Aga Khan University among others. The same year, Ali collaborated with Strings, Shuja Haider, Hadiqa Kiyani, and Ali Zafar (among others) on a song called " Yeh Hum Naheen," which was part of an anti-terrorism campaign aimed at projecting a softer and positive image of Pakistan and Islam to other nations. The song led to a record-breaking 62.8 million Pakistanis signing a petition to uphold the message of the campaign.

2009–2011: Second solo album and work in ''Coke Studio''

In 2009, Ali featured prominently in Season 2 of ''Coke Studio Pakistan'', where he performed three of his songs — "Khamaaj," "Aankhon Ke Saagar," and "Ajab Khail" — with variations in arrangement and orchestration, produced by Rohail Hyatt, the co-creator of ''Coke Studio''. In the same season, he also sang the song "Mahi Ve," for which he collaborated with the Canadian Bhangra band Josh.

Ali released his second solo album '' Kyun Dooriyan'' in 2010, under the Music Today label. It included a couple of songs — "Paharhi" and "Naal Naal" — he had written and composed during his time with Fuzön, which he revamped for the album. ''Kyun Dooriyan'' was a stylistic departure for Ali in that many of its songs had a distinct rock feel, compared to his previous album, ''Tabeer,'' which was significantly mellower in tone and thematically more spiritual. The title track of the album, "Kyun Dooriyan," was initially written as a love song, but Ali eventually reworked it as a message of peace and reconciliation between India and Pakistan. The song received a nomination in the 'Indie Pop Song of the Year' category at the 3rd Mirchi Music Awards in 2011, as did the romantic ballad "Mahiya."

In 2011, Ali appeared in Season 1 of ''Coke Studio India'', where he sang four songs produced by Leslee Lewis, including modified renditions of "Akhian" (from ''Saagar'') and "Kya Haal Sunawan" (from ''Kyun Dooriyan''). The same year, he also wrote, composed, and sang the song "Yahaan," which was aimed at highlighting the natural beauty and diversity of the Gilgit-Baltistan region and promoting cultural tourism in the area.

2012–2015: Third solo album and work in ''MTV Unplugged''

In 2012, Ali performed six songs on MTV Unplugged India (Season 2), including reinterpreted versions of "Aankhon Ke Saagar," "Khamaj (Mora Saiyaan)"'','' and "Yeh Honsla." He also wrote and performed a new song — "Manmaniyan" ''—'' in the same season, composed by noted film score composer Ranjit Barot, a long-time associate of A. R. Rahman.

In 2014, Ali sang the song "Jeenay Chaley" for the soundtrack of the critically acclaimed film ''Dukhtar'' which criticised the practice of child marriage in Pakistan. The film was Pakistan's official submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards in 2015.

Shafqat Amanat Ali's third solo album ''Muh Dikhai: Unveiling The Songs Of Eternal Love'' was released in March 2015 under the Times Music label and included songs in both Hindi and Punjabi languages. The album featured an assortment of sentimental ballads, pop, and Sufi devotional songs. Ali did not focus on any specific genre for this album, choosing to experiment with orchestration and arrangements instead. The album included a reimagined rendition of the popular '' ghazal,'' "Dil Dharhaknay Ka Sabab," originally composed by Ali's father, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, and written by prominent Pakistani poet Nasir Kazmi, with veteran Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah featuring in the music video. The album also included the Sufi track "Rang," for which Ali adapted the well-known qawwali, ''Aaj Rang Hai'', written by the 13th-century Sufi poet Amir Khusrau.

2017: Return to ''Coke Studio''

In 2017, after a long hiatus from ''Coke Studio Pakistan'', Ali appeared again in Season 10 and performed several songs: "Allahu Akbar" (a traditional ''hamd'' written, composed, and directed by Shuja Haider) and "Maula Tera Noor" and "Bol" (both composed by Shani Arshad). Ali sang "Bol" as a musical tribute to eminent Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and received particular praise and critical acclaim for his dynamic vocal performance and versatility in "Allahu Akbar." He also sang the national anthem of Pakistan in the same season, along with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ali Sethi, Aima Baig, Quartulain Balouch, Shuja Haider, Sahir Ali Bagga