Singer, song writer and musician Ustad Rafaqat Ali Khan hails from a lineage of musicians. He is the 14th generation of Classical singers of this family renowned for Classical music. Rafaqat Ali Khan’s is the son of the singer Nazakat Ali Khan and nephew of Salamat Ali Khan of Sham Chaurasia gharana. He is also the cousin of Shafqat Ali Khan. Presently his young son Bakht Ali Khan too is coming up as a promising singer.
Ustad Rafaqat Ali Khan grew up surrounded by music. He says, “It’s not just a profession but a responsibility of our family to keep Classical music alive and spread it not just for entertainment but to create harmony and understanding in the world because Art has no boundaries and appeals to one and all.”
has a wide repertoire but is Mainly known for his Classical and Sufi songs. He is of the opinion that to sing songs which are based on Sufism the singer has to understand the lyrics and the philosophy of the Sufis. “Just by wearing many rings on ones fingers or wearing your hair long, one does not become a Sufi singer”, says Rafaqat Ali Khan. His own musical repertoire is quite wide. He gives due importance to lesser known shayars and tries to include songs for the younger generations in his albums.
So far Rafaqat Ali Khan has released more than 11 albums. One of his albums released in India in 2007 is titled Nishan-e-Rafaqat – Signs of friendship which includes a wide variety of songs.
Tune in to hear his mellifluous singing and scintillating conversation.
