Background
Barkat Ali Khan was born in Kasur, in the Punjab province of then British India. He had his initial training from his father Ali Baksh Khan and later by his elder brother Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.
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Barkat Ali Ustad
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After 1947 Partition of British India, Barkat Ali Khan, with his family, migrated to Pakistan and focused on the lighter aspects of Hindustani classical music He was widely acknowledged as one of the great exponents of Thumri, Dadra, Geet and Ghazal, and was well known for both Purab and Punjab Ang Thumris. He taught noted ghazal singers Ghulam Ali and Farida Khanum.
Many people in Pakistan say that simplicity and humility were the hallmark of his personality.
He started a new trend of ghazal-singing in Pakistan. Before Mehdi Hassan became known as the "King of ghazals" in the 1970s, Barkat Ali Khan and Begum Akhtar were considered the stalwarts of ghazal-singing during the 1950s and 1960s.
Barkat Ali Khan, in a rare live radio interview to Radio Pakistan, Lahore, had said," My forefathers, at one time, lived in the hilly tracts of Jammu and Kashmir, so they used to sing "songs of the hills" (Pahari Geet). I learned to sing those Pahari Geets from them".
"Donaun Jahan Teri Mohabbat Mein Haar Ke, Who Jaa Raha Hai Shab-e-Gham Guzaar Ke"
Ghazal sung by Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, lyrics by the renowned poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz
"Baghon Mein Paray Jhoolay, Tuum Bhool Gaey Humko, Hum Tumko Nahin Bhoolay"
Sung by Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, a folk "Mahia" geet.
"Abb Kay Sawan Ghar Aa Ja" Thumri Pahari geet, Sung by Barkat Ali Khan on YouTube, published 23 January 2015, Retrieved 31 January 2016
"Uss Bazm Mein Mujhe Nahin Banti Haya Kiyyay" Ghazal sung by Barkat Ali Khan, lyrics by Mirza Ghalib
He died a premature death at the age of 55 on 19 June 1963 at Lahore, Pakistan.
