MUMBAI: Pakistan based singer Rustam Fateh Ali Khan, who recently released Meri Dharkan with Indian record label Worldwide Records, is set to tour India soon.
Though details and dates are not yet known, about 100 shows are being planned, Rustam said.
The classical singer who has spent 18 years performing pure classical music will be touring as a part of the ‘Rustam Fateh Ali Khan’ band in a complete makeover.
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“So far I have only performed pure classical music, but now I will be experimenting with fusion,” he says. The singer also hopes to sing for bollywood soon.
Rustam Fateh Ali Khan belongs to the patiala gharana – one of the most prominent gharanas of vocal Hindustani classical music. It was initially sponsored by the Maharaja of Patiala, Punjab, which was famous for ghazal, thumri, and khayal.
“Our style is different from other gharana’s – we concentrate on notes, feelings, and expressions and we have differnt styles of taking rhythms with it,” he says.
Though touring by Pakistan based musicians in India have become rare, one of the successful names would be of Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan, his cousin brother, who toured to promote Tabeer – a music album released under Music Today a year back.
However, the tour that he planned for his subsequent album ‘Kyun Dooriyan’ never took off due to reasons unknown.
For musicians back in Pakistan, it’s a tough time considering the unhealthy political situation that has affected music and performances. And perhaps, that is one of the reason why Pakistan based musicians look towards India for audience and building a fan base.
Rustam Fateh Ali Khan agrees, “India is a good market, but more than that, Indian’s know how to appreciate music.”
Interestingly, when the musicians back in Pakistan are not performing, they are busy making albums and trying to sell it to Indian labels – as they get a wider base. At present, the only cities with some active music scene in Pakistan are Lahore and Karachi.
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