Qawwal Bahauddin Khan

Ustad Bahauddin Khan Qawwal (1934 – 3 February 2006) was a Pakistani Qawwali musician in the music tradition of Qawwal Bacchon ka Gharana.

All five of his sons - Muhammad Najmuddin (born 1967), Saifuddin Mehmood (born 1971), Zafeeruddin Ahmed (born 1977), Mughisuddin Hassan (born 1979) and Ehtishamuddin Hussain (born 1981) have followed his footsteps. Traditional Qawwali singing heritage of the city of Karachi can still be felt and seen in a small neighborhood in Karachi named Qawwali Gali in the Saddar Town area, where a street is named after Bahauddin Qawwal.

Early life Historical background Bahauddin Khan is descended from a family of musicians which traces its lineage back to the days of Amir Khusrow (the father of Qawwali) of the 13th century India. Bahauddin belongs to the Qawwal Bacchon gharana of Delhi, which was founded by Hazrat Khwaja Ameer Khusro in 13th century.

In 2002, he earned the title of Ustad from the Vice President of Mauritius and also received a gold medal and a commemorative shield from the Minister of Arts & Culture.

In 1956, Bahauddin left the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad, India and migrated to Pakistan. There he started afresh with his cousins Munshi Raziuddin and Manzoor Ahmed Niazi which included his brother and other nephews also, under the patronage and guidance of his father, Suleman Khan.

Awards In 1999, he was awarded the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Medal of Excellence) by the President of Pakistan. In May 1999, Lok Virsa invited his sons Najmuddin and Saifuddin to perform at Islamabad at the National Youth Festival. In November–December 2005, they toured the UK, performing 13 concerts in 10 different cities. They went on to tour Switzerland in January 2006, performing in 6 cities. These concerts were arranged to raise funds for the victims of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. Najmuddin and Saifuddin were recorded by Iran Radio, Zahedan, during their visit to Iran in 2000, and by the government network Pakistan Television as well the private ARY Digital network. They have received 'Hazrat Amir Khusro Award' and 'New Qawali Talent Award' for their performances.

After Qawwal Bahauddin Khan's death, the Sindh Minister for Sports and Culture established the Bahauddin Qawwal Award in his honor.