Salamat & Nazakat Ali Khan

In 1958 when Satyajit Ray was marshalling the music artists for his film Jalsaghar, among the vocalists he picked for the task to sing the khyal part of the film was a youthful Salamat Ali Khan. Created in 1934, Salamat Ali Khan (as was his sibling Nazakat Ali Khan) was created towards the music. He and his sibling were something unique. Performing for Salamat Ali Khan isn’t just an occupation. As he explained in Oct 1992, “It isn’t a matter of performing or not. It really is our responsibility. I was created of a family group of music, a musical family members. Our responsibility is definitely to sing. My sons Sharafat Ali, Shafqat Ali, Latafat Ali and Sakawat Ali will be the tenth generation. I am the ninth era.” Salamat Ali Khan’s stature is definitely unassailable: he continues to be among the finest performers of khyal.