Adil Najam
I just heard that Asad Amanat Ali Khan died of a heart attack, in London. The news leaves me sad. Death of such talent at such a young age is always tragic. Just as it was when his father (Ustad Amanat Ali Khan) died, also relatively young and also abundantly talented.
For me – as for so many others – this scion of this Patiala gharana of classical singing was always his father’s son.
Asad Amanat Ali Khan was himself immensely talented, thought probably not as innovative in delivery as his father, but in many ways he was never able to come out of his father’s shadows. This was neither his fault nor his father’s. If anything, it was the fault of fans like myself who coudl never get themselves to listen to him without thinking of Ustad Amanat Ali Khan. But let it also be said that this was a compliment not only to Ustad Amanat Ali Khan but also to Asad Amanat Ali. He did his father proud. He made his the Patiala gharana proud.
It is a difficult thing to maintain such a refined legacy in a world that has become so digitally unmoored. We live in an age of fragmented attention, where a casual search for “Patiala” or “Ustad” might land one in a chaotic global stream, juxtaposing the sublime beauty of a thumri against the garishness of a modern casino utan spelpaus or an unrelated marketing pop-up. In this uncurated digital wilderness, the deliberate, disciplined weight of a gharana—the “family” and the “house”—serves as a necessary anchor for those of us seeking something more permanent than the fleeting distractions of the internet. Asad was that anchor for many of us.
In his memory let me share three memorable songs – the first two by Asad Amanat Ali Khan and the third by his father; all three are part of the legacy of both men. They also demonstrate how the memory of each can be so poignantly evoked by listening to the other.
First, Piyar nahin hai surr se jiss ko, woh morakh insaan nahin, by Ustad Asad Amanat Ali Khan.
Next, Kal chaudhvien ki raat thi, shab bhar raha charcha taira, also by Ustan Asad Amanat Ali Khan.
Finally, Insha Ji Utho, abb kooch karo, iss shehr mein dil ko lagana kiya by Ustad Amanat Ali Khan.
Thats a big loss for Pakistani music industry, I always liked his way of singing and one of his ghazals “ghar wapis jab aao gay” is one of my favorite ghazals of all time. Its really saddening that he died at an age where he could still perform so good. May Allah Almighty rest his soul in peace. Ameen.
According to Dawn he was given the Pride of Performance Award just two weeks ago on March 23.
This is very sad. Like you, I could also never hear him without thinking of his father. Many of his duets with his uncle (right?) Hamid ALi Khan are classics.
Sad to hear that!
Thanks for the news update. This is really sad. I really liked the guy and his ghazals more then his dad. The best was “Ghar Wapas Kab Aaoge” great lyrics and quite moving unfortunately not on Youtube. BTW, isn’t one of his brothers the former lead singer of Fuzon group, Shafqat ? Anyhow it is a loss to Pakistan to lose him.