User talk:Aafi Ayyub

user talk:Aafi Ayyub

Qawwal Ustad Salamat Ali Khan "Bakhshi Salamat"

Following the demise of the great Ustad Bukshi Salamat Qawwal, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali khan and finaly BJS, Bakhshi Javed Salamat Qawwal the world turns to Doa'ba, land between two rivers, for another great Qawwal. That source of a riveting experience involving the undiscovered soul of man never lets us down. Punjab, land of rivers, as always, has a new moving and dolorous voice, a tradition that never falters: Qawwali lives. Ustad Salamat Ali Khan (Bakshi Salamat Ali Kahn Qawwal), the father of Javaid Salamat and his seven brothers, was born in Khairay, the Punjabi town of Jallundhar, in 1929. The eminent scion of all time great Roray Ali Khan Qawwal, he represents a notable lineage of Qawwali musicians and is regarded by many to have been the greatest human voice for generations. While still young Salamat become a spiritual disciple of Sufi Syed Muhammad Yusuf Shah Qadri-Chishti and devoted himself to Qawwali carrying the banner of Sufism following the death of his father. He was hailed as one of Pakistan’s most celebrated Qawwal/musicians. Salamat Ali khan's father was a famous vocalist, instrumentalist and Qawwal who was a son of Wazir Ali, a Paish Immam of the Khaira's Muslim mosque with Sufi bent of mind. Ustad Rorhay Ali Khan used to perform Qawwali with the Dilruba, a Persian string instrument, and was a Qawwal of his own style. Ustad Salamat Ali Khan received his early education in Khaira's primary school. After passing the intermediate class examination, he joined Qawwali music to follow his genetic roots. Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, known as Bakhshi Salamat, was the third child of Ustad Rorhay Ali Khan. Ustad Salamat Ali Khan's family, which included two older brothers, Bakhshi Khan and Mubarik Ali Khan, grew up in Jalandher's village.

At the age of seven, he learned Muslim classical music and vocals from his elder brother Bakhshi Khan, who was also a Qawwali singer of repute and, after his initial studies, he picked up some important lessons in Qawwali from his cousin Ustad Karam Deen Khan Dupai Walay, Ustad Salamat Ali was mostly self taught in the style of his cousin Ustad karam Din Khan. This tenure lasted for almost 10 years when he practised for nearly three hours each morning before traveling to school in the next village and each evening after returning home. It was at this juncture that he improvised the "Gira and Boal Bant" to the existing vocal which became his trademark. When aged about 18, he moved to Multan, Pakistan where he became student of a courtier named Ustad Wali Muhammad Khan Kapoor Thala Walay. He continued his music training with the incomparable Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.

Qawwal Ustad Salamat Ali Khan is famously known as the 'voice of love and peace'. He has ruled the Pakistan Qawwali field along with his elder brother Ustad Bakhshi Khan, Ustad Mubarik Ali Khan and his very favorite student Sadiq Ali Khan Sado. He claims to be the 3rd generation of hereditary Qawwals. Ustad Salamat Ali Khan had his musical grooming from his own Khaira Gharana. The life story of Qawwal Ustad Salamat Ali Khan is a journey of trials and tribulations. After partition the family migrated to Multan, Pakistan he suffered severe financial hardships. To make ends meet Ustad Salamat Ali Khan started working as a Desi Ghee (butter oil) seller. Despite the hardships, his passion for music didn’t wither and he kept up the routine of musical practice on a full time basis. The struggle ended when he was given the opportunity by Ayyub Roomani and Shakoor Baidil to sing on Radio Pakistan during 1958, primarily as B-grade singer, which earned him recognition within the musical fraternity. At the time, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Mubarik Ali Khan, Muhammad Ali Faidi, Rasheed Fridi, Hafiz Atta Muhammad were considered the stalwarts of Qawwali gayaki. It is widely considered that the era of the 1950s and 80s was the golden age of radio broadcasting in the Pakistan. It was during this period that a rich and mellifluous Qawwali voice of Ustad Salamat Ali khan Qawwal captured the hearts of all the listeners through broadcasts on Radio Pakistan. The melodic renditions of classical and traditional Qawwali performed in a cultivated and cultured manner were its attributes and created a storm amongst the masses, musical connoisseurs and erudite musicians. Almost half a century has gone by and yet the voice of Qawwal Ustad Salamat Ali Khan never fails to captivate, he is indeed the unparalleled master of Qawwali.

Renowned Qawwali maestro Ustad Bakhshi Salamat Qawwal was very passionate about Urdu, Percian, Punjabi, Hindi and Sraiki poetry. He cites all the Sufi poets as additional influences in his progression as a Qawwali singer.

The evolution of the qawwali is a momentous one initially written in Persian. It can trace its origins in India during the advent of the Muslim rule during the 12th century. Hazrat Amir Khusrau (1253-1324), the eminent poet, scholar, statesman and musicologist is credited with many masterpieces of Persian, Hindi and Urdu poetry and can be termed as a major propagator of the Qawwali. The pinnacle of the Qawwali can be said to have been between the 18th and 19th centuries when this Sufi music became the preferred medium of music and Sufi culture throughout India, poets such as Sauda, Mir Taqi Mir, Zauq, Mirza Ghalib, Iqbal, Khawja Ghula Fried, Shah Hussain and Baba Bulleh Shah penned Hamd, Naat, Manqabat, Ghazal and Kaffi which are considered as hallmarks of Sufi poetry. Gradually, during the course of time, Qawwali started to be expressed through melody and Qawwali musicians started to use them as part of their repertoire. Ustad Moula Bakhsh, Ustad Rorhay Ali Khan, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Ustad Din Muhammad Dina,Munshi razi-ud-din, Ustad Karam Din Khan and Ustad Bakhshi Salamat were the early pioneers who built a reputation in the field and set the initial groundwork of Qawwali. Later, Qawwals of this caliber established themselves as major exponents of Qawwali Gayaki. However, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and BJS, Bakhshi Javed Salamat have added a further dimension to this art form.By Ayyub Aafi

PTV and Radio Pakistan gave him ample opportunities to display his mastery over the Qawwali on radio. He sang Qawwali of all the renowned Urdu, Percian, Punjabi and Saraiki poets and soon their innovative style was appreciated by both the masses and discerning audiences.

