Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan

Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan (Urdu: فرخ فتح علی خان) (December 25, 1952 – September 9, 2003) was a Pakistani musician, who played the harmonium in Qawwali music. He was also a member of a well-known family of Qawwali musicians, the Qawwal Bacchon gharana (Delhi gharana), he was the younger brother of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the son of Fateh Ali Khan, the nephew of Mubarak Ali Khan, and the father of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

Biography

Following the death of Fateh Ali Khan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan became the leader of the family qawwali party from 1964 until his death in 1997. Farrukh studied music including the harmonium under the tutelage of Nusrat. Initially, Farrukh sporadically performed with Nusrat before becoming a permanent member of the qawwali party in 1971. Alongside Dildar Hussain, Farrukh was the only performer who remained a permanent member of the party from 1971 till Nusrat's death in 1997.

Farrukh played the lead harmonium, and provided accompanying vocals. His talent often went unrecognized due to playing in the shadow of the genius that was Nusrat. Farrukh had a wealth of musical knowledge and was a central figure in the group, with his incredible virtuosity on the harmonium and his brilliant contributions as the second or sometimes third vocalist. His talent to play the harmonium in all scales and his ability to switch a tune at a moment's notice are arguably the best in his profession. While accompanying Nusrat to England, he became widely known as Harmonium Raja Sahib (King of the Harmonium). Farrukh also often assisted Nusrat in composing the musical arrangements sung by the party.

Farrukh remained a member of the party when his son, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, took over the leadership of the party after Nusrat's death in 1997. Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan died on September 9, 2003.

Farrukh, Nusrat & Rahat

Both Farrukh and Rahat often accompanied Nusrat and were a part of his team. They carried forward Nusrat's legacy after his death in 1997. Farrukh and Rahat made their Bollywood debut together for the 2003 film Paap, which released a few months after Farrukh's death.