Khanjar, circa 1924

The khanjar (Arabic خنجر) is the traditional dagger of Oman. It is similar to the Yemeni jambiya.

The khanjar is curved and sharpened on both edges. It is carried in a sheath decorated in silver, on a belt similarly decorated in silver filigree.

A khanjar appears on the flag of Oman, as part of the national emblem of Oman.

There are many uses of the Khanjar it is a symbolic weapon and worn by men after puberty. Nowadays it is used as a type of formal dress code and stylistic purposes. The release of the Khanjar from its sheath before the 1970s was considered a social taboo and men would only do that if they sought revenge or assassination.

The Khanjar can be found anywhere from Egypt to Iran under the same name.

See also[link]

• Khanda
• Firangi
• Sabre
• Pulwar
• Shamshir
• Kilij
• Saif
• Zulfiqar
• Tatbir

External links[link]

These pictures are examples of the khanjar:

• [1]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kanjar

This article related to weaponry is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Punjabi: نصرت فتح علی خان (Shahmukhī)) (October 13, 1948 – August 16, 1997), a world-renowned Pakistani musician, was primarily a singer of Qawwali, the devotional music of the Sufis (a mystical tradition within Islam). Considered one of the greatest singers ever recorded, he possessed a six-octave vocal range^{[citation needed]} and could perform at a high level of intensity for several hours.^[1] Extending the 600-year old Qawwali tradition of his family, Khan is widely credited with introducing Sufi music to international audiences.^[2][3] He was popularly known as "Shahenshah-e-Qawwali", meaning "The King of Kings of Qawwali".^[4]

Born in Faisalabad, Pakistan, Khan had his first public performance at age of 16, at his father's chelum. He officially became the head of the family qawwali party in 1971, and was signed by Oriental Star Agencies (OSA), Birmingham, U.K., in the early 1980s. In subsequent years, Khan released movie scores and albums for various labels in Pakistan, Europe, Japan and the U.S. He engaged in collaborations and experiments with Western artists, becoming a well-known world music artist in the process. He toured extensively, performing in over 40 countries.^[5]

Biography[link]

Early life and career[link]

Khan was born on October 13, 1948 in the city of Lyallpur (now Faisalabad), Pakistan. He was the fifth child and first son of Fateh Ali Khan, a musicologist, vocalist, instrumentalist, and Qawwal. Khan's family, which included four older sisters and a younger brother, Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan, grew up in central Lyallpur. Initially, his father did not want Khan to follow the family's vocation. He had his heart set on Khan choosing a much more respectable career path and becoming a doctor, because he felt Qawwali artists had low social status. However, Khan showed such an aptitude for, and interest in, Qawwali that his father finally relented.^[6] Khan began by learning to play tabla alongside his father before progressing to learn Raag Vidya and Bol Bandish. He then went on to learn to sing within the classical framework of khayal. Khan's training with his father was cut short when his father died in 1964, leaving Khan's paternal uncles, Mubarak Ali Khan and Salamat Ali Khan, to complete his training. His first performance was at a traditional graveside ceremony for his father, known as chehlum, which took place forty days after his father's death.

In 1971, after the death of Mubarak Ali Khan, Khan became the official leader of the family Qawwali party and the party became known as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mujahid Mubarak Ali Khan & Party. Khan's first public performance as the leader of the Qawwali party was at a studio recording broadcast as part of an annual music festival organised by Radio Pakistan, known as Jashn-e-Baharan. Khan sang mainly in Urdu and Punjabi and occasionally in Persian, Braj Bhasha and Hindi. His first major hit in Pakistan was the song Haq Ali Ali, which was performed in a traditional style and with traditional instrumentation. The song featured restrained use of Khan's sargam improvisations.

In 1979, Khan married his first cousin, Naheed (the daughter of Fateh Ali Khan's brother, Salamat Ali Khan); they had one daughter, Nida.^[7]

Early in his career, Khan was signed up by Oriental Star Agencies in the U.K. to their Star Cassette Label. OSA sponsored regular concert tours by Khan to the U.K. from the early '80s onwards, and released much of this live material on cassette, CD, videotape and DVD.G

Later career[link]

In the 1992–93 academic year, Khan was a Visiting Artist in the Ethnomusicology department at the University of Washington, Seattle.^[8]

Khan teamed with Peter Gabriel on the soundtrack to The Last Temptation of Christ in 1985, with Canadian musician Michael Brook on the albums Mustt Mustt (1990) and Night Song (1996),^[9] and with Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder in 1995 on two songs for the soundtrack to Dead Man Walking. One of these songs ("The Long Road") was re-used on the soundtrack for Eat Pray Love in 2010. Khan also contributed to the soundtrack of Natural Born Killers. He composed the music for the 1994 film Bandit Queen in collaboration with Roger White.

