Salamat Ali Khan and Nazakat Ali Khan were two brothers from Pakistan who challenged and inspired each other to great vocal heights in a stirring duet form usually heard in Indian music.Nazakat died before Salamat who has gone on to record as a soloist.

The death of Ustad Salamat Ali Khan on 11th July 2001 marked the end of a glorious career spanning over six decades.

Salamat Ali Khan, one of the foremost classical singers from the punjab, and his sons (Sharafat Ali Khan, Shafqat Ali Khan - vocals & Harmonium) represent a musical dynasty that extends back to court musicians of the 16th century. Their music is charaterised by both rhythmic verve and variety, on one hand, and on the other by a deep, soulful lyricism combined with a pronounced taste for elaborate ornamentation. Besides being one of the subcontinent's leading vocalists, Khansahib is also a prolific composer.

Inborn genius, creativity, individuality and sheer dedication are some of the attributes that make the individual irreplaceable. The late maestro Ustad Salamat Ali Khan was bestowed with all these qualities, distinguishing him from others. Widely regarded by fellow musicians and connoisseurs as one the greatest vocalists of the 20th century, Salamat Ali Khan had a huge impact on South Asian classical music, achieving worldwide acclaim for his masterful artistry and command over khayal singing.

Born in 1934, in the heartland of Punjab at Shamchaurasi, district Hoshiarpur, Ustad Salamat Ali Khan belonged to a family of traditional musicians representing the Shamchaurasi gharana. It is claimed that the gharana was founded in the 16th century by Mian Chand Khan and Mian Suraj Khan who were contemporaries of Mian Tansen at the court of Mughal emperor Akbar.
Prior to the emergence of Ustad Nazakat Ali Khan and Ustad Salamat Ali Khan as exponents of khayal, the gharana specialised in the dhrupad form of singing and was particularly renowned for its tradition of duet performances known as jugalbandi. Mian Karim Bukhsh Majzoob, Ustad Ahmed Ali Khan, Ustad Niaz Hussain Shami, and Salamat Ali Khan’s father Ustad Vilayat Ali Khan were some of the illustrious members of the Shamchaurasi gharana. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.