Shafqat Ali Khan (born 17 June 1972) is a classical singer of the

khyal Khyal or Khayal (ख़याल / خیال) is a major form of Hindustani classical music in the Indian subcontinent. Its name comes from a Persian language, Persian/Arabic language, Arabic word meaning "imagination". Khyal is associated with rom ...

vocal genre, from

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

, belonging to the Sham Chaurasi gharana. The youngest son of Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, Shafqat began performing from the age of seven, when he appeared at the Lahore Music Festival at

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

in 1979. 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."

Awards and recognition

Describing a performance by Shafqat Ali Khan in New York in 1992, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' 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''. Khan has received numerous awards including the Amir Khusro Award in 1986, a Ghanda Award from New Delhi University in 1995 and a gold medal from Faisalabad University in 2004. *

Pride of Performance The Pride of Performance (), officially known as the Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sp ...

Award by the

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan () is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The president is the nominal head of the executive and the supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

in 2009. * In 2018, Shafqat Ali Khan has been selected as ambassador for peace by Universal Peace Federation held in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

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

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, Pakistan and

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

, Shafqat Ali Khan has performed concerts throughout Europe and in the United States and Canada. His recording labels are

His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...

, EMI (India), EMI (Pakistan), WaterLily Acoustics (USA), MegaSound (India) and Folk Heritage (Pakistan).Shafqat Ali Khan's music and music labels
Retrieved 12 February 2024 Shafqat Ali Khan's performances at the

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in the United States in 1988 and 1996 helped him establish himself as an important

Hindustani classical music Hindustani classical music is the Indian classical music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent's northern regions. It may also be called North Indian classical music or ''Uttar Bhartiya shastriya sangeet''. The term ''shastriya sangeet'' ...

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". 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. 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.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Shafqat Ali 1972 births Living people Vocal gharanas Pakistani ghazal singers Pakistani classical singers Recipients of the Pride of Performance Pakistani musicians Classical music in Pakistan Pakistani classical musicians