Peter Gabriel's Real World label later released five albums of Khan's traditional Qawwali, together with some of his experimental work which included the albums Mustt Mustt and Star Rise. Khan provided vocals for The Prayer Cycle, which was put together by Jonathan Elias, but died before the vocals could be completed. Alanis Morissette was brought in to sing with his unfinished vocals. Khan also collabrated with Michael Brook to create music for the song "Sweet Pain" used in the movie Any Given Sunday. He also performed traditional Qawwali before international audiences at several WOMAD world music festivals and the single "Dam Mast Qalandar" was remixed by electronic trip hop group Massive Attack in 1998.

His album Intoxicated Spirit was nominated for a Grammy award in 1997 for best traditional folk album.

Khan contributed songs to, and performed in, several Pakistani films. Shortly before his death, he recorded a song each for two Bollywood films, Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (in which he also sang the song onscreen) and Kachche Dhaage. He sang the title song of the film Dhadkan. He also sang "Saya bhi saath jab chhod jaye" for Sunny Deol's movie Dillagi. The song was released in 1999, two years after Khan's death.

Khan contributed the song "Gurus of Peace" to the album Vande Mataram, composed by A. R. Rahman, and released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of India's independence. Rahman, who was a big fan of Khan could not do further songs with him. As a tribute, Rahman later released an album titled Gurus of Peace, which featured "Allah Hoo" by Khan. Rahman's 2007 song "Tere Bina" was also done as a tribute to Khan.^[10]

After his death, the song "Solemn Prayer", on which Khan provided vocals, was used on the Peter Gabriel song "Signal to Noise" (on the album Up), and on the soundtrack to the Martin Scorsese film Gangs of New York.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Khan Fateh Ali Khan holds the world record for the largest recorded output by a Qawwali artist—a total of 125 albums as of 2001.

Death[link]

Khan was taken ill with kidney and liver failure on August 11, 1997 in London, England, while on the way to Los Angeles in order to receive a kidney transplant. He died of a sudden cardiac arrest at Cromwell Hospital, London, on Saturday, August 16, 1997, aged 48.^[11] His body was returned to Faisalabad, Pakistan, and his funeral was attended by the public.

Composition of Nusrat's qawwali party[link]

The composition of Khan's ensemble, called a "party" (or "Humnawa" in Urdu), changed over its 26 years. Listed below is a snapshot of the party, circa 1983:

1. Mujahid Mubarak Ali Khan: Khan's first cousin, vocals
2. Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan: Khan's brother, vocals and lead harmonium
3. Rehmat Ali: vocals and second harmonium
4. Maqsood Hussain: vocals
5. Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: Khan's nephew and pupil, vocals
6. Dildar Hussain: percussion
7. Majawar Abbas: mandolin and guitar/chorus, handclapping
8. Mohammed Iqbal Naqvi: secretary of the party, chorus, handclapping
9. Asad Ali: chorus, handclapping. Khan's cousin
10. Ghulam Farid: chorus, handclapping
11. Kaukab Ali: chorus, handclapping

The one significant member of the party who does not appear on this list is Atta Fareed. For many years, he alternated with Rehmat Ali on vocals and second harmonium. He is easily identifiable in videos since he plays the harmonium left-handed.

This snapshot is non-representative in one respect: harmoniums were usually the only instruments. Only rarely were instruments like mandolin or guitar used.

Awards and titles[link]

Khan is widely considered to be the most important qawwal in history.^[12][13] In 1987, Khan received the President of Pakistan’s Award for Pride of Performance for his contribution to Pakistani music.^[8][14] In 1995 he received the UNESCO Music Prize.^[15][16] In 1996 he was awarded Grand Prix des Amériques at Montreal World Film Festival for exceptional contribution to the art of cinema.^[17] In 2005, Khan was awarded the "Legends" award at the UK Asian Music Awards.^[18] Time magazine's issue of November 6, 2006, "60 Years of Asian Heroes", lists him as one of the top 12 artists and thinkers in the last 60 years.^[19] He also appeared on NPR's 50 Great Voices list in 2010.^[20] In August 2010 he was included in CNN's list of the twenty most iconic musicians from the past fifty years.^[21]

Many honorary titles were bestowed upon Khan during his 25-year music career. He was given the title of Ustad after performing classical music at a function in Lahore on his father's death anniversary.^[22]

Tributes, legacy and influence[link]

Alexandra A. Seno of Asiaweek wrote:^[23]

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's voice was otherworldly. For 25 years, his mystical songs transfixed millions. It was not long enough ... He performed qawali, which means wise or philosophical utterance, as nobody else of his generation did. His vocal range, talent for improvisation and sheer intensity were unsurpassed.

