Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan took the qawwali of his family's six-hundred-year line out of the shrine and onto the world's stages. Allah Hoo, Mast Mast, Tumhe Dillagi Bhool Jani Padegi, Sanson Ki Mala, Afreen Afreen and Kinna Sohna are sung by millions who never saw a dargah; his tunes were lifted wholesale by Hindi film composers in the 1990s, and he himself sang for Kartoos, Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya and Kachche Dhaage before his death at forty-eight.
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Life
He was born in Faisalabad in 1948, son of Fateh Ali Khan, and led the family party from 1971 after his father's and uncle's deaths; through the 1970s and 80s his recordings for Rehmat Gramophone and Oriental Star made him the leading qawwal of Pakistan, and Peter Gabriel's Real World label and WOMAD took him west — Mustt Mustt (1990), the Dead Man Walking and Last Temptation of Christ soundtracks, work with Michael Brook and Eddie Vedder.
In India he collaborated with Javed Akhtar on Sangam (1996) and sang film songs for Nadeem-Shravan and others; he died in London in 1997 of complications of diabetes and kidney failure. His nephew Rahat Fateh Ali Khan continues the party.
The voice
An enormous, tireless, high tenor that could sustain a single syllable through minutes of sargam, placed above a wall of claps and harmonium; the climb to the top of a qawwali, taken again and again, was his special glory.
Composers
- Traditional
- His own settings
- Nadeem-Shravan
- Anu Malik
Sang for
- Sanjay Dutt
- Ajay Devgn
- Bobby Deol
Sang with
- Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
- Javed Akhtar (words)
- Eddie Vedder
Honours
Pride of Performance (Pakistan); UNESCO Music Prize (1995); Grammy nominations
More film songs 3 songs, by year
1990s
year not stated
Ghazals and non-film recordings 7
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