SHAFQAT AMANAT ALI, one of South Asia's most beloved voices returns to Toronto two years after his electrifying performance at the 2012 Mosaic Festival
Shafqat Amanat Ali has captured the imaginations of fans worldwide bringing a new sound to the nation's youth, he became a major influence on a generation of artists.
With his soulful voice and emotion-packed delivery, he is best known for his prominent place in the Bollywood musical pantheon. Shafqat Amanat Ali is also a seriously committed classical singer. The son of Ustad Amanat Ali Khan and the 7th generation of the Patiala Gharana, he has been a student of classical music since the age of four. This unique concert will highlight this side of his talent, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience the full breadth of the man's remarkable abilities performing ghazals in a semi-classical setting.
As founder and singer of the influential band Fuzön, he was a pioneer and defining force in Pakistani music from the 1990s until 2006. His post-Fuzön solo career focused on folk and Sufi repertoire, leading to the release of the album Tabeer, commissioned and released by Music Today in September 2008.
Small World Music and the Sony Centre present SHAFQAT AMANAT ALI.
Saturday, May 31, 2014 • 7:30PM
Tickets range from $35-$100
Tickets can be purchased in person at the Sony Centre Box Office, (1 Front Street East, Toronto),
over the phone at 1-855-872-SONY (7669) or online at www.sonycentre.ca.
Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Call the Sony Centre Box Office at 416-916-7878.
Shafqat was introduced to Bollywood by Shankar Mahadevan. One morning while driving to his studio, he heard Shafqat's hit song "Aankhon Ke Saagar" on the radio and moved quickly to establish contact with the owner of that voice. He sang background for the films Hello and Mumbai Cutting. His songs "Mora Saiyaan" and "Tere Bina" were featured in Nagesh Kukunoor's Hyderabad Blues 2.
His tracks recorded on Coke Studio are prime examples of the sensitive fusion of styles that has made Shafqat an artist beloved by both Pakistani and Indian music fans. He has used his voice to help call for understanding between the two nations and has been quoted on his conviction for cross cultural exchange, saying “we artists contribute a great deal towards that, but I would consider myself very fortunate to support anyone who works towards making it into a reality.
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