Ustad Bade Fateh Ali Khan
Encyclopedia
Bade Fateh Ali Khan
Bade Fateh Ali Khan (Urdu
: استاد بڑے فتح علی خان (born 1935) is amongst the foremost Khyal
vocalists alive today in Pakistan
, and the last significant exponent of the Patiala Gharana
(stylistic lineage). He is the younger of the singing duo Amanat Ali-Fateh Ali, who enjoyed immense prestige and success in Pakistan as well as India
, until the demise of Amanat Ali Khan
(1932–1974).
Amanat Ali - Fateh Ali became celebrities while still in their childhood in undivided India, and achieved their highest official recognition in 1969, when the President of Pakistan conferred on them the Pride of Performance Medal
. The “Bade” (elder) prefix got attached to Fateh Ali’s name after younger Pakistani musicians with similar names started making waves with an entirely different genre of music.
The two brothers as a duo had neatly dividing their singing by specialisation. Amanat Ali Khan had a gifted voice and he embellished his singing in broad sweeps by lagao, and blossoming out in the upper register while Fateh Ali engaged in intricacies of the countless behlawas and complex taans, in a much lower and gravelly voice, respectively drawing inspiration from two elders of their gharana, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan.
Fateh Ali was urged to restart his performing career, but would break into tears when first beginning to sing. Fateh Ali Khan eventually overcame this emtional block, and started singing as a duo with his younger brother Hamid Ali Khan, as well his nephews, Asad Amanat Ali Khan
(1952–2007) or Amjad Amanat Ali Khan who are both sons of his late brother Amanat Ali Khan. The absence of Amanat Ali made Fateh Ali redevelop and re-align his singing style. He had to fill the void left by Amanat Ali in the middle of his career, which was not an easy thing to do. The void was only partly filled by Hamid, Amjad Amanat and Asad Amanat Ali Khan
, as these three have occupied a relatively junior role in comparison with the almost equal footing that Amanat Ali and Fateh Ali fulfilled as a duo.
Though trained also in the mediaeval Dhrupad
genre, the uncle-nephew duo restricts its repertoire to the modern mainstream genre, Khayal, and the romanticist genres, Thumri
s, Dadra
, and Ghazal
. The pair has, since their alliance, performed widely in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and South Asia, and released several recordings. One highly unusual CD released in 1992 on the ECM label is entitled Ragas and Sagas
, which is a collaboration with Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek
. Fateh Ali has performed all over the world and has many students internationally. One of his favorite students was Deeyah
from Norway. She is originally half Afghan and half Pakistani. She was born in Norway. And now she is in USA.
In the latter half of the 20th century, the Patiala style of Khayal vocalism has been represented by two streams of the gharana. One stream, gave the music world the Amanat Ali and Fateh Ali duo. The other stream, through its training of Kasur gharana vocalists, produced Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1903–1968), his brother Barkat Ali Khan (1907–1963), and the former’s son, Munawar Ali Khan (1933–1989). With the stylistic distinctiveness and continuity of Khayal gharanas having fallen prey to socio-cultural changes on both sides of the India-Pakistan border, Fateh Ali Khan is the last of the thoroughbred Patiala vocalists.
Bade Fateh Ali Khan (Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
: استاد بڑے فتح علی خان (born 1935) is amongst the foremost Khyal
Khyal
Khyal is the modern genre of classical singing in North India. Its name comes from an Arabic word meaning "imagination". It is thought to have developed out of the qawwali singing style. It appeared more recently than dhrupad, is a more free and flexible form, and it provides greater scope for...
vocalists alive today in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, and the last significant exponent of the Patiala Gharana
Patiala Gharana
The Patiala gharana is one of the most prominent gharanas of vocal Hindustani classical music. It was initially sponsored by the Maharaja of Patiala, Punjab, which was famous for ghazal, thumri, and khyal.-History:...
(stylistic lineage). He is the younger of the singing duo Amanat Ali-Fateh Ali, who enjoyed immense prestige and success in Pakistan as well as India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, until the demise of Amanat Ali Khan
Amanat Ali Khan
Ustad Amanat Ali Khan was a Pakistani classical/ghazal singer, from the Patiala gharana. He was honoured with the 'Pride of Performance' award by the government of Pakistan...
(1932–1974).
Early life
Fateh Ali and his late brother were trained by their father, Akhtar Hussain Khan, a distinguished vocalist in the patronage of the princely state of Patiala in colonial, undivided India. Their grandfather, Ali Baksh Jarnail, also served the same court, and was a cofounder of the Patiala gharana. The prodigious talent of Amanat Ali- Fateh Ali received early encouragement at the Patiala court.Career
They had a glorious debut in 1945 at Lahore, sponsored by the influential connoisseur, Pandit Jeevanlal Mattoo Their breakthrough came at the All-Bengal Music Conference in Calcutta in 1949, when Amanat Ali was 17, and Fateh Ali was 14, after which they never looked back.Amanat Ali - Fateh Ali became celebrities while still in their childhood in undivided India, and achieved their highest official recognition in 1969, when the President of Pakistan conferred on them the Pride of Performance Medal
Pride of Performance
Pride of Performance , is one of the highest civil award given and conferred by the Pakistan Government to Pakistan's citizens in recognition of distinguished merit in the fields of Literature, Arts, Sports, Medicines, and Science for civilians in most particular cases.The announcement of civil...
