Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali to receive honourary Oxford University degree

LONDON: Iconic Pakistani singer Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is to receive an honorary degree from the world renowned Oxford University on 26th June 2019, the university announced. 

 An international music star, Qawwali singer Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan will be presented with the degree of Doctor of Music at a ceremony this summer. 

 On announcing the news, Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan said: “It is an incredible honour to be recognised by Oxford University, a world famous educational institution. The 26th of June will be a very special for me, my family and everyone who has been part of this journey with me. I am proud that my music has touched all corners of the globe and I want to thank Oxford University for giving me this honour and recognising my work in this way.”

 Salman Ahmed, management for the maestro told in a statement: “It is our great pleasure to share this wonderful news with the world. Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s tremendous devotion to Sufi and Qawwali music has been his life’s work and to be recognised with an honorary degree from Oxford University is a very special recognition to him personally but also to all those who have supported him and are helping to create a musical legacy.” 

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

 In recent times Ustad 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 1 billion views on his music videos. Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s latest recognition will be one of his most distinguished to date. He will be present at Oxford University to receive his honorary degree on 26th June 2019.