Exchanging Notes

Back in India, Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan plans to open music academies in Mumbai and Karachi.

Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali

IT has been four and a half years since Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan visited India, but he insists that he never left the music scene in the country. “I have been recording, in fact I have recorded six songs in the last two months for Bollywood,” says the singer who is now back in India.

Nephew of late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat is planning to open music academies in Mumbai and Karachi. “We will be setting up Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Music academy. India is a land of classical music and the academy will be a place for the lovers of sufi and qawwali music,” says the 41-year-old. The project, he adds, is to take forward the legacy of his guru and mentor, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. “I was fortunate that I was trained by him right from childhood. He opened up my voice and developed my style. Unfortunately, children today are not able to get that kind of guidance, so we are trying to achieve that through such academies,” he adds.

The last time he was in India, he was interrogated for carrying excess cash. “I am happy that I have addressed pending legal matters with the relevant authority and am excited to return to my second home here,” says the Pakistani singer who has given playback for films such as Bajrangi Bhaijan, Bodyguard, Ishqiya, Dabanng and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhaniya.

Meanwhile, his latest album Back 2 Love is also topping the charts, with 50 million views on YouTube. “With techno, fusion and bass elements added to traditional music, Back 2 Love is a lovely experiment,” says the maestro. The track Zaroori Tha from the ten-track album is already a hit. His next album will be influenced by Punjabi music. “I have been singing for a lot of Punjabi films. It comes naturally to me because it’s my mother tongue. The next album I am working on will have a lot of soft Punjabi numbers, such as Main Tainu Samjhawan Ki,” adds Rahat, whose son Shahzmaan Khan will soon release his
debut single.

jaskiran.kapoor@expressindia.com

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