Led by Pakastini-born brother-sister duo Riffat Sultana and Sukhawat Ali Khan, the world fusion band Shabaz boasts an eleven-generation continuum: siblings at the heart of the band are the children of the great classical singer Salamat Ali Khan, and their lineage reportedly extends back to court singers for Akbar the Great. Sukhawat and Riffat joined with Riffat’s husband Richard Michos, a guitarist and producer, to use their classical training in new settings. The resulting fusion of jazz, Hindustani classical, Qawaali and ghazals, with rock and electronica has caught the ears of luminaries like DJ Cheb I Sabbah, among others. Both siblings were trained in Qawaali, a traditional Pakistani singing style. Their voices complement each other perfectly, at times becoming indistinguishable. Where their father helped introduce Qawaali music to the world, Sultana and Khan also combine the music with Western styles such as hip-hop and rock, aided by Michos. Riffat Sultana is a pioneering woman in a style that in her homeland can only be performed by men. Here she has led her own bands as well as guesting on CDs and concerts by artists as diverse as Jennifer Berezan and Cheb I Sabbah. Her own music can be heard on her CD, “Sufi, Folk and Love Songs.” Sukhawat Ali Khan has graced the Joshua Tree Music Festival stage three times with Baraka Moon. Every single time he masterfully froths the audience into an ecstatic state of (body and) mind.
Pakastini-born brother-sister duo Riffat Sultana and Sukhawat Ali Khan, joined with Riffat's husband Richard Michos, a guitarist and producer, to use their classical training in new settings. The result: a fusion of jazz, Hindustani classical, Qawaali and ghazals, with rock and electronica music.
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