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Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan (1952-2003) was a Pakistani musician. He is the younger brother of legendary singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He was considered one of the best harmonium players. Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan passed away on 7 September 2003 and was buried in Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Wiki/Biography
Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan was born on Thursday, 25 December 1952 (age 50 years; at the time of death) in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad), Punjab, Pakistan. He grew up in a household full of trained classical musicians.
Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan (left) with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 7″
Hair Colour: Natural Black
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Family
Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan was born into a Muslim family.
Parents & Siblings
Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan’s father, Fateh Ali Khan, was a classical singer and qawwali musician. He has four elder sisters and a brother, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (deceased), who was a legendary singer.
Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan with his brother, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (left)
Wife & Children
There is no information about Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan’s wife. His son, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, is a famous Pakistani singer.
Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan with his son, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan (right)
Other Relatives
Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan’s uncles Mubarak Ali Khan and Salamat Ali Khan were famous qawwali singers.
Religion
Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan followed Islam.
Career
Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan started his career as a lead harmonium player while his brother Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was the lead singer, in their family qawwali party after the death of their father, Fateh Ali Khan. He accompanied Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan during live performances organized worldwide. Along with the harmonium, Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan was also the lead vocalist of the party. He performed in many countries like USA, England, India, and Japan. He recorded many projects for films and albums with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan at a recording session
Death
Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan passed away on 7 September 2003 at the age of 50. His resting place is situated at Jhang Road Cemetary in Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Facts/Trivia
- Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan was known as “Harmonium Raja Sahib” (King of Harmonium).
- Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan made his Bollywood debut with his son Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, in the movie ‘Paap’ (2003), in which he worked on 2 songs, ‘Laal Alaap,’ and ‘Laal Alaap Sufi’. They were released after his death.
- Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan was known for improvising Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s live performances with his famous Alaap (the opening section of classical performance).
- Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan was also considered the master of tune transitions.
- Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan composed the majority of qawwali tunes sung live by the Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s party.
- Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan carried forward the singing legacy after Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s death with his son Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.
- Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan inherited the 600-year-old family tradition of qawwali. He was part of ‘Qawwal Bachon ka Gharana (The house of Qawwal Children),’ a group of 12 children, which was reportedly formed by Amir Khusro in the 13th century.
- Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan’s forefathers used to live in Ghazni in Afghanistan. During the era of Mahmud of Ghazni, they migrated to India with the saint Sheikh Darwesh. In India, his ancestors settled in Basti Sheikh in Jalandhar and learned music and singing there.
- Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan’s forefathers mentored the great masters of classical music, including Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Salamat Ali Khan, Nazakat Ali Khan, and Sadiq Ali Khan.
- Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan, along with his brother, performed qawwalis in various shrines of Pakistan, including Taunsa Sharif, Chishtian Sharif, Kalyam Sharif, and Data Shahib.
- Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan performed at various international events such as ‘World of Music, Arts, and Dance (WOMAD)’ in London in 1985, ‘5th Asian Traditional Performing Art Festival’ in Japan, and ‘Brooklyn Academy of Music,’ New York in 1989.