Ustad Alia Rakha Qureshi was born Alia Rakha Qureshi, by most accounts in 1919 in Gurdaspur, Punjab, and was raised in Phagwal, near Jammu. He was the eldest of seven brothers. Qureshi's father, Hashmali, was a farmer, and his father before him was a soldier. Although their first-born son loved Indian classical music and was drawn to the performing arts, Qureshi's parents steadfastly opposed his inclination. As a boy he experienced great pleasure in watching the performances of classical Hindu theatre groups. In his early adolescence—as young as 12 years old according to some sources—after teaching himself rudimentary drumming and spending time in study with Lal Mahamed, Qureshi ran away to Lahore to study at the Punjab school of classical music (gharana). There he became a student of Ustad Mian Khadarbaksh Pakhawaji (Mian Quader Bakshi), and with "Bakshi" as a mentor, Qureshi studied voice for ten years under the direction of Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan.
It was tabla studies, however, that consumed his interest. The tabla is a double-headed drum of Hindustani tradition. With its dual drumheads, the tabla commands a total range of approximately one octave, combined from the lowest tone of the baiya (larger drum) to the highest tone of the tabla (smaller drum). The musical art form of tabla drumming is steeped in oral tradition, and tabla drummers do not play or learn from written music. Through skill and concentration Qureshi developed the expertise to play nuances and bend the notes with varied pressure from the base of his hand.
Only one week before his death, Qureshi received the Chowdaiah Award for distinguished lifetime musicianship from the government of Kamataka. The award, named after T Chowdaiah, was instituted in 1994; Qureshi was only the fifth recipient of the honor. His colleagues remembered him for his calm and unassuming demeanor, for his devotion to perfection, and for his extreme powers of concentration. Critics concurred that a special joy emanated from Qureshi during his performances; he evoked a revelatory specter as he played and sang. Shankar said of Qureshi, "His specialty was a very loving personality." The Telegraph called him, " ...a musician of formidable energy and invention and ... one of the most celebrated figures in Indian classical music."