Jeff Buckley cited Khan as a major influence, saying of him "He's my Elvis", and performing the first few minutes of Khan's hit "Yeh Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai" (including vocals) at live concerts.^[24][25] Many other artists have also cited Khan as an influence, such as A. R. Rahman,^[26] Sheila Chandra,^[27] and Alim Qasimov.^[28]

Paul Williams picked a concert performance by Khan for inclusion in his 2000 book The 20th Century's Greatest Hits: a 'top-40' list, in which he devotes a chapter each to what he considers the top 40 artistic achievements of the 20th century in any field (including art, movies, music, fiction, non-fiction, science-fiction).^[29]

In 2008, Khan was listed in 14th position in UGO's list of the best singers of all time.^[30]

In 2004, a tribute band called (Brooklyn Qawwali Party) (formerly Brook's Qawwali Party) was formed in New York City by percussionist Brook Martinez to perform the music of Khan. The 13-piece group still performs mostly instrumental jazz versions of Khan's qawwalis, using the instruments conventionally associated with jazz rather than those associated with qawwali.^[31]

Films[link]

Documentaries[link]

• Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: le dernier prophète (1996). Directed by Jérôme de Missolz.
• Nusrat has Left the Building... But When? (1997). Directed by Farjad Nabi. (This 20-minute docudrama focuses on Khan's early career.)
• A Voice from Heaven (1999). Directed by Giuseppe Asaro. New York, NY: Winstar TV & Video. (This 75-minute documentary, available on VHS and DVD, provides an introduction to Khan's life and work.)
• Samandar Main Samandar (2007). A documentary aired on Geo TV detailing Khan's career.
• The King of Qawalli (2009). A short film aired on Dawn News about Khan's life and career.

Concert films[link]

• The JVC Video Anthology of World Music and Dance (1990). Video 14 (of 30) (South Asia IV). Produced by Ichikawa Katsumori; directed by Nakagawa Kunikiko and Ichihashi Yuji; in collaboration with the National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka. [Tokyo]: JVC, Victor Company of Japan; Cambridge, Massachusetts: distributed by Rounder Records. Features a studio performance by Khan and Party (two Urdu-language songs: a Hamd, and a Manqabat for Khwaja Mu`inuddin Chishti. Filmed in Tokyo, Japan, September 20, 1987, for Asian Traditional Performing Arts).
• Nusrat! Live at Meany (1998). Produced by the University of Washington. (87-minute recording of a January 23, 1993 concert at Meany Hall, University of Washington in Seattle, during Khan's residency at the Ethnomusicology Program there.)
• Live in Concert in the U.K. (DVD, vols. 1–17) [OSA]; recorded between 1983 and 1993; first thirteen listed below:
  • Live in Concert in UK (DVD vol. 1)
  • Live in Concert (DVD vol. 2)
  • Live in Concert (DVD vol. 3)
  • Live in UK (DVD vol. 4)
  • Live in UK (DVD vol. 5)
  • Live in Concert (DVD vol. 6)
  • Live in UK (DVD vol. 7)
  • Live in UK (DVD vol. 8)
  • Live in UK (DVD vol. 9)
  • Live in UK (DVD vol. 10)
  • Live in UK (DVD vol. 11)
  • Digbeth Birmingham 12 November 1983 (DVD vol. 12)
  • Digbeth 30 October 1983 (DVD vol. 13)
• Akhiyan Udeek Diyan (DVD) [Nupur Audio]
• Je Tun Rab Nu Manauna (DVD) [Nupur Audio]
• Yaadan Vicchre Sajan Diyan Aayiyan (DVD) [Nupur Audio]
• Rang-e-Nusrat (DVD, vols. 1–11) [Music Today]; recorded between 1983 and 1993 (same material as the OSA DVDs)
• VHS videotapes, vols. 1–21 [OSA]; recorded between 1983 and 1993 (same material as the OSA DVDs)
  • Luxor Cinema Birmingham (VHS vol. 1, 1979)
  • Digbeth Birmingham (VHS vol. 2, 1983)
  • St. Francis Hall Birmingham (VHS vol. 3, 1983)
  • Royal Oak Birmingham (VHS vol. 4, 1983)
  • Private Mehfil (Wallace Lawley Centre, Lozells Birmingham, November 1983) (VHS vol. 5)
  • Private Mehfil (VHS vol. 6, 1983)
  • Natraj Cinema Leicester (VHS vol. 7, 1983)
  • Live In Southall (VHS vol. 8)
  • Live In Bradford (VHS vol. 9, 1983)
  • Live In Birmingham (VHS vol. 10, 1985)
  • Allah Ditta Hall (VHS vol. 11, 1985)
  • Harrow Leisure Centre (VHS vol. 12)
  • University Of Aston (VHS vol. 13, 1988)
  • Aston University (VHS vol. 14, 1988)
  • WOMAD Festival Bracknell (VHS vol. 15, 1988)
  • Live In Paris (VHS vol. 16, 1988)
  • Poplar Civic Centre London (VHS vol. 17)
  • Imperial Hotel Birmingham (VHS vol. 18, 1985)
  • Slough Gurdawara (SHABADS) (VHS vol. 19)
  • Imran Khan Cancer Appeal (VHS vol. 20)
  • Town Hall Birmingham (VHS vol. 21, 1993)

