Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was almost certainly the greatest qawwal of the 20th century. Qawwali is a form of religious song performed by the Sufis of India and Pakistan. It is essentially comprised of religious poetry set to music, meant to draw Sufi mystics closer to God, with a distinctive sound built upon sweeping melodies accompanied by rhythmic clapping. Over the years, its growing popularity has caused qawwali to become a form of entertainment appealing to the general public, so that it is now heard in Bollywood films and at clubs, and is performed at wedding ceremonies and other celebrations.

Nusrat was born in Pakistan in 1948 into a revered musical family. His father was the acclaimed classical musician and qawwal, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, who discovered his son’s talent when the young Nusrat was just nine years old. Drawing upon the work of past masters of the art, including that of his father and also his uncle, Ustad Mubarik Ali Khan, he created his own style of performance, slightly altering elements of qawwali to reach a wider audience, thus being a leader in bringing this age-old music into the present day. His collaborations with rock and experimental musicians have drawn even greater attention to qawwali. In 1991, he worked with ambient music composer Michael Brook on the Real World album Musst Musst, his breakthrough album in the West; a single from that album, remixed by Massive Attack, was an alternative and dance hit. He collaborated with Peter Gabriel on the soundtrack for The Last Temptation of Christ, with Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder on the soundtrack for Dead Man Walking, and numerous albums, both traditional and crossover, brought his mystical, transcendent music to a wide audience in the western world.

“A nice piece of Qawwali…[which] manages to show off the prowess of this gentle mountain of a man.” – All Music Guide

*****! – MusicHound World