Shabaz (band)
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Shabaz | |
|---|---|
| Origin | San Francisco, California |
| Genres | Qawwali, dhrupad |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | City of Tribes, Mondo Melodia |
| Members | Sukhawat Ali Khan, Riffat Sultana, Richard Michos |
Shabaz is a world-dance musical trio based in the Bay Area of San Francisco, California. Its name refers to Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, a Sufi saint who is a major inspiration behind the musical genre of qawwali.[1] Its members are brother-and-sister Pakistani vocalists Sukhawat Ali Khan and Riffat Salamat, as well as Bay Area multi-instrumentalist/producer Richard Michos. It was established in 1994 as the Ali Khan Band; its members decided to change its name to Shabaz in 2001 to avoid confusion with other "Ali Khan"s.[2] Both Khan and Salamat are descended from Chand and Suraj Khan, who sang to Akbar the Great when he was emperor of the Mughal Empire.[3]
As the Ali Khan Band, the band released two albums on the San Francisco-based City of Tribes label.[1] They signed with Mondo Melodia in 2001, and released their self-titled album as Shabaz on September 11, 2001.[2][1]