See also[link]

• List of Pakistani musicians
• Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan albums

References[link]

Additional reading[link]

• Baud, Pierre-Alain. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, The Messenger of Qawwali. Editions Demi-Lune, 2008. (A biography of Nusrat)

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

• Article with brief 1993 interview (edwebproject.org)
• King of Qawali documentary on YouTube
• NPR Audio Report: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: The Voice Of Pakistan
• Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan at the Internet Movie Database

احسان امان Ehsan Aman
Background information
Birth name	Ehsan Aman
Born	1959 Lashkargah, Afghanistan
Genres	Pop Dance
Occupations	Singer Composer Architecture Engineer
Instruments	Guitar, Harmonium, Accordion
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Fifth String Entertainment, Inc AKA Sound, Inc. Nala Studios

Ehsan Aman (احسان امان - Eḥsān Amān; b. 1959) is a singer from Afghanistan.^[1][2] He is one of the few veterans of Afghanistan’s lost music Golden Age who've maintained their popularity over the decades. He already had public exposure in Afghanistan in the 1970s and early 1980s with his first singles and the performances he held at Kabul University. Exiled since the early 80s in the U.S., he has continued writing and producing music in the state of Virginia, which has also been his residence since that time.

Aman is married to the daughter of late song writer Nainawaz.^[1][2]

Early life[link]

Ehsan was born in Lashkargah, Afghanistan, to Mohammad Aman Ibrahim, an engineer by profession. By caste he is Sarparah, whose lineage can be traced to the distinguished people of Helmand province.^[3] Ehsan's interest in music developed in early childhood when he learned to play the accordion. This led to his participation in his high school music functions that raised public support for his professional pursuit of music. After completing his high school education, Ehsan won a scholarship to enter Kabul University and he followed his father's footsteps to study.

Aman's serious interest in music began during university- during his attendance as a student, he held various live performances; Ehsan's popularity began to rise. However, there were tensions between Aman and media personalities- the adverse circumstances of the time period led to misinterpretation of his lyrics and contributed to negative publicity. His songs - which were regulars of Kabul Radio Station - were banned.

Career[link]

Ehsan’s early works included the hit single Bute' Daram, which he prepared as a gift for one of his relatives. Broadcast on radio, it immediately brought the singer to light. He was then requested by the radio staff for another song, to which he responded with Allah. This single, surpassing the popularity of his first number, was aired repeatedly gaining Ehsan immediate national attention. His quick fame led to provoking of resentment from others and led to fabrication of stories against the singer.^{[citation needed]} Avoiding a confrontation that could have cost him his life, he chose to leave the country. He arrived in Pakistan in 1981. In October 1982, he emigrated to the United States, re-kindling his musical pursuits. In spite of economic and technical difficulties, he collaborated with other exiled musicians from Afghanistan and, in 1983, he released his first album: Musafer.

However, burdened with family life and the adjustment to the adopted country, Ehsan limited his involvements from 1985 to 1993 to a career in engineering. After 1993, at the request of fans, he returned to music.

In January 2002, he was asked by the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C. to re-arrange the national anthem of Afghanistan. He performed his rendition in front of a 3,500 member audience, achieving acclaim for his achievement.

Personal life[link]

In 1985, Ehsan married his wife Sahar who is the daughter of the late Afghan poet and composer Nainawaz. His wife supports his musical endeavors and often accompanies him to his concert performances. Ehsan is also a calligrapher and an avid tennis player. From 1976 to 1980, he was a member of the Afghan National Tennis Team, and participated in many international tennis competitions outside of Afghanistan.