. The “Bade” (elder) prefix got attached to Fateh Ali’s name after younger Pakistani musicians with similar names started making waves with an entirely different genre of music.
After partition
Life changed dramatically for the budding stars when India was partitioned in 1947, and the family opted to migrate to Pakistan. Overcoming destitution in their new home, the duo swung back, while still in their teens, to earn their rightful place amongst the foremost vocalists of the subcontinent. Fateh Ali was dealt a devastating blow with the demise of his brother Amanat Ali in 1974. Fateh Ali is reported to have suffered a deep depression for over a year and a half, following which he joined Radio Pakistan as a supervisor.The two brothers as a duo had neatly dividing their singing by specialisation. Amanat Ali Khan had a gifted voice and he embellished his singing in broad sweeps by lagao, and blossoming out in the upper register while Fateh Ali engaged in intricacies of the countless behlawas and complex taans, in a much lower and gravelly voice, respectively drawing inspiration from two elders of their gharana, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan.
Fateh Ali was urged to restart his performing career, but would break into tears when first beginning to sing. Fateh Ali Khan eventually overcame this emtional block, and started singing as a duo with his younger brother Hamid Ali Khan, as well his nephews, Asad Amanat Ali Khan
Asad Amanat Ali Khan
Asad Amanat Ali Khan was a popular classical, semi-classical and ghazal singer from Pakistan. Hailing from famous Patiala Gharana, Asad was son of famous musician Ustad Amanat Ali Khan. Asad Amanat Ali Khan died relatively young of heart attack on April 8, 2007 in London.-Early life and...
(1952–2007) or Amjad Amanat Ali Khan who are both sons of his late brother Amanat Ali Khan. The absence of Amanat Ali made Fateh Ali redevelop and re-align his singing style. He had to fill the void left by Amanat Ali in the middle of his career, which was not an easy thing to do. The void was only partly filled by Hamid, Amjad Amanat and Asad Amanat Ali Khan
Asad Amanat Ali Khan
Asad Amanat Ali Khan was a popular classical, semi-classical and ghazal singer from Pakistan. Hailing from famous Patiala Gharana, Asad was son of famous musician Ustad Amanat Ali Khan. Asad Amanat Ali Khan died relatively young of heart attack on April 8, 2007 in London.-Early life and...
, as these three have occupied a relatively junior role in comparison with the almost equal footing that Amanat Ali and Fateh Ali fulfilled as a duo.
Though trained also in the mediaeval Dhrupad
Dhrupad
Dhrupad is a vocal genre in Hindustani classical music, said to be the oldest still in use in that musical tradition. Its name is derived from the words "dhruva" and "pada"...
genre, the uncle-nephew duo restricts its repertoire to the modern mainstream genre, Khayal, and the romanticist genres, Thumri
Thumri
Thumri is a common genre of semi-classical Indian music.The text is romantic or devotional in nature, and usually revolves around a girl's love for Krishna. The lyrics are usually in Uttar Pradesh dialects of Hindi called Poorbi and Brij Bhasha...
s, Dadra
Dadra
Dadra refers to two separate but originally linked concepts in Hindustani classical music.-Dadra tala:This is a Hindustani classical tala , consisting of six beats in two equal divisions of three. The most commonly accepted theka or basic pattern for this tala is dha dhi na, dha tu na...
, and Ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
. The pair has, since their alliance, performed widely in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and South Asia, and released several recordings. One highly unusual CD released in 1992 on the ECM label is entitled Ragas and Sagas
Ragas and Sagas
Ragas and Sagas is an album by Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek, featuring Ustad Fateh Ali Khan and musicians from Pakistan released on the ECM label in 1992.-Reception:The Allmusic review by Mark W. B...
, which is a collaboration with Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek
Jan Garbarek
Jan Garbarek is a Norwegian tenor and soprano saxophonist, active in the jazz, classical, and world music genres. Garbarek was born in Mysen, Norway, the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war Czesław Garbarek and a Norwegian farmer's daughter...
. Fateh Ali has performed all over the world and has many students internationally. One of his favorite students was Deeyah
Deeyah
Deeyah , born August 7, 1977 in Oslo, Norway, is a Norwegian singer,music producer, composer, film maker and human rights activist of Punjabi/Pashtun descent. She adopted the name Deeyah in 2002...
from Norway. She is originally half Afghan and half Pakistani. She was born in Norway. And now she is in USA.
In the latter half of the 20th century, the Patiala style of Khayal vocalism has been represented by two streams of the gharana. One stream, gave the music world the Amanat Ali and Fateh Ali duo. The other stream, through its training of Kasur gharana vocalists, produced Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1903–1968), his brother Barkat Ali Khan (1907–1963), and the former’s son, Munawar Ali Khan (1933–1989). With the stylistic distinctiveness and continuity of Khayal gharanas having fallen prey to socio-cultural changes on both sides of the India-Pakistan border, Fateh Ali Khan is the last of the thoroughbred Patiala vocalists.