PAKISTAN Salamat and Nazakat Ali Khan – Rag Megh/ Rag Bairagi-Bhairav – Hannibal Records – HNBL 1332

PAKISTAN

Salamat and Nazakat Ali Khan – Rag Megh/ Rag Bairagi-Bhairav – Hannibal Records – HNBL 1332, recorded 1970, released 1988 (LP)

We now present a second album of the Sham Chaurasi Gharana vocalists, brothers Nazakat Ali Khan (1932-1983) and Salamat Ali Khan (1934-2001) from Punjab, whose family settled in Lahore, Pakistan, after the partition of British India in 1947. The two brothers were taught by their father Vilayat Ali Khan in both the Dhrupad and Khyal styles and were influenced by the great Khyal masters, Ashiq Ali Khan (?-1948), Rajab Ali Khan (1874-1959), and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1902-1968). The brothers began performing in a Jugalbandi duo in Pakistan and India in the mid-1940s and quickly distinguished themselves as two of the most outstanding Hindustani Khyal vocalists on the Subcontinent. 

 

According to the music critic Amit Chaudhuri, “Nazakat’s role has to do with laying the groundwork and then cultivating increasing self-effacement to make possible Salamat’s miraculous phrases. (…) Salamat is, in a fundamental sense, an improviser. (…) He couldn’t do this without the older brother.”*  

 

This 1970 album features the brothers’ exquisite telepathic lyricism and Salamat’s rapturous flights and adventurous creativity. They are accompanied here by Ghulam Mohammed (1910-1974) on the bowed sarangi and Shaukat Hussain Khan (1930-1996) on tabla.

 

Nous présentons maintenant une deuxième album des frêres chanteurs Pendjabi du Sham Chaurasi Gharana, Nazakat Ali Khan (1932-1983) et Salamat Ali Khan (1934-2001), dont la famille s'installe à Lahore, au Pakistan, après la partition de l'Inde britannique en 1947. Les deux frères étudient le chant Dhrupad et Khyal auprès de leur illustre père Vilayat Ali Khan et furent influencés par des grands maîtres du Khyal comme Ashiq Ali Khan (? -1948), Rajab Ali Khan (1874-1959) et Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (1902-1968). Ils se produisent sur scène en duo Jugalbandi au Pakistan et en Inde dès le milieu des années 1940 et s'imposent vite comme des chanteurs incontournables du Khyal dans la seconde moitié du 20e siècle. 

 

Selon le critique musical Amit Chaudhuri, « le rôle de Nazakat consiste à jeter les bases, puis cultiver un effacement progressif de sa personne afin de permettre à Salamat d’exprimer son phrasé miraculeux. (…) Salamat est, au plus profonds de lui-même, un improvisateur. (…) Il ne peut le réaliser pleinement sans son frère aîné. »*

 

Cet album illustre le magnifique lyrisme télépathique des deux frères, ainsi que les envolées créatives et exaltées de Salamat. Ils sont accompagnés ici par Ghulam Mohammed (1910-1974) à la vièle à archet sarangi et Shaukat Hussain Khan (1930-1996) aux tablas.

*https://scroll.in/article/962117/recordings-by-vocalist-salamat-ali-khan-remind-us-how-precise-and-beautiful-the-unimaginable-can-be

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Many thanks to João for sharing this inspiring gem!

Our other Hindustani vocal Jugalbandi duo posts:

Nazakat & Salamat Ali Khan – HMV – 7 EPE 1356 here

Hirabai Barodekar and Saraswati Rane – Raag Chandra Kauns, Raag Basant Bahar – ECLP 2356 here

Dagar Brothers – Nassir Zahiruddin Dagar & Nassir Faiyazuddin Dagar – EALP 1334 here

The photograph below is from The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Open Access initiative, which gives access to more than 400,000 images of public-domain artworks from The Met collection available for free and unrestricted use (www.metmuseum.org):

Rosette Bearing the Names and Titles of Shah Jahan", Folio from the Shah Jahan Album, aka the Emporers Album, c. 1645:

"A 'shamsa' (literally, sun) traditionally opened imperial Mughal albums. Worked in bright colors and several tones of gold, the meticulously designed and painted arabesques are enriched by fantastic flowers, birds, and animals. The inscription in the center in the 'tughra' (handsign) style reads: "His Majesty Shihabuddin Muhammad Shahjahan, the King, Warrior of the Faith, may God perpetuate his kingdom and sovereignty."

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