Shafqat Amanat Ali

For other people with the same name, see Amanat Ali (disambiguation).

Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan
PP
شفقت امانت علی خان
Ali at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, March 2023
Born (1965-02-26) 26 February 1965 (age 59)
Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Alma materGovernment College University, Lahore
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • composer
Years active2000–present
FatherAmanat Ali Khan
Relatives
FamilyPatiala Gharana
Awards
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Labels
Formerly ofFuzön
Websitebeacons.ai/shafqatamanatali

Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan PP (Urdu: شفقت امانت علی خان; pronounced [ˈʃəfkət əˈmaːnət əˈliː xaːn]; born 26 February 1965) is a Pakistani pop and classical singer, songwriter, and composer belonging to the Patiala Gharana tradition of music.[1][2] He was the lead vocalist of the Pakistani pop rock band Fuzön until 2006[3][4] and is a prominent playback singer in the Indian film industry and Pakistani television industry.[5][6][7][8] The youngest son of noted classical vocalist Ustad Amanat Ali Khan,[9][10] 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.[11]

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 film 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 film 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,[12][13] making him the sixth person in his family to receive the honour.[14][15] 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.[16][17] On 21 March 2023, Ali was given the Lifetime Achievement Honour by his alma mater, Government College University, Lahore.[18][19][20] According to data released by Spotify in 2022 and 2023, Ali is among the most streamed Pakistani artistes in the world.[21][22][23][24] On 27 January 2024, Ali was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi.[25]

  1. ^ "Asad Amanat Ali: the prince charming of Patiala Gharana". The Express Tribune. 8 April 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Classical singer Ustad Fateh Ali Khan passes away". India Today. Asian News International. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  3. ^ "I didn't get my due". The Times of India. 6 March 2010. Archived from the original on 9 July 2012.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :51 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Dhingra, Deepali (21 March 2015). "Shafqat Amanat Ali rocks the music world". mid-day.com. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  6. ^ ""Bollywood is Bollywood"; Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan". Mumbai Mirror. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Momina Mustehsan & Bilal Saeed's 'Baari' listed as the top most searched song in 2020". magtheweekly.com. 2 January 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  8. ^ "10 Best Pakistani Singers of All Time". www.news18.com. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  9. ^ Salman, Peerzada (5 January 2017). "Patiala Gharana loses another famous son". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  10. ^ Talwar, Ruchika (20 November 2011). "Dildaara from Beyond the Border - Indian Express". archive.indianexpress.com. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Remembering Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Patriarch of the Patiala Gharana". The Wire. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  12. ^ "President confers awards on outstanding individuals". dawn.com. 24 March 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  13. ^ "137 Pakistanis, 17 foreigners get civil awards". dawn.com. 15 August 2007. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  14. ^ Chandel, Amar (27 February 2009). "Wah Ustad!". tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Raga & Rocks: Fuzon's Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan on Music & More". Bollywood Hungama. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  16. ^ "Sports anchor Zainab Abbas's name included in the list of 100 most influential personalities? Pakistanis raised their heads with pride". World News DNA. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  17. ^ "A.R. Rahman named the most influential person in Asia, Shruti Haasan also honored". The New York Press News Agency. 17 July 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  18. ^ "GCU Announces Lifetime Achievement Award For 10 Alumni". www.gcu.edu.pk. 14 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  19. ^ "GCU Lifetime Award for singer Shafqat Amanat". www.thenews.com.pk. 24 March 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  20. ^ "GCU confers Lifetime Achievement Award on Shafqat Amanat Ali". Daily Times. 25 March 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  21. ^ "Atif is Spotify's most streamed Pakistani artist internationally". The Express Tribune. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  22. ^ "Atif Aslam becomes most-streamed Pakistani singer on Spotify". The Upcut. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  23. ^ Nasir, Zainab (25 February 2022). "Atif Aslam becomes most streamed Pakistani artist internationally". Daily Jang. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  24. ^ "Spotify Celebrates Its 2nd Anniversary In Pakistan By Revealing Insights!". Fuchsia. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  25. ^ "Highlights of the first day of 1st Alumni Festival 2024". www.facebook.com. 27 January 2024. Retrieved 29 January 2024.