Music will always bind India and Pakistan, says Pakistani singer Shafqat Ali Khan

He feels Sufi music is both enduring and mollifying with the tunes originating from a rich and cultural history, but above all celebrated ghazal singer and son of Ustaad Salamat Ali Khan, Shafqat Ali Khan, feels music is something that goes beyond barriers, cultures and religions. In the city, for a performance, Khan says, "This is the first time I am performing in Pune. It is the home of stalwarts like Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. I am very honoured to perform here."

Khan, who is known for both his ghazals and crossover fusion, says that music is an art and can find its audience in any part of the world. “Music involves emotions and humanity. It is the knot that binds two cultures," feels he. Affirming the like-wise cultural backdrop between the two nations, Khan comments, "I feel, even after partition, music has been a very important element in binding the ties between India and Pakistan, and it will continue to do so."

Talking of doyens like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, he says, "They were the ambassadors of Sufi music, so their identites should not be distinguished on the basis of their country only. Their compositions are very pure and captivate audiences irrespective of any region and religion."

"Music has been a medium to disseminate a message of humanity and peace. The love for music got respect to my father. I am following in his footsteps," says Khan, adding, "Pakistan has been my motherland and has made me what I am, but I also find a very fine audience here, as India, being a larger and a cultural country has more listeners for the classical genre of music."

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