SUKHAWAT ALI KHAN

SUKHAWAT ALI KHAN represents the family lineage of the 600-year-old Sham Chorasi traditional school of music, which was established during the reign of Emperor Akbar of India. His training in both classical raga and Sufi Qawwali singing began at the age of seven under his father, legendary Pakistani/Indian vocalist Ustad Salamat Ali Khan. A San Francisco Bay Area resident, Sukhawat teaches this musical style and performs concerts for dance and world music lovers everywhere.

Sukhawat's unique ability to draw from traditional and contemporary musical forms has helped him develop collaborations that are truly cross-cultural, such as the group Shabaz. Sukhawat has performed at the Montreal, Monterey and Prospect Park jazz festivals, the Fillmore in San Francisco, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and many other major venues and music festivals throughout the U.S. and Europe. His vocal abilities have been used on other recordings as well, including the Disney film, Hidalgo (2004).

His live shows feature Sukhawat's incredible vocal and virtuoso harmonium skills along with his Shukriya Ensemble which includes Punjabi-style tabla drums, backup vocals, hand percussion, electric bass and jazz trap set drums.

His CD, "Shukriya" - which means "Thanks" - is music so alive that it jumps right out at you. After many ensemble projects, "Shukriya" is Sukhawat's first recording done on his own terms:  dancing with rhythm, passionate with feeling, and with a voice that comes straight from the heart.