Rahat Fateh Ali Khan honorary degree by Oxford University

Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has been conferred with an honorary degree by the University of Oxford according to a short video clip posted by fashion magazine Hello Pakistan on Instagram.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was among eight other individuals who received their honorary degrees at the ceremony Oxford University.

The renowned singer, before being conferred with the degree, also attended a talk alongside Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai about representing Pakistan in music globally.

Earlier, while announcing that Khan would be awarded an honorary degree, the Oxford University had described him as a “Pakistani singer, primarily of Qawwali, a devotional music of the Muslim Sufis”.

“Born into a family whose name has become synonymous with South Asian musical tradition, he began formal training at the age of seven and has since released more than 50 albums, performed in numerous high-profile concerts across the world and amassed a global following, achieving over one billion views online,” the varsity had said in a statement.

“Rahat Ali Khan has sung more than 50 title tracks of television serials and over 100 film songs in both Hollywood and Bollywood.”

In 2017, Oxford had also named a rehearsal hall after him — the Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Music Room. That was the first time that a South Asian artiste received such an honour.

Khan is a nephew of legendary Qawwali maestro Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He began his career at the age of three, performing and studying under the tutelage of his uncle referred to as the “King of Qawwali”.

He has since then taken on the responsibility of carrying forward his 600-year-old family legacy by spreading Qawwali to audiences across the globe.

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