Remembering our Legends - Amanat Ali-Fateh Ali's enduring contributions to classical music

While remembering our legendary vocalists one cannot overlook the contributions to our melodic culture made by the late Ustad Amanat Ali Khan and his living brother Ustad Fateh Ali Khan since the inception of Pakistan.
The Patiala gharana of Kheyal singers is considered the most vibrant among professional clans of musicians because of its sparkling singing style, the method of voice production and the invigorating patterns of taans (flights). The duo of Amanat Ali-Fateh Ali started its career in 1945 by participating in music programmes of the then Lahore Station of All India Radio and ever since continued to win kudos from votaries of classical music in the sub-continent until the senior partner Ustad Amanat Ali Khan died in 1974. His versatility in practicing almost all genres of classical and light classic varieties was recognised and appreciated widely.
Sons of classical vocalist Uastad Akhter Husain Khan, the duo of Amanat Ali Khan-Fateh Ali Khan migrated to Pakistan in September 1947 from the Sikh princely state of Patiala in East Punjab to continue with their ancestral profession in Lahore. This family is the descendent of Jarnail Ali Bakhsh (d.1925), the co-founder of Patiala gharana of kheyal singers, which has produced a number of musical heavyweights in the past.
Late Ustad Amanat Ali Khan possessed a mellifluous voice, which he skillfully employed for vocalising light genres of music such as thumri, dadra and melodic ghazal. He was equally popular among votaries of classical music and uninitiated music buffs. His individualistic ghazal singing style and a number of patriotic songs he recorded during the wars of 1965 and 1971 continue to inspire large number of Pakistanis within the country and abroad.
Like other musicians, the family of Ustad Akhter Husain Khan also faced hardships in Pakistan during its formative years. But they persisted with their practice and was their perseverance and patience that won them recognition at the first 'All Pakistan Music' held in Lahore in 1960. Appreciating their remarkable talent, the government of Pakistan bestowed upon them the highest civil award, the 'Pride of Performance' medal in 1966. They were also selected by the government to represent Pakistan at several international events held in different countries from time to time in the past.
The rendition of kheyal compositions by the Amanat Ali Khan-Fateh Ali Khan duo glowed with distinct features of the Patiala style of classical vocalisation. Their manner of voice production, presentation of alap (systematic delineation of a raga theme) and the style of taking taans (flights) were true specimens of the invigorating gaiyki of their illustrious gharana. Master musicians, the duo of singing brothers were primarily kheyal singers, but also excelled in the rendition of thumris, dadras and ghazals (especially by Ustad Amanat Ali Khan) with equal facility and aplomb.
One of the striking features of the Patiala gharana style of kheyal singing is the bole-taans, which figure prominently in their compositions. Compared with other gharana styles, the poetic texts of musical compositions of this professional clan of musicians are more pronounced. Listeners can comprehend their song texts without much difficulty, whereas in other gharana compositions the asthai-antaras are not easily discernible. The followers of this gharana also don't allow their voices to suffer from the defects of their mentors. If the Ustad has a defect in his voice, the shagird (pupil) does not adopt it as a sacrosanct trait of his gharana.
Like other top ranking Pakistani musicians, this duo has also travelled abroad frequently, where they introduced and popularised Pakistani melodic culture to Western audiences.
Their contributions to the once opulent melodic culture of Pakistan are enduring.
After the death of Ustad Amanat Ali Khan the young partner in the duo, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan continued to practice and spread his melodic knowledge both within Pakistani and a large number of countries abroad.
He has also passed on his knowledge and performing skill to the male members of his family, who now figure in the forefront of entertainment scene in the country.