RAWALPINDI, Oct 6: Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, country’s ace classical music maestro, has moved to Islamabad with his family with a view to passing on the rich legacy of his Patiala Gharana (family) music to future generations by setting up an academy here.

Patiala Gharana is one of the top eight Gharanas of classical music throughout the sub-continent, due to its distinct brand of music. The other seven Gharanas are: Agra, Gwaliar, Talwandi, Kirana, Delhi, Kapurthala and Qawal Bachun Ka Gharana.

All these families are well-recognised and universally revered for their respective specialisation in music as separate schools of thought. In addition to this, there are other Gharanas like Qasur, Sham choorasi and Rubabi, are accorded recognition by musicians.

Ustad Fateh is the younger brother of late Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, who had established himself not only as a classical musician, but also as an eminent Ghazal singer.

Ustad Fateh has achieved par excellence, both in the classical and Ghazal singing. His speciality lies in rendering Mian Ki Todi— the morning raga. He also performs Megh — the raga associated with Mian Tansen, the classical legend, for ushering in rainfall after a sizzling hot day.

He recalled that in 1981, he had performed Megh raga on a hot day, that was followed by a rainfall in the wake of sweltering heat in Islamabad.

Pakistan National Council of the Arts’ music programmes, Arif Jaffery, who is one of the best-known flute players in the country, vindicated Ustad Fateh’s account to this effect.

Ustad Fateh told Dawn that after returning from the US several months ago, he underwent a coronary bypass surgery in Lahore. He said he returned to the country with a passion of passing on classical music to future generations. He said there is an urgent need for setting up an academy for imparting knowledge in classical music.

He said, taking advantage of the absence of such an academy in the country, India was serving as a dragnet for those desirous of learning classical genre.

The maestro revealed that he had received offers to teach classical music in India, but he refused to do so. He said, Pakistan, compared to India, had more talented breed of classical musicians. He lamented that PTV was not giving adequate time to classical music, and, instead was prioritizing pop music, which had caused immense damage to the former. He said the rich heritage of classical music was not being given proper attention by the state-run institutions.

He said, even on the occasions of national importance, the classical singers or, for that matter, Ghazal singers were being ignored by the PTV.

He urged the government to provide land and finances for setting up the proposed academy of classical music. He said the the academy, if established, would go a long way in attracting foreigners interested in learning this particular form of music.

Ustad Fateh said, one of his disciples, Aziz Khan, was engaged in the task of composing his autobiography. He was grateful to the culture ministry and Pakistan National Council of the Arts for recognizing his services to the classical music.

Over the years, he said, the government had conferred various awards on him in recognition of his services to music. These awards were: Pride of Performance, Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Tamgha-e-Khidmat.

Ustad Fateh, 63, is son of music maestro, Ustad Akhter Ali Khan. His two sons, Rustam Fateh Ali Khan and Sultan Fateh Ali Khan, are also following in his footsteps, in both Ghazal and classical singing.

The family traces its links to Ustad Ali Buksh General and Ustad Fateh Ali Colonel. Vice-Roy of India, Lord Elgan, had conferred these titles on them after being pleased by their performance.