The most important aspect of the Qawwali is its poetic theme. Themes of most Qawwali verse revolve around unrequited love. They can also be about mysticism, rebellion, yearning and pathos. It is vital that the Qawwali singer has a clear perception of what message the poet is trying to convey. The musician (Songster) faces a further challenge in trying to emphasize the correct emotion of the mode through Rythm and clapping. Traditionally, Qawwalis were sung in a choral manner and were also composed in raags which were best suited for verse such as Aasa, Balawal, Bhairvin, Khamaj, Tilak Kamod, Dese and Piloon. This somewhat constrained the Qawwali composition within a small framework and there was not much room to experiment. However Ustad Bakhshi Salamat Qawwal was one of the pioneering Qawwali Gayaki by capturing the mood of the Qawwali through their compositions. He was a master composer and uses raags which best suit the Qawwali’s appeal regardless of whether the raag is khayal or thumri orientated. Most of their compositions are based around the correct Qawwali structure of a raag and keep the vaadi and samvaadi of the raag in strict consideration. Ustad Salamat Ali Khan's popularity resulted in his becoming one of the most popular Qawwals of the Pakistani Qawwali industry from the early 1950s to the late 1980s. Many of his Radio items have become classics.

Bazm-e-kounain Sajanay kay liay aap aa ay

Dil ko mayray taskheer kiya oss arabi nein

Ye piam day gai hai mujhau baade sunho gahee

Rooh baitaab hai

Yasrib ki zamein Allh Allah

Ay mayray watan teri fiza kiyni bhali hai

Sanon aan bachouni aandi ay

Ghoghat chouk o sajna

ayray mein ishq nein nachaya

Arzo sama kahaan teri wosaat ko paa sakay

Ishq dee navon navie bahaar

Mayra ay charkha noun lakha korhay

Qawwal Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, Mubarik Ali Khan and Sadiq Ali Sado Khan’s gayaki incorporates the subtle elements of both Qoul, Kalbana Dhrupad, Khayal, traditonal and folk music. They very carefully embellish Qawwali by using behlawas, murkhis, Palta, taans and zamzamas. Further grace is given by touches of Doaba folk singing. Another important feature of Bakhshi Salamat Qawwal's style is the importance of correct pronunciation, delivery of words are of utmost importance and they never compromise the true expression of a word regardless of the constraints put forward by the musical composition. The mutual bond between melody and the lyrical content is responsible for making the art of Ustad Salamat Ali Khan Qawwal so appealing. In addition he has raised the profile of Qawwali gayaki which was previously considered a taboo amongst classical exponents and reformed it into a major melodic genre which sits on an equal footing with classical. His influence was such that some leading classical vocalists of that era took to Qawwali singing.

One also has to give credit to Party members associated with Bakhshi Salamat and especially Sadiq Ali Sadoone of his most favorite Shagird who devoted his life for his Ustad to adorn. Leading singers such as Ustad Mubarik Ali Khan, Sadiq Ali Sado, Bakhshi Khan and Muhammad Azam Bakhshi are additional contributers to his success. Despite dieing at an early age, Qawwal Ustad Salamat Ali Khan still reigns as the undisputed master of the Qawwali. He has left such an indelible mark in the field of Qawwali gayaki that almost all the qawwali singers of today are influenced by him. Salamat Ali Khan has also been instrumental in training the next generation of Qawwals. His sons Javed Salamat, Nadeem Salamat, Masood Salamat, Ayyub Salamat, Sohail Salamat And Khaushnood Salamat and his world renowned students, Sadiq Ali Sado Sher Ali, Meher Ali Qawwal, Akhtar Sharif Qawwal, Rahat Salamat, Inaam Qawwal, Arshad Warsi Qawwal and many others are following in their father and Ustad’s footsteps and trying to carve a career as Qawwali singers with the name of Bakhshi Javed Salamat Qawwal, other prominent disciples include Sabir Sardaar among many others.

The government of Pakistan has never awarded Salamat Ali Khan the pride of performance as a recognition of services rendered to music but he is awarded a life achievement award by the music lovers of Pakistan and abroad. As with a stature of a person like Qawwal Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, many of his recordings have been released by Oriental Stars UK, EMI Pakistan and Rehmat Gramaphone, Pakistan, toured worldwide on an extensive basis and performed in the renowned concert halls of Singapore and Malaysia.

Bakhshi Salamat
I have removed your entry of this qawwal in the Qawwali page, again. You may be correct that he is a notable person who should be listed there, but you must provide independent evidence of this. Please review WP:RS for policy of this. A good way to get there may be to write an independent article about him first, that has reliable, third party references. Thanks. Imc (talk) 12:46, 24 July 2011 (UTC)