Ustad Sharafat Hussain Khan

Sharafat Hussain Khan was born on 1 July 1930 at Atrauli in Uttar Pradesh. His father, Liaquat Hussain Khan, was a court singer of Jaipur State and descended from the line of Inayat Hussain Khan of the Atrauli tradition; his mother, Alla Rakhi Begum, came from the family of Mehboob Khan "Daras Piya" and the Rangile gharana. Ustad Faiyaz Khan of Agra was his maternal uncle, and Khadim Hussain Khan and Latafat Hussain Khan were his cousins.

After early lessons from his father, he went at about eight to live and learn with Faiyaz Khan, accompanying him on tanpura in concerts. At around thirteen Faiyaz Khan let him sing on stage after him, picking up where the master had stopped. Faiyaz Khan died when Sharafat was twenty; his training continued with Ustad Ata Hussain Khan and then with Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan, who also became his father-in-law.

He performed widely across India, was a top-grade artist of All India Radio, and devoted himself to carrying the Agra style forward. He received the Padma Shri (1983), the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1984) and the Tansen Award, and was an Honorary Fellow of the Uttar Pradesh performing arts academy. He died on 7 July 1985, aged 55. His disciples included his son Shaukat Hussain Khan and the singer Purnima Sen.

A forceful, full-throated voice with Agra's dhrupad-style nom-tom alap, bol-bant and layakari, gamak and sapat and jabde taans, coloured by the Atrauli and Rangile styles of his family.