The Rough Guide to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

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The Rough Guide to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan celebrates the singer who died tragically young four years ago, and who single-handedly put the Pakistani qawwali style on the international map. The music's mystical peace and love message may have made it a laudable export, but its freewheeling modes can be initially hard on the Western ear. What sold it to audiences was this man's extraordinary vocal virtuosity. He could holler with rasping roughness, or he could weave the most delicate melismas. He was adept at pacing his long solos--these 10-minute tracks are mere excerpts--and at building to a blazing climax. All these songs are ecstatically in praise of Allah and his saints, but they range from intimate religious rituals to orchestrated numbers complete with attendant female choruses almost in the Bollywood mode. The liner notes are by Jameela Siddiqi, author of the relevant Rough Guide chapter, and they're exemplary: she places this music in its historical and religious context with lucid authority. "Out of a thousand listeners," said Nusrat, "even if just one feels closer to his Creator, then my work is done." Listen attentively to this marvelous record and you'll see what he meant. --Michael Church

Tracks:

Ya Hayyo Ya Qayyum
Dam Hama Dam Ali Ali
Nami Danam Chi Manzil Bud Shab Jai Ki Man Budam
Hazrat Khwaja Sangh Kheliye Dhamar
Mera Yeh Charkha
Boha Aes Wele Kine Kharkaya
Mera Sohna Sajan
Dam Mast Qalandar

Amazon.com

The Rough Guide to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan celebrates the singer who died tragically young four years ago, and who single-handedly put the Pakistani qawwali style on the international map. The music's mystical peace and love message may have made it a laudable export, but its freewheeling modes can be initially hard on the Western ear. What sold it to audiences was this man's extraordinary vocal virtuosity. He could holler with rasping roughness, or he could weave the most delicate melismas. He was adept at pacing his long solos--these 10-minute tracks are mere excerpts--and at building to a blazing climax. All these songs are ecstatically in praise of Allah and his saints, but they range from intimate religious rituals to orchestrated numbers complete with attendant female choruses almost in the Bollywood mode. The liner notes are by Jameela Siddiqi, author of the relevant Rough Guide chapter, and they're exemplary: she places this music in its historical and religious context with lucid authority. "Out of a thousand listeners," said Nusrat, "even if just one feels closer to his Creator, then my work is done." Listen attentively to this marvelous record and you'll see what he meant. --Michael Church

Customer Reviews:

Great CD.......2003-06-05

This is a wonderful CD, especially for anyone who is totally foreign to Nusrat's music. The first six tracks are qawwali (the Sufi music that Nusrat was known for making famous outside of the subcontinent)in the more traditional form, while the last two tracks are charming pop songs with Qawwali vocals on top. The CD contains tracks from over a half dozen of Nusrat's various other CD's, many of which are hard to find today. All the tracks are refreshing and very easy to get into. My favorite is 'Buha Aes Wele Kine Kharkaya' - track 6 - have a listen if you're in doubt of the other tracks - i can guarantee you'll love it! This CD is a must buy!

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