Accolades[link]

• 1996: Artist of the Year. Afghan Youth Ballot. (Reported by Karwan Newspaper.)

Discography[link]

Videography[link]

References and footnotes[link]

• Ehsan Live in Concert. Ehsan’s Introduction. DVD Video. TriVision. 2001.
• http://www.zebamagazine.com/ Zeba Magazine. Ehsan Aman: His Upcoming Album & CD. June 2006

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ehsan Aman

• Voice of American - Afghan Pop Singer In The US
• Ehsan Aman's official website
• Listen to Ehsan Aman Albums and Music Online
• Ehsan Aman Music Albums and Videos at eAfghans Network

1. REDIRECT Jagjit Singh

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2010)

Sunil Shetty
Shetty on the sets of Loot
Born	Sunil Shetty (1961-08-11) 11 August 1961 (age 50) Mulki, Mangalore, Karnataka, India
Other names	Suniel Shetty
Occupation	Actor, Producer, Television presenter
Years active	1992–Present
Spouse	Mana Shetty
Children	Atiya Shetty Aahan Shetty

Sunil Shetty (born 11 August 1961) is an Indian film actor, producer, hotelier and liquor and fashion boutique owner. He is mainly active in Bollywood.

Career[link]

Shetty made his acting debut in the 1992 in the film Balwaan, which was an average success. He gave 2 average grossers films in 1993 Pehchaan and Waqt Hamara Hai. His first major blockbuster hit was the 1994 action thriller Mohra. Later that year he also had another hit with the romantic drama film Dilwale and average success Gopi Kishan. He went on to star in many films throughout the 1990s mostly in the action genre. In 1997, his film Bhai released on Diwali was a success despite coinciding with Shahrukh Khans Dil To Pagal Hai. In 1997. he got recognition for his role in the war epic Border. He went on to play patriotic roles in films such as Refugee (2001), Qayamat: City Under Threat (2003) and LOC Kargil (2003). He also ventured into comedy roles in hit films such as Hera Pheri (2000), Awara Paagal Deewana (2002), Phir Hera Pheri (2006) and De Dana Dan (2009). He won a Filmfare Award for Best Villain in 2001 for his performance in Dhadkan (2000). He also won SAIFF (South Asia International Film Festival) 2009 as a Best Actor for the film Red Alert: The War Within.

As a producer, he set up a production company called Popcorn Motion Pictures Ltd, which produced the films Khel – No Ordinary Game (2003), Rakht: What If You Can See the Future and Bhagam Bhag (2006). In recent years he has mostly played small roles in multi-starred films. Besides Bollywood he appeared in the English film Don't Stop Dreaming in 2007 and the Tamil film 12B. He also hosted Biggest Loser Jeetega on Sahara One.^[1] In 2010, he starred in Daddy Cool, De Dana Dan, and No Problem, whereas in 2011, he only starred in Thank You, which was a box office average.

His latest release is Loot. He is currently working on films, Chai Garam

Sunil Shetty is now also captain of the Mumbai Heroes cricket team in the Celebrity cricket league.

Personal life[link]

Sunil Shetty was born in a ethnic Bunt^[2][3] family on 11 August 1961 in Mulki, India^[2] He also owns some hotels specializing in Udupi cuisine (vegetarian and non-vegetarian) and a clothing boutique named Mischief and has launched a company called Popcorn Entertainment to promote Bollywood actors touring abroad for stage shows and/or concerts.

He is married to Mana Shetty and has two children called Ahan and Athiya. He is often called as the He-Man of the Indian Bollywood industry. He has a Black Belt in Kick Boxing.^[4]

Awards[link]

Winner

• 2000: Filmfare Best Villain Award for Dhadkan^[5]
• 2009: SAIFF Award for Best Actor for Red Alert: The War Within^[6]
• 2011: Stardust Search Light Award for Best Actor for Red Alert: The War Within^[7]

Nominated

• 1994: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Dilwale^[5]
• 1997: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Border^[5]
• 2000: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Refugee^[5]
• 2004: Filmfare Best Villain Award for Main Hoon Na^[5]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

8^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0265452/ http://www.srivideo.net/vijay-tv-shows/8290-star-teams-in-celebrity-cricket-league-ccl-t20-2011-team-squads-ccl-t20-live-on-vijay-tv.html http://www.bollywoodmantra.com/picture/mumbai-heroes-league-2011/

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sunil Shetty

• Sunil Shetty at the Internet Movie Database
• Viveik, Sunil and Sanjay in Soham Shah's next

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