Ntheusrat

voice
of faith

Pierre-Alain Baud
Translated from the French
by
Renuka George

HarperCollins Publishers India

 All beginnings begin with Your name
All endings end with Your name
Your name is praiseworthy
Because You are the God of my Prophet

Lasoori Shah gate of Nusrat's

house, Faisalabad ©Bashir Ejjaz
 First published in India in 2015 by
HarperCollins Publishers India

Original text copyright © Pierre-Alain Baud 2015

Translation copyright © Renuka George 2015

The work is published via the Publication Assistance Programme Tagore, with the support of
Institut Français en Inde / Ambassade de France en Inde and the Institut Français de Paris.

P-ISBN: 978-93-5136-384-2
E-ISBN: 978-93-5136-385-9

2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

Pierre-Alain Baud asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. ‘The essence of a being resides
in his mystery’
The views and opinions expressed in this book are the author’s own and the facts are as
reported by him, and the publishers are not in any way liable for the same. —Catherine Camus,
Albert Camus’ daughter, in an interview with
Frank Tenaille, César Magazine, Arles, 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior permission of the publishers.

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Typeset in Avenir 10/16

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 Contents
Foreword 01

Introduction: Pakistan, a Melting Pot 05

Qawwali of Yesterday and Today 12

Nusrat’s Lineage 34

An Apprentice Qawwal’s First Steps 48

A Rising Star at Home 60

The World Discovers a Voice 76

A Qawwal at the Heart of Modernity 104

The Star Fades Away 132

From That Time On 144

Glossary 164

Bibliography 166

Nusrat’s Selective Discography 168

Resources on Nusrat 170

Acknowledgements 172
 Foreword
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Even his name albums (a hundred and twenty-five at
resonates like a poem, and the poem the beginning of the 1990s according to
metamorphoses into an initiatory journey the Guinness book of records, certainly
every time one sees or hears him. A twice that many by now), concerts (by the
spectacular man, seated cross-legged thousands), videos that can be viewed
on the ground, projecting his mad song on youtube.com (in the hundreds of
of love towards the divine, his arm thousands, some of which have been
outstretched, reaching for the heavens. watched over ten million times), google.
com references (in the millions), cassettes
Variously referred to as ‘Singing Buddha’
and CDs (sold by the tens of millions).
in Tokyo, ‘Quintessence of the Human
Voice’ in Tunis, ‘The Voice of Paradise’ Yet a man of deep simplicity. His
in Los Angeles, ‘The Spirit of Islam’ in all-consuming mission was to spread a
London, ‘Pavarotti of the East’ in Paris, message: the kind and beautiful words
‘Shahenshah-e-Qawwali’ (emperor of of the Sufi poets and mystics permeated
qawwali) in Lahore; over the space of by an Islamic consciousness made of love
about fifteen years, this ‘chosen singer’, and union.
one of God’s madmen, one of God’s
A man outside of time, snaring us in
sweetest, shot to planetary fame. And
the madness of his declarations of love
then he disappeared, too early, leaving
addressed to the divine. A man truly
a thousand footprints behind.
of his times too, open to all kinds of
A man of superlatives: weight experiments, all kinds of fusion… He
Nusrat in a passionate performance
Courtesy Yasser Nomann (impressive), octaves (six, it is said), was both rooted and universal, both

1
N U S R AT fo r ewo r d

committed and free. In Pakistan, as all Since his passing in 1997, his aura has Nusrat during his very first concerts in the phenomenon that Nusrat was. In the
over the world, Nusrat incarnated both continued to grow. A being continually in France in 1985. meanwhile, this is a first contribution,
ancient Sufi culture steeped in mysticism the process of evolution. written by a foreign author who resonated
A biography written by someone of South
and devotion to the Sufi saints, along with very closely with the artist.
Given the genius it evokes, this book Asian origin would certainly be very
a blazing modernity, which overwhelmed
is a very personal and modest attempt different, like Aqeel Ruby’s pioneering
everything he encountered.
to approach the Nusratian mystery. work published in 1992, emphasizing
Belonging to two worlds, he was an It is written by an European citizen, other dimensions of this master of
incredible go-between, a mythical who although educated far from the qawwali. These other accounts, that I
intermediary between generations during subcontinent, is deeply sensitive to its await impatiently, will be truly welcome,
his lifetime, a link between tradition and thousand and one fragrances, and who continuing or nuancing the words I
modernity, the East and the West, the was overcome with emotion when he have written. I believe other works are
sacred and the profane. heard the gigantic yet amazingly light necessary to provide a subtler vision of

First meeting… After the few days we spent together at Fontevraud, he invited me to follow him on his tour
to Italy, and then to meet him at his home in Pakistan. It was there that I discovered the
An autumn morning. The railway station in Tours, the Saumur platform. He was there, the
innumerable facets of his personality: enigmatic and innocent, colossal and peaceful, inspired
‘Singing Buddha’ from the Theatre de la Ville in Paris, waiting for the connection that would take
and ordinary, all parts of the same person who captivated audiences in Lahore, Paris, Florence,
him and his musicians to Fontevraud Abbey for his last concerts of the year in France. It was a
Tokyo or New York, crossing linguistic and cultural, generational or social barriers with the
happy coincidence that, we, members of the enthralled audience who had seen him perform in
greatest ease.
Paris, were going to the Abbey too, to witness the incredible freedom of his voice once again.
Years later, having accompanied him on a number of tours, I remain a spectator stunned by
Uncertain, trembling words that started the conversation slowly grew into a dense dialogue in
his vertiginous voice. I do not understand the mystery of his song, but an intimate resonance
the shade of the priory. Generous exchanges, interrupted by unexpected vocal demonstrations,
intrigues and unnerves me as soon as he sits down cross-legged on the stage and hurls out his
stunning silences, fiery looks, the magic of this personality, so close yet constantly escaping us
mad love song to the divine.
to create a lacerating emotion.

Pierre-Alain Baud in 'Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, le qawwali au risque de la modernité', Cahiers de Musiques Traditionnelles, n°9, Georg
editor, Geneva, 1996.

