Ours is a family of musicians. For over eleven generations, we have been propagating classical music. Our family history dates back to the days of Great Mogul emperor Akbar and Tansen of the 14th century. Legend has it that brothers Mian Suraj Khan and Mian Chand Khan were contemporaries of Mian Tansen and sang regularly at the Mogul court. They were exceptionally gifted Dhrupad singers and passed on their skills to the next generations,” said Ustaad Shafqat Ali, the scion of the Sham Chaurasia Gharana. In conversation with City Express, he spoke at length about his legacy, Bollywood projects and his journey with music.
His family tree from the nineteenth century starts with Ustad Vilayath Ali khan who took a deviation from singing Dhrupad to the popular Khayal style. His grandfather was succeeded by brothers Ustad Nazakat Ali Khan and Ustad Salamat Ali khan (Shafqat Ali’s father). The brothers performed at the Harivallabh festival at Punjab in the year 1941 at the age of nine and seven respectively. Apparently, they were carried to the stage by the event organisers since they were too tiny to climb on their own. In the presence of stalwarts of different Gharanas including Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan of the Patiala Gharana, Pandit Omkarnath Thakur and a host of others; the brothers mesmerised the gathering of music lovers with the Taans Taranas and Layakari beyond their age, thereby redefining the legacy of Sham Chaurasia Gharana in the contemporary era.
Within a decade, the fame of these brothers spread across Asia and soon, they were invited to perform in all the major musical conferences. “They performed together for a couple of decades till they split in the year 1954. Later, my uncle passed away and it was left to my father Ustad Salamat Ali khan to carry forward the musical lineage. My nephews, brothers and I together represent the eleventh generation of musicians belonging to the Sham Chaurasia Gharana today,” said Ustad whose favourite raags are Ragesri, Khanada and Gurjari Todi.
His father passing away was a devastating moment for Ustad. Soon, he decided that music would be his life and through this universal language, he would explore the world and discover new styles. “My father passing away was a personal loss that nothing could replace except his music. I was very close to my father and I decided that my mission in life would be spreading the language of Sham Chaurasia Gharana to the world.”
According to him, the influence of Hindustani music in the Western world is growing exponentially these days. Thanks to sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar who introduced Hindustani music to the Western world in the fifties, a new genre of music was introduced to the world. “Classical music has its own soul. The musician is only a physical entity and the soul will find a new form to delight people, reach out to them and spread the message of love and peace forever. I am happy that the almighty has chosen my body for this journey as a messenger of peace,” signed off Ustad.