Written by: Haroon Shuaib
Posted on: December 02, 2020 | 
| 中文
The Founders of the Patiala Gharana, Ustad Colonel Fateh Ali (Right) and Ustad General Ali Baksh Khan (Left)
For an art form such as Eastern Classical Music to survive the changing times, those who practice it must incorporate the rich history of its tradition with strict discipline and innovation, so as to bring it into the modern era. It is only after its practitioners master the rules that they are able to explore new dimensions, improvise, experiment, and disrupt. Perhaps in no other art form of subcontinent is this principle more noticeable than in vocal music, and undoubtedly no other Gharana (clan or school) of the vocal tradition has enjoyed this luxury to explore new dimensions than the Patiala Gharana.
Patiala was one of the smaller princely states of British India around 17th Century. Some of these smaller states had Walis (custodians), Maharajas (rulers), and Nawabs (barons) that patronized music. Gawaliar, Dehli, Kirana, Agra, Sham Chaurasi and of course, Patiala were some of the states that supported musicians and families of musicians through a formal association with the rulers.
The Extended Family Tree of the Patiala Gharana
According to Professor Shahbaz Ali, a musicologist and author of Sur Sansar (The World of Music), a comprehensive book on classical music of the Subcontinent, “Although the Patiala Gharana of singing had been in existence for generations, it gained prominence as a formal school of music with Ali Baksh Khan and Fateh Ali Khan. They first started learning music from Ali Baksh’s father, a scion of Patiala clan of music, and a remarkable songstress of her time, Gokhi Bai. It was Gokhi Bai who became a means for them to go to Dehli and come under the tutelage of Mian Qutub Baksh Tan Ras Khan, the court singer of the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.”
Armed with a unique style of vocals, the boys returned to Patiala in the late 19th Century and became closely associated with the Maharaja’s court. Their reputation for unique singing prowess soon spread across India, and singing as a duo added a distinct dimension to their ensemble. In fact, Ali Baksh Khan and Fateh Ali Khan’s performances had such a great impact that the Maharaja gave them the titles of Jurnail (General) and Kurnail (Colonel) respectively. Legend has it that when they would sing for a large gathering, the tin roofs of the pandals (the performance venues) would start reverberating with their vocals.
Ustad Amanat Ali Khan (Right) and Fateh Ali Khan (Left)
Explaining some of the prerequisites of a traditional gharana, Professor Shahbaz continued, “It must observe a certain inimitable and original style of singing for at least three generations to be considered a gharana. Its progenies must develop their own distinct Bandish (lyrical compositions), Taans (rapid melodic passages using only vowels) and Alap (improvised sections of ragas). Lastly, a gharana must also have students, whether the direct offspring of its own maestros or outsiders. Patiala Gharana had a unique style, in which the singers sang from the chest or diaphragm while others were singing with the head, nasal or throat voice. They had lyrical compositions that passed from generation to generation, and they not only passed the art from father to son, but also took on disciples from outside the family. Some of the most illustrious singers of the Indian Subcontinent, such as Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Mukhtar Begum, Farida Khannum, and Zahida Parveen, became part of Patiala Gharana by that extension.”
Ustad Akhtar Hussain Khan (Left) and Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan (Right)
After Ali Baksh Khan Jurnail and Fateh Ali Khan Kurnail, the baton for Patiala Gharana was passed on to Ustad Ali Baksh’s son, Ustad Akhtar Hussain Khan, who collaborated with Ustad Ashique Ali Khan. This family tradition of singing in pairs was carried on further by the sons of Ustad Akhtar, in the duo of Ustad Amanat Ali Khan and Fateh Ali Khan, who were vocalists par excellence in their own rights, but also continued to perform together on radio and television.
Ustad Hamid Ali Khan (Left) and Asad Amanat Ali Khan (Right)
“Our ancestors devised this method of singing in pairs, so that the next generation always sticks together. So, while both partners have a full range, in public performances one would take care of the Durat (fast tempo) while the other would take on Alap (improvised sections of ragas). There are thousands of ragas in music and it is important to have a wide range for every trained classical singer, but our gharana especially excels in Malkuns, Darbari, Adana, Des, Bhopali, and Multani of which some are sung in the morning, some in the evening and some at night,” explains Hamid Ali Khan, the youngest brother of Ustad Amanat Ali Khan and Fateh Ali Khan. Keeping with his family traditions, Hamid is an exponent of ghazal and classical singing. He paired with his nephew, the talented and handsome Asad Amanat Ali Khan, who unfortunately died at the age of 51 in 2007.
Asad’s youngest brother Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan, who rose to unprecedented fame after his debut as the lead vocalist of the Fuzon, a band that redefined Pakistan’s pop sound, reminisces, “Growing up, music was all around us day in and day out. Every male child would do regular practice, and every elder could correct us and guide us. The endless practice sessions seemed boring and tedious as a child. Each nuance had to be practiced again and again, till we could perfect it as per the standards of our elders. And they would then command us to practice some more. My grandmother was very particular about the regularity of our training sessions, and she made sure that we wouldn’t miss a class. You can imagine that for a child it was very distressing to hear other children playing in the streets while we were confined at home to practice our vocals most of the day. Today I am thankful that our elders made us go through that rigorous training – sometimes gently and at times with adequate reprimand. The practice had to be done sitting cross-legged on the floor and one’s legs would hurt. It was both emotionally and physically draining, but in hindsight this was a small price to pay for achieving perfection in our art.”
Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan
Shafqat was also the one who made the most consequential and successful attempt at innovating his family legacy, by fusing the classical vocal tradition with modern pop music. “It was important to carry the rich heritage of our forefathers, but we also must improvise to connect with the younger generation of listeners. When I sang ‘Aankon kay sagar’ (The Whirlpools of my Beloved’s Eyes), and it became an instant hit, my aunts, uncles, and elder brother were immensely supportive. With 'Mora Saaiyaan Mose Bole Na’ (My Beloved is not Talking to Me), set in raag Khamaj, I introduced the contemporary audience to a thumri (evocative love poetry) that my elders had been singing for generations. This is the beauty and timelessness of our classical music,” Shafqat reflects. Today, Shafqat’s son Sadaat Shafqat Amanat has also made his singing debut, and there is a great expectation from him.
“We are the custodians of a rich heritage, and we are proud of it. Ustad General Ali Baksh Khan told my father Ustad Akhtar, who was his only son, ‘Take a day to decide what you would like to choose: merely singing or having a knowledge of music, and I shall bless you.’ My father was always thankful that he chose knowledge of music, even at that tender age. If you have the knowledge of music, singing comes to you naturally and you shall never be out of tune,” recalls Hamid Ali Khan fondly. His three sons, Wali, Inam and Nayyab have formed a band called Raga Boyz, that continue to experiment and innovate classical music with modern orchestration.
The Raga Boys
Though trends have changed, and the quality of vocalists, musicians, and even listeners is not the same as before, the timeless and unique sound of Patiala Gharana remains distinctly identifiable. Their commitment to their craft as well as the deep bond they share with each other, has ensured that their musical traditions can carry on to the new age.
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