2 3
 Introduction
Pakistan, a Melting Pot

This ‘land of the pure’ has a unique Greco-Buddhist empire of Gandhara,

destiny, far more diverse than the narrow, not forgetting the traders and pilgrims
limited and partial image propagated travelling along the northern Silk Route.
by the media since 9/11. Its name is
Nonetheless, the most lasting influences
ambivalent, an acronym that evokes both
of our times—before the European
purity (‘pak’, pure in Urdu and ‘stan’, land)
conquests—were undoubtedly those of
and the union of highly varied provinces
hugely diverse Muslim peoples: from
that have existed since the dawn of time:
traders and the Arab, Turko-Persian and
P for Punjab, A for Afghania (the current
Moghol armies, to Ismaili missionaries
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), K for Kashmir, S for
and Sufi monks from Persia and Central
Sindh and Tan, the tail end of Balochistan.
Asia. Let us not forget that Islam has
At the crossroads of the Indian existed in the Indian subcontinent since
subcontinent, Iran and Central Asia, since the second century Hegira—or the
antique Mehrgarh—over seven thousand eighth century of the Christian era—with
years ago—the famous towns of the the conquest of Sindh, and that the
Indus Valley, Mohenjo Daro and Harappa, Muslims held political power throughout
are amongst the oldest civilizations the northern subcontinent for over six
in the world. These provinces have hundred years, during the Delhi Sultanate
continually been crossed by conquerors, and the Mughal Empire.
nomads and migrants. Each new arrival For close to thirteen centuries, a slow
left its mark: the Indo-Aryans, Darius’ inter-penetration has taken place
Clock Tower, Faisalabad Persians, Alexander’s Greeks and the between the Prophet’s message (already
©Bashir Ejjaz

5
N U S R AT i n tr o d u cti o n

interpreted in many different ways) and confessional Congress Party nonetheless to be built with everyone’s pioneering its borders with Afghanistan are a source
the ‘Hindu’ endogamous philosophical, dominated by Hindus, a Muslim League efforts deeply motivated the spirit of of constant external pressure. A state
social and cultural systems. We use the developed, as they were concerned about the new arrivals and Nusrat’s family were where both the civil and military powers
word ‘Hindu’ because originally this term the fate of the Muslims in independent amongst the most enthusiastic, as we seeking legitimacy have used Islam from
was used to signify all the populations India where the Hindus would be a will see. the 1970s onwards, no longer as a cultural
living beyond the Indus Valley. At a majority. Out of this feeling of insecurity and national framework, but as a religious
‘Home to the Muslims of the Indian
certain time, people spoke of Christian and the desire for specific cultural reference, most often fundamentalist
subcontinent’, Pakistan was thus born.
Hindus and Muslim Hindus because the affirmation, was born the theory of two and imported from Saudi Arabia, in
A bipartite state (East and West Pakistan)
people occupying the Indian subcontinent separate nations; the bards were the contradiction with the mystical and
separated by 2,000 km of India, a country
was so diverse. reformer Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and the popular Sufi inheritance.
now seen as ‘foreign’ or even as the
visionary poet, Mohammed Allama Iqbal,
The everyday lives of the inhabitants of ‘enemy’. A state that was soon orphaned; A state finally subject to constant
and the political spearhead, Mohammed
the region cannot obscure the reality while its inspiration, Allama Iqbal, had internal tensions, between provinces
Ali Jinnah, the ‘founder’ of Pakistan.
of these secular exchanges between already disappeared in 1938, its founder and regions of widely varying natures
While expressing the desire that ‘religion
Indianness and Islam and vice versa. Ali Jinnah died in 1948, barely thirteen and with disparate interests; between
would have no place in State affairs’ and
Whether it were in terms of food, months after Independence, without traditional social structures, with caste
affirming a secular vision of the nation, all
clothing, dwellings, the arts, thought and having had the time to consolidate systems in the East and clans in the West,
of them drew upon the unique identity of
even religious rites, numerous bridges were the democratic and secular identity of centres sparkling with modernity and
the Muslims in the Indian subcontinent,
built over the centuries leading to fabulous the new country. A state that suffered marginalized urban and rural fringes;
and hence claimed there was a need
cultural intermingling. South-Asian Sufism from chronic instability from that time between the military with overwhelming
for two separate states. Since it seemed
that gave rise to Nusrat's qawwali song, was onwards, where the army succeeded powers and a civil opposition with a
impossible to reach a compromise with
to be one of these magnificent expressions. the army—with brief civil interludes— variety of orientations; between highly
the Congress Party led by Jawaharlal
and where a handful of families soon disparate Muslim realities, Sunnis and
However, the political exploitation of Nehru, and the British were in a hurry to
laid claim to economic power. A state Shias with their thousand subtleties and
differences between the peoples in the leave, the division of the Indian Empire
dispossessed of half its population, whose interpretations of faith are often
subcontinent by some of the Mughal seemed inevitable. Hence, Partition
twenty-three years after its creation, deeply opposed: mysticism and Sufi
sovereigns and by the British colonialists occurred, leading to huge processions
when its Eastern wing—also in a blood devotion, fundamentalist orthodoxy, and
who worked on a policy of ‘divide and of refugees, large scale massacres,
bath—became Bangladesh. A state of liberal modernism.
rule’ did not allow for a permanent innumerable stories of neighbours killing
front lines where an embryonic war with
closeness. At the time of Independence, each other. Despite all that, on the Nonetheless, this country that often
India over Kashmir—‘the unfinished
faced with a secular and multi- Pakistani side, the hope of a new nation seems on the verge of implosion and
agenda of Partition’—and tensions on

6 7
N U S R AT i n tr o d u cti o n

destabilization, carries on with all its waves of the river in earlier times.
Embellishing life
© Pierre-Alain Baud ambivalence and its continuities, its
The Nusrat phenomenon would certainly
coherences and its raw emotions, its
not have existed without this unique
old wise men and its young generations
maelstrom that nourished him, and which
desperate for recognition. A certain
he helped shape to such a large extent.
Pakistani ‘texture’ arises thus, sometimes
in contrast to India: maybe harsher, more
striking, but also possibly closer to some
sense of community roots, to a traditional
cohesiveness that is still strong. A land
ever fascinating and intense, all the more
so as Pakistan remains a privileged bridge
between India, Central Asia, Iran and
the Middle East; the Sindhi and Punjabi
cultures, the use of Urdu—the national
language with its Hindi syntax—anchor
it in South Asia; Balochistan is closer to
the Iranian world, lying on its western
fringes; and the Pashtun province in
the north-west belongs to the world of
Afghani clans from Central Asia. From
these intermingled influences, a common
destiny can emerge around its jugular
vein, the Indus. If there is unity to be
sought, it is along the course of this
essential river that crosses a thousand
landscapes and lifestyles, from the
Himalayas to the Arabian Sea. This land
is truly a gift from the Indus, with its
impetuous movements as stormy as the

8 9
 Hyderi-am qalandarm mastam
Banda-e murtaza Ali hastam
Paishwaa-e tamaam rindaanam
Keh sag-e kuaiy sher-e yazdaanam
Qawwali

I am a partisan of Haidar, a drunk vagrant

I am a servant of Ali, the chosen One
I am the leader of all the Sufis
For I became very close to Ali Source: ‘Haq Ali Maula’(Manqabat by Sayeem Chishti) from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Live in Paris, 1988, Ocora-Radio France CD volume 5,
Paris; Roman transcription by Yasser Nomann and Ghulam Farid Abbasi; Translated from the Persian by Denis Matringe
 Q aw wali o f y es ter day an d to day

Qawwali of evolving with time and space, adopting by a sheikh, murshid or pir, through

Yesterday local characteristics, from West Africa

to Indonesia .1

It is a path open to the world, where,

the different stages and experiences
he will undergo, in an attempt to
attain ‘increasingly inward states
of consciousness, until his own

and Today unlike the case of the Christian monks, the

spiritual quest does not generally imply
a withdrawal or a retreat—except for
very limited periods—but the integration
of the sacred with every aspect of one’s
consciousness dissolves in God’. Once
the ceremony of allegiance is concluded,
a master-disciple relationship can last
a lifetime, with the master guiding the
disciple along the different stages of his
While Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s qawwali is rooted in both existence. Although these ascetics can be
spiritual evolution.
a Sufi and a musical tradition fashioned in the Indian very much ‘in’ the world, often married
subcontinent over close to a millennium, it also has a place and exercising professional activities, More than a mere knowledge of God and
in the secular logic of his time. It is a dual approach, both nonetheless, they do not feel as if they following the sharia laws to the letter, it
attentive to the original mystical meaning of this love song are necessarily ‘of’ the world. ‘The mystic is, in fact, an intimate experience of the
to the divine, and well in tune with the secular moods of our feels totally free of the world, and in his divinity within oneself that motivates
century and the previous ones, which we shall discuss in this material detachment, deeply committed to these ascetics’ quest. Sufism, this
chapter. transforming it.’ 2 ‘conspiracy between the sensible and
the spiritual’, in Henri Corbin’s words,
Sufism also takes the form of an esoteric
A secular community and emphasizes the intimate relationship
mystical tradition path, which seeks to reveal the batin, the
between God and his creation—the
concealed, internal aspect of every reality,
Islam has been present in South Asia since the eighth human being—a connection stimulated
behind the zahir, the apparent external
century, brought by merchants and conquering armies. The
aspect. While zahir represents the letter
first Sufi missionaries arrived close on their heels, often
of the text, the observation of external
coming from Afghanistan, Iran or Central Asia to propagate
religious laws, batin is its hidden esoteric
Prophet Mohammed’s message in India.
meaning, which can be fully understood
These ascetics wanted to spread the message of a faith only after a long period of searching or a 1. On this subject see a reference work in French on the
Sufi brotherhoods, Les Voies d’Allah. Les ordres mystiques
deeply permeated by the Sufi way, tariqa, based on mystical mystical illumination. dans le monde musulman des origines à aujourd’hui,
edited by Alexandre Popovic and Gilles Veinstein, (Fayard,
love. This ‘way’ has taken manifold forms, travelling and Paris, 1996)
Sufism still appears to be an initiatory
2. Jean Chevalier, 'Le moteur de l’Islam : le soufisme',
path where the disciple is guided Planète n°18, Paris, 1964

13
N U S R AT Q aw wali o f y es ter day an d to day

by the strength of mystical love, towards divine illumination for the Sufis is This vision was to be uniquely transmitted he had settled and where his body is
mohabbat. The latter is expressed in two the mehfil-e-sama, or sama, the spiritual by the disciples of one of the most buried. Popular belief invests saints such
complementary ways: on the one hand, concert, which gave rise to qawwali in famous and revered ascetics of our as Mohinuddin Chishti with remarkable
man’s conscious efforts towards God, India. During this celebration of the soul, time in the Indian subcontinent, Khwaja powers to intercede with God. These
aided by a spiritual guide, in order to deep listening leads the willing heart to Mohinuddin Chishti. Known as ‘Garib pilgrimages are also an opportunity to ask
traverse the different stages, or maqamat, ecstasy through ma’rifat or a mystical, Nawaz’, or the ‘Protector of the Poor’, the saints to call upon the Almighty to grant
which are a means of approaching intuitive knowledge of divinity: ‘Music is this Sufi ascetic from Persia introduced favours such as improving health, ensuring
Him; on the other hand, the intuitive no longer an aim, but a vehicle. Song is the Chishtya brotherhood into India, a fertile marriage or a bountiful harvest,
ecstatic fulfilment that comes from divine no longer an end, but a transportation, a so named after the village of Chisht while paying them fervent homage.
illumination, ishraq, which leads to the path to the divine,’ Rumi confides . 4
in Afghanistan. This brotherhood was
ultimate union with the Creator. ‘What to go on to play a major role in the
The Sufi missionaries wanted to convert
is most essential to Sufism cannot be subcontinent, both for the elite and the
the Indian population by sensitizing
learned, but can only be reached by sovereigns, from the Mughal Emperor
people to the message of Islam. It
immediate experience and ecstasy and Akbar to Indira Gandhi, as well as to the
was important to be able to hold
inward transformation,’ declared al3
common people. As the fraternity that
their attention and gain their support
Ghazali, the luminous twelfth century took the syncretism between the Arab
through Sufi songs and music, which
theoretician of Sufism. and Turko-Persian sources of Sufism
are the focus of so many intuitions. The
and the Indian soil the furthest, it is
Now, following in the footsteps of the probity of the Sufi ascetics, their social
considered the ‘Indian brotherhood, par
famous Jalal ud-Dîn Rûmi, founder of actions and Islam’s egalitarian message,
excellence’ 5, attracting vast segments
the order of whirling dervishes in Konya, which indiscriminately welcomed the
of the population, regardless of their
Turkey, one of the privileged paths entire community of inhabitants in
religious belonging.
the subcontinent, had already largely
contributed towards creating popular Even today, the yearly pilgrimage at
sympathy for them. Their attitude was in the time of the urs (literally ‘wedding’
sharp contrast to that of Brahman priests of the Saint with God), on the occasion
3. Quoted by Regula Burckhardt Qureshi, Sufi Music who prohibited low caste Hindus from of Khwaja Mohinuddin Chishti’s death
of India and Pakistan, (Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge, 1986), p.81 entering temples or using their wells. anniversary, gathers several hundreds of
4. http://www.muzikifan.com/india.html However, before converting, they still thousands of faithful at Ajmer. This town
5. Marc Gaboriau, 'Le sous-continent indien', Les Voies
d’Allah, edited by A. Popovic and Gilles Veinstein, needed to share the same emotions. in Rajasthan, India, also known as Ajmer Dancing Dervishes,
(Fayard, Paris, 1996), p.291 Folio from the Shah Jahan Album, 1610
Sharif—Holy Ajmer—is the place where Courtesy Wikimedia commons

14 15
N U S R AT Q aw wali o f y es ter day an d to day

The Chishtya ascetics, who spread marriage between the different Arabic,
rapidly throughout India thanks to their Turkish, Persian and Hindustani musical
intense missionary activity, soon realized traditions. Revered as the father of
the extent to which music and song qawwali (which comes from the Arabic
were essential to the expression of the term qaul or Word, or what is said), he
Hindu cult and prayers. From the Vedic structured the early attempts of the
chants before our era, to the bhajans first Sufi ascetics to arrive at a syncretic
and kirtans that are still very popular poetic and musical form, both unique and
today, Hindu devotion crystallized largely flexible, and capable of transmitting the
around music, a privileged means of message of the mystics. He also greatly
communication with the divine. enriched the compositions.

Some ascetics seem to have been inspired Even today, the traditional basis of the
by a musical form, which originated qawwals or qawwali musicians’ repertory
amongst nomadic singers in Khorasan, remains strongly marked by Amir Khusro’s
Persia. The lead voice was accompanied poetry. It is said to include over 500, 000
by the rhythm of clapping produced by the verses throughout which references to
rest of the troupe. When they encountered beauty or divine and secular love recur in
the great wealth of Indian music, they plaintive or wild waves, invading the heart Amir Khusro surrounded by young men.
Miniature from a manuscript of Majlis Al-Usshak
wove their own musical traditions into and opening up the path to ecstasy. by Husayn Bayqarah. Courtesy Wikipedia.org

the local melodies and rhythms in their

The qawwali that developed out of this
practice of the sama or spiritual concert.
can be seen as a ‘traditional’ form, which experience ecstasy, a musical expression
The fertile syncretism begun by the first has remained fundamentally the same,
Religious tradition...
largely derived from Hindustani music,
Sufis was later formalized during the despite a certain evolution over the As a religious tradition shaped over eight
as well as an occasion for the community
thirteenth century by the prodigious centuries. It consists of both a Sufi poem centuries, a traditional qawwali gathering
to meet. It is this type of qawwali that
genius of Amir Khusro, disciple of sung by a group of professional musicians in a Sufi sanctuary primarily provides
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan took to new
Nizamuddin Auliya, a Sufi saint in Delhi —qawwals—and a gathering during which an opportunity for the community of
heights, exposing it to the winds of
who belonged to Mohinuddin Chishti’s these poems are interpreted. Qawwali is believers to celebrate their attachment
modernity, all the while remaining firmly
tradition. A fascinating poet and musician, simultaneously a language and an event, to God, the Prophet, a local saint and
committed to its foundations, its practice
it was he who most finely systemized the a song to the divine and an opportunity to his physical or spiritual descendants. For
and its original meaning.
the most sensitive listeners, it can also

16 17
N U S R AT Q aw wali o f y es ter day an d to day

be an opportunity to approach a living lettered classes and widely employed which is deeply dependent on the type as the ‘father of Sufism’) or of other
experience of ‘the divinity within’ through during the Sultanate of Delhi and the of audience and its response, the same saints. Different Sufi poems are then sung
mystical ecstasy, which the qawwals Mughal period in India, a large number poem can, in fact, be condensed to a few in the form of a ghazal—a lyrical love
must then accompany to the best of of poems are also composed in local minutes or developed over several hours. song, structured around a rhyme and an
their ability. languages like Urdu, Punjabi, or Hindi, assonance, an elegy expressing secular or
Traditionally, a qawwali session is
better understood by the majority of divine love, very popular throughout the
Traditionally, there are ten to twelve prefaced by a musical prelude, naghma,
the audience. Some poets have got lost subcontinent; a; kafi—a classical form of
qawwals split into two rows although played to prepare the mind for a mystical
in the maze of history, others have had Sufi poetry, a composition created to be
the number is not really fixed. The experience. This prelude is followed by
compositions attributed to them, despite sung in Sindh and Punjab; or a munadjaat,
rhythm section, consisting either of a sonnet, ruba’i, interpreted by the main
the absence of strong, supporting an ancestral Persian composition. The
percussion instruments like the dholak soloist, the mohri, in a recitative mode
historical evidence—Amir Khusro for session traditionally ends with a rang
or tabla, or synchronized hand clapping unaccompanied by the percussion. Then
example—while yet others, particularly (literally meaning ‘colour’), a hymn
by the chorus, is located behind the the actual poem is sung, often structured
the most modern or contemporary attributed to Amir Khusro in homage to
main singers the mohri and avazia, around verses and a refrain. A typical
authors, have been clearly identified. his Master, Nizamuddin Auliya.
who are seated in front and ‘feel the qawwali session normally begins—but can
beat with their body’, as the Pakistani The poem, however, only really takes also sometimes end with—the qaul ‘Man During a traditional session in a
anthropologist Adam Nayyar 6 says. on its true shape and meaning when it kunto Maula’, enunciating the principle of sanctuary—called dargah, mazar or darbar
is sung, declaimed, propagated, thrown spiritual lineage essential to Sufism: ‘Man as the most famous shrines, like that of
In the past, to reinforce the melodic
in the world’s face by professional kunto Maula, Fa Ali-un-Maula’ 7 (Whoever Ali Hujweri, the patron saint of Lahore,
line, instruments like the sarangi, sitar,
interpreters. The best of them are accepts me as a master, Ali is his Master are known—the qawwals speak directly to
dilruba or sarod were used. Little by
permeated as deeply by the message too), a hadith attributed to Prophet the saint or the spiritual master, the gaddi
little, however, these instruments were
transmitted as by the appropriate Mohammed, said to have been set to nashin, of the place (literally ‘he who sits
abandoned to be replaced by the small,
vocal and musical rules, as well as their music by Amir Khusro who added several on the cushion’, assimilated to a throne) or
portable harmonium that required little or
vast opportunities for improvization. verses in Farsi. to his representative. They call upon him,
no tuning.
Fundamentally a contextual music, using their song to stimulate their love for
This qaul is generally followed by a hamd,
A qawwali is primarily a Sufi poem set
a poem in praise of God, followed in
to a musical base; it draws essentially
turn by a naat, a text dedicated to the
on the north Indian Hindustani musical
Prophet Mohammed, and then by one or
tradition. While the classical language
several manqabat, poems in praise of Ali
of qawwali is Persian—or Farsi—the 7 . h t t p s: //su fi p oe t r y . wor d p r e ss. c om/t a g/ma n -
6. Adam Nayyar, 'Qawwali', (Lok Virsa Research Centre,
(the prophet’s son-in-law, often revered
historical languages spoken by the Islamabad, undated work) ku n t o-ma u l a /

18 19
N U S R AT Q aw wali o f y es ter day an d to day

Allah, the Prophet Mohammed, Ali and offerings or vel, can also be handed or celebration of an ‘amin’, when a child, half of the twentieth century hugely
the Sufi saints. In their poems, they evoke thrown directly to the main singer, and often around ten years old, has just reinforced the distribution of qawwali
the unbearable sadness of the separation distributed later on. finished learning to recite the Koran. as a ‘modern’—hence secular—form of
created by birth or the feverish wait for However, qawwals are often invited to musical expression—both in India and
The whole process described above
reunion. The interpretation of a poem overtly secular events such as weddings, Pakistan. The gramophone, radio, cinema,
is, in fact, the manner in which a
can last ten minutes, twenty minutes, or births, company celebrations, a private audio cassettes, then television, video and
traditional qawwali session unfolds.
an hour, depending on the audience’s event to celebrate a promotion, for now DVD and the Internet dramatically
Nusrat participated in hundreds of them,
reaction, their signs of approval, and the charitable causes, to bring together transformed the way we access qawwali
just as qawwals who are still deeply
emotional states that surface. If someone compatriots who are settled abroad, and practise it.
rooted in their practice regularly do. The
particularly sensitive to the poetry and to spread a specific message, or quite
important occasions in the tradition are The earliest qawwali recordings date
its musical interpretation is overcome by simply to appreciate a wonderful voice
the celebration of the death anniversary back to the beginning of the twentieth
mystical convulsions and enters into a and share the pleasure of listening. In
of a saint, the urs, or more commonly, century, but it is mainly from the 1930s -
state of trance, the qawwals must then these situations, the same Sufi poems
Thursday nights, the Sufi night par ’40s onwards that well-off Muslim families
accompany him to the best of their ability, can be interpreted by the same singers,
excellence, when the departed and their acquired gramophones and could listen
to help him live out the ‘experience’ of this but the context and the meaning will be
union with the divine lover is celebrated. to recordings by famous artists of the time,
fleeting encounter with the Beloved by totally different.
like Pearu and Kaloo qawwals, in their
maintaining an intense vocal and musical …and Secular Practice A continuation of the days of court own homes. The musicians' reputations
rhythm. They then help him to return to his Nonetheless, today the qawwali genre music, which involved the highly were enhanced by radio broadcasts or
place in the community by means of is and has long been present in secular reputed lineages of qawwals who were shops playing their music in the market,
a decrescendo. society, at a thousand and one social often intimately connected to families thus guaranteeing them large audiences
In a traditional setting, the devotees make events to lend them a specific flavour. It is of classical musicians, this secular usage when they performed in concert halls
their offerings to the qawwal through the also increasingly present at all times and of qawwali gained great popularity due or at open air venues. As urban singers,
intermediary of the gaddi nashin who everywhere through the vast numbers of to two events that occurred during the they interpreted and recorded popular
‘purifies’ the money before it is placed audio and video recordings available on last century: the arrival of electronic poems in easily comprehensible Urdu,
before or thrown to the musicians. The the market and via the Internet. media and the entertainment industry, with simple melodic lines, supported by a
latter hand over all the tributes they As a live concert, a qawwali programme and the creation of Pakistan. strong rhythm and frequent returns to the
receive to the master of ceremonies and can be organized to celebrate a family refrain. Targeting an urban middle class,
an elaborate system of division ensures
Recorded qawwali who often had little knowledge of Persian
ceremony that still retains an explicitly
that the revenue is fairly shared amongst The widespread development of and a summary knowledge of Sufi culture,
religious connotation, such as the
all those involved. However, these cultural enterprises during the second these qawwals added a large number of

20 21
N U S R AT Q aw wali o f y es ter day an d to day

girah verses explaining or commenting Bombay film industry, ‘filmi qawwali’, A Na tiona l Qawwali 1947 onwards, it also became necessary
the poem, often in a narrative style. In developed, which often took the form of to amalgamate populations of very
The other determining factor in the
these secular contexts of entertainment, a duel between two groups of qawwals different origins—Punjabis, Sindhis,
modern evolution of qawwali was the
originally the favourite themes (often who confronted each other in a poetic Baluchis, Pashtuns and Urdu speakers
division of British India and the emergence
naats, in praise of Prophet Mohammed) joust. This genre gave rise to innumerable who had migrated from India—into a
of Pakistan, the ‘land of the pure’ revered
could also include the changing social and film sequences, one of the most famous is single nation around common symbols.
by the poet Mohammad Iqbal.
political realities of the time. from the 1960s, portraying the antagonism
Radio Pakistan’s role in reinforcing the
between two groups of women qawwals in As is evident in the case of Nusrat’s father
Cinema also largely contributed to a Pakistani national identity, particularly
a masterpiece of Indian cinema, Mughal- and uncle, the qawwali genre soon found
secular popularization of the qawwali through its support of the qawwali genre,
e-Azam by K. Asif. Some music directors, itself at the centre of the cultural and
style, taking it far beyond the traditional was a determining one in this respect.
like the Laxmikant-Pyarelal duo who symbolic expressions that the Muslim
audience of Sufi sanctuaries. The While the newly independent All India
focused on qawwali were highly honoured, League specifically drew upon in their
relationship between qawwali and the Radio ceased almost totally to broadcast
winning the trophy for the best musical process of popular mobilization for the
Bombay film industry in India is an old qawwali for many years (it was to return
directors at the Filmfare awards in 1977 cause of a national homeland. A vigorous
one—going as far back as the 1930s in the 1960s, mainly targeting a Muslim
for the film Amar Akbar Antony. The pivot choral type of singing which strongly
with qawwals making an appearance in and rural population) in Pakistan on the
of the film is the qawwali ‘Pardah Hai appealed to a sense of community, a
certain sequences. It was Zeenat, Shaukat contrary, the national radio played a
Pardah’ sung in playback by the famous dynamic form of music which easily
Hussein Rizvi’s blockbuster, that marked key role in stimulating it. Not only did it
Mohammed Rafi, who also won an award drew crowds, qawwali was based on
this trend in 1945, featuring for the first broadcast ‘religious’ qawwali programmes
that year for his rendition. poems composed in Persian, Urdu or
time a sequence showing a trio of female every Thursday and Friday evening, it also
Punjabi. All these languages belonged
qawwali singers, including the future As Regula Burckhardt Qureshi notes, participated in creating and broadcasting
to the Muslim cultural sphere that had
‘Queen of Melody’, Noor Jahan. the Bombay film industry successfully a ‘national’ genre of qawwali, known as
historically developed during the best days
adapted the qawwali genre to a totally Iqbaliyat qawwali, based on the work
The qawwali style of singing became so of the Sultanate of Delhi and the Mughal
secular context, most often in ‘Muslim of the visionary national poet, Allama
popular in the 1950s and ‘60s that a genre domination of India. These factors made
Social films where a colourful qawwali- Mohammad Iqbal.
of qawwali specifically designed for the it the musical genre of predilection to
type group song, sung by men and/
popularize the fervour of a political and This support for the qawwali style was
or women, served to invoke a typical
national conviction, all the more so as it all the more remarkable as other artistic
Muslim atmosphere while introducing
could be embodied by famous interpreters forms, such as classical Hindustani music
musical and visual variety (…): group
8. Regula Burckhardt Qureshi, ‘Exploring Qawwali and whose talent appealed to the crowds. or dance were to decline drastically. They
‘Gramophone Culture’ in South Asia’, Popular Music, singing, hand clapping, rhythmic
(vol.18/1, Cambridge University Press, 1990), p. 82
were considered too ‘Indian’ and ‘non-
accentuation and crisp articulation.’ 8 Once Pakistani was formed, from August

22 23
N U S R AT Q aw wali o f y es ter day an d to day

Muslim’. Besides, their traditional patrons, well as in terms of musical innovation.

well-off Hindu or Sikh families, had for
Some of the great figures of the Pakistani
the most part emigrated to India. Seeing
qawwali national stage thus emerged,
the disregard for these scholarly traditions,
both in Punjab as well as in Karachi. In
several exponents of classical music who
Punjab, it was the brothers Fateh and
had emigrated to Pakistan, like the famous
Mubarak Ali Khan, or other eminent
Bade Ghulam Ali Khan finally decided
qawwals like Santoo Khan, who used their
to return to India, further impoverishing
classical inheritance and their personal
the land.
talent to broaden the traditional audience
In what concerns qawwali however, in for qawwali. In Karachi, a modest port
addition to the official support it received promoted to the status of Pakistan’s
and the vast number of sanctuaries that cosmopolitan capital until the 1960s,
existed in Pakistan, the mass arrival in a city where all kinds of immigrants
Karachi of Urdu-speaking migrants from gathered, the names of Munshi Raziuddin,
all over India could only enhance its Manzor Nyazi and Bahaudin qawwals or
popularity. A large number of qawwals Ghulam Farid Sabri, who had all come
crossed the new border, each one bringing from neighbouring India, were soon who was a court musician under the (Above) Madhubala
impresses the Mughal
their local regional style with them. This recognized and acclaimed. Mughal emperor, Akbar. Ghulam Farid prince in the classic
stimulated exchanges, competitions and Sabri settled in Karachi at the time of
qawwali 'Teri Mehfil Mein
Along with Nusrat’s family, Ghulam Qismat' from Mughal-e-
emulation, in the effervescence of the Partition and the depth and impact of
Azam film (1960).
Farid Sabri, in particular, played a key (Right) A DVD collection
construction of a new nation, a goal that all his interpretation made him immensely of Hindi-film qawwalis.
role in the contemporary vulgarization Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud
the new arrivals were committed to. popular in his adopted country, where
of an artistic style of qawwali that
The Gramophone Company of Pakistan was performed outside its traditional he was recorded as early as 1958 by
(later to be called EMI) enjoyed a quasi context. Ghulam Farid Sabri was trained EMI Pakistan. to break the continuity of the text and its
monopoly of private musical recording in Hindustani classical music as well as For a while, the recordings by his qawwali message. He focused on ‘salient musical
and distribution just as it had done in qawwali and came from the Indian part group even became models to be phrases of a few popularly known ragas like
India during the 1930s. It also found a of Punjab. He belonged to a musical emulated. Although Ghulam Farid Sabri Darbari, a raga associated with the Mughal
fertile market there, both with regard to lineage that is said to trace its heritage improvized brilliantly around ragas, these court of Akbar, which serve to evoke
the preservation of a certain tradition as back to Mian Tansen, the legendary artist passages were carefully timed in order not Muslim high culture without demanding

24 25
N U S R AT Q aw wali o f y es ter day an d to day

a sophisticated ear’ 9. In addition, the large ‘television qawwali’ audiences, the

quality of his musical renditions in a massive distribution of cassettes amongst Chishtya Brotherhood
qawwali genre, largely dominated by the the emerging middle class, the continuing The Chishtya brotherhood (from the name of the village called Chisht, in Afghanistan) is
text and demonstrating a wide melodic government support through the considered the ‘Indian brotherhood, par excellence’ *. It is, in fact, the group that went the
and rhythmic variety, also played a large organization of festivals and tours abroad, furthest in developing the encounter between a Sufi mysticism that initially came from
role in his success. In terms of rhythm, contributed to enhancing qawwali’s image elsewhere, (the Middle East and Central Asia) and spiritual trends that had earlier taken root in
Ghulam Farid Sabri was to make a marked and presence as a distinct element of the Indian subcontinent, Hindu Vedanta and Buddhism, in particular.

use of the dholak and tabla, imitating Pakistani national culture beyond any Founded by Abu Ishaq Shami (known as ‘the Syrian’, he died in 940 AD), it was introduced into
in this ‘Middle-Eastern drumbeats to religious context. Nevertheless, all these India by the Sufi ascetic, Mohinuddin Chishti (died around 1235). The latter settled in Ajmer, in
enhance the increasingly popular Arabic qawwals also remained fundamentally today’s Rajasthan, where he soon gathered a large core group of disciples, while his faith in the
oneness of the being (wahdat-al-wujud) and his compassion soon found an echo amongst the
text inserts or refrains by imparting an attached to their traditional practice in the
people. For him, a friend of God had to have ‘as much warmth as the sun that lights up the whole
Arab musical flavour which acoustically country’s Sufi sanctuaries, and qawwali
world, the generosity of a river that quenches anybody’s thirst, and the hospitality of the earth
suggests the abode of Islam and remained an expression that mainly that welcomes all its children’. He preached renunciation of material goods and independence
its Prophet.’ 10
touched Indo-Pakistani audiences. from governments. He championed self-discipline, prayer and fasting, sharing of food and
wealth, respect for other religions, and the celebration of music and poetry in the context of the
In 1967, the arrival of television with its The strong winds of globalization that
mystical concert, sama, as a means to spiritual ascension.
weekly qawwali programmes gave the blew during the later years of the
genre further recognition as a high form twentieth century were to distinctively His main successors were Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakar (Baba Farid) and
Amir Khusro’s teacher, Nizamuddin Auliya. It was the latter who structured and developed the
of artistic expression. Television also nuance these original links and thrust
order, sending emissaries or khalîfa throughout Muslim India of the time. With his disciple, Amir
provided each group of qawwals with a qawwali and certain qawwals to the
Khusro, he also consolidated the foundations of an Indo-Persian literature deeply marked by
national visual identity, allowing them to forefront of our musical modernity. The mysticism.
be recognized individually: Ghulam Farid name of the most influential intermediary
A large number of minor or more recent Sufi orders, including some within the Indo-Pakistani
Sabri with his long red hair, Aziz Mian’s was: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. diaspora scattered all over the world, pay allegiance to the Chishtya brotherhood, which has
furious gesticulations (he was another become one of the four ‘major’ Sufi orders of the Indian subcontinent. The other three are the
very popular qawwal ‘who fought on Qadirya, Suhrawardiya and Naqshbandya orders.
God’s side’, with his flamboyant narrative
style and his chorus with their vigorous * Marc Gaborieau, ‘Le sous-continent indien’, in Les Voies d’Allah, edited by A. Popovic and Gilles Veinstein, (Fayard, Paris, 1996) p. 291.

repetitions) and later, Nusrat, with his

inspired Buddha-like stature.
9. Ibid, p. 88
These distinctive signs, reinforced by the 10. Ibid

26 27
N U S R AT Q aw wali o f y es ter day an d to day

Musical Instruments As for the dholak, it is a small, elongated drum with a skin on each side, played lying
horizontally. The skin on the right side is a simple one, while the left side is partially covered
The voices of the solo singers supported by a male chorus with their hand clapping, represent
by a mineral mixture (dholak masala) to modulate the pitch and allow for multiple effects. The
the basis of qawwali, the sung text being the very essence of this musical genre.
dholak’s prestige seems to have declined somewhat over time, although it still remains the most
Nonetheless, percussion instruments also seem to have been present since the beginning, along popular percussion instrument in the Indian subcontinent, particularly appreciated and played
with the instruments reinforcing the melodic line. Amongst the latter, the sarangi, the small by women.
Indian harmonium, with its bellows, and to a lesser degree, the shehnai, are the most popular.
With regard to the melodic instruments, the sarangi with its ‘hundred colours’ (one of the literal
The sitar and the tanpura as well as the qin harp were also used.
interpretations of the word) is considered one of the closest instrument to the human voice due
Rhythm is a primordial element of qawwali: declaiming the song to a precise rhythm, hand to its capacity to reproduce a huge variety of intonations and microtones. Thanks to its vast range
clapping and a marked use of instruments in this manner are essential to creating the desired of possibilities, it is popular with musicians and learned audiences. Today, it has been somewhat
emotional impact on the listener. The rhythmic instruments indissociable from qawwali remain neglected as it is a difficult instrument to master and tuning its thirty strings can be quite time-
the tabla and the dholak. consuming, particularly when it needs to be re-tuned during a concert if the singer changes
The legend behind the tabla often has it that the instrument was created during the thirteenth pitch.
century by none other than the famous poet and musician, Amir Khusro, who had divided an Currently, the small portable bellow harmonium is the most frequently used melodic instrument
antique pakhawaj into two. It also describes an angry musician who is said to have thrown his in qawwali, as in the majority of popular musical styles in the north of the subcontinent. In order
mrindangam on the ground. Whatever its origin, the tabla is made up of two drums, the dayan, to enliven Christian services, the drawing room and church harmonium was brought to India
a small cylinder made of a hollowed out single piece of wood and the bayan, a clay or metal by European missionaries in the middle of the nineteenth century, shortly after it was invented
bowl. Both of these are covered with goatskin. A paste, called ‘suru’, a mixture of flour and iron, by the French accordion maker, Alexandre-François Debain. It served to accompany their church
is applied to the centre of the skin to form a black circle, the ‘syahi’, that serves to produce the services and prayers. Nonetheless, as that particular type of harmonium did not really suit the
fundamental harmonic. The instrument is tuned by means of leather straps and wooden wedges local requirements—it was too large; its mechanism was too sophisticated, and hence fragile;
positioned around the goatskin. Six schools or gharanas of tabla developed over the centuries, the musician needed to sit on a chair to play it, and moreover, he had his back to the audience—it
amongst them the vigorous Punjab gharana, to which Dildar Hussain, Nusrat’s regular tabla was soon adapted by Dwarkanath Ghose, a clever Bengali instrument maker. Using the same
player belongs. It is to be noted that the tabla set generally used for qawwali in the Punjab, principle of free reeds, bellows and keyboards, he added a drone and transformed it into the
like the one Dildar Hussain uses, is not the traditional tabla, but an amazing variant of it. The small bellow instrument that we know today. As it was easy to play, the invention was rapidly
difference resides in the fact that the bayan (the metal bowl) is often replaced by a bigger dayan- adopted by the musicians of the subcontinent. Although it is only capable of reproducing
like wooden cylinder called dhamma or jori, which provides a deeper bass. As is the case for the temperate scales with twelve equal chromatic intervals (and thus lacks the subtler microtones of
pakhawaj, there is no syahi on the dhamma, but the bass is obtained by applying a fresh dough the Indian scales, as well as the capacity to reproduce meends or glissandos, an essential part
made of wheat flour to the leather membrane just before it is played. This alchemy contributes of the classical tradition), it nonetheless offers a wide variety of options and can be adapted to
to the magic of the sound and the legend of this instrument. different contexts and musical genres.

28 29
N U S R AT Q aw wali o f y es ter day an d to day

Khwaja Mohinuddin Chishti's Dargah,

Ajmer Sharif, 1893
Courtesy Wikipedia.org

30 31
 Na man behooda girde kocha wa bazaar megardam
Mazaj-e-ashiqee daram paye dildar megardam
Khudaya rahm kon bar man pareeshan waar megardam
Khata karam gonahgaram ba hale zaar megardam
Sharabe showq menosham ba girde yaar megardam
Sukhan mastana megoyam walay hooshyaar megardam
Lineage
No I am not roaming aimlessly around the streets and bazaar
I am a lover searching for his beloved
God have mercy on me, I am walking around troubled
I have sinned and am walking around wounded
I have drunk the wine of desire and am strolling around beloved
Though I may seem drunk, I am quite sober Source: ‘Na Man Behooda Girde Kocha’(Munajaat by Jalal ud-Din Rumi) from http://.sufipoetry.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/na-man-
behuda-rumi/; Poem transcription by Qausain; Translated from the Persian by Farah Aziz
 Nusrat’s
N u s r at' s li n eag e

poems he loved to sing. This town was Chishti. The latter’s disciple and

Lineage the cradle from where the Pashtuns seem

to have emigrated many centuries ago.
As a reminder of the high prestige the
historical land of the Pathans (or Pashtuns)
enjoyed, some members of Nusrat’s
family still express great pride in their
designated successor, Hazrat Qutubuddin
Bakhtiar Kaki, died a few months before
his master. He left to join Allah after
entering into a trance induced during
a ritual mehfil-e-sama, a spiritual music
session. He is said to have collapsed on
origins: ‘We are Pathans!’ announces hearing this Persian verse:
Aurangzeb emphatically. He is the son of
‘Those who are slain by the dagger of
Mujahid Mubarak, Nusrat’s first cousin,
Sufism is largely regulated through a process of initiation. surrender, receive every moment a new
who performed for over twenty years with
Knowledge and experience are handed down from the life from the unseen’
Nusrat in the family group.
master, murshid, to the disciple, murid, from one generation It was thus another of Chishti’s close
to the next. Genealogical lines are thus carefully studied These Pathan ancestors settled in a
followers who took on the succession:
and serve as constant reminders in a person’s life and small village close to Jalandhar in what
Fariduddin, affectionately known as
trajectory. Everyone draws their legitimacy from references is the Indian Punjab today. Later, the
Baba Farid Ganj-i-Shakar (literally Sugar
to a specific lineage of illustrious spiritual masters or famous place came to be known as Basti Sheikh
Mountain), a great poet who is still
physical ancestors. Darwish, the village of the Sheikh Dervish,
revered today by countless disciples and
a sign of their ascetic master’s influence in
Nusrat’s family is no exception to the rule, although the devotees in Pakistan and in India. Baba
the region.
centuries are marked by uncertainty. Farid’