Oxford University awards Rahat Fateh Ali Khan honorary doctorate degree

LONDON/OXFORD: The world-renowned Oxford University on Wednesday awarded iconic Pakistani qawwal and playback singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan an honorary doctorate here at a prestigious ceremony in Oxford.

An international music star, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was presented with Doctorate of Music, as announced by the university previously.

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan said: “I am honoured to be accepting this degree from Oxford University, a world-famous educational institution. This is a very special day for my family and I but also for my fans, who have shared this journey with me.

"To be presented with this honour is a massive achievement and I am happy that my music has allowed me to reach such incredible heights.”

On receiving his honorary doctorate, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is set to perform at Oxford Town Hall on Thursday. The special evening will mark the occasion with his stellar performance of qawwalis and explore his family legacy and career-to-date.

Oxford University has previously recognised Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's work by naming one of their prestigious music halls after the maestro. He carries the torch for a family that has a rich cultural history in music, a heritage that includes over 600 years in Sufi and Qawwali music folklore, initially made famous in modern pop culture by his uncle, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

In recent times, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has won numerous globally-recognised awards, performed for the British royal family at Buckingham Palace, performed at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, and amassed over a billion views on his music videos.

Earlier, while announcing that Khan would be awarded an honorary degree, Oxford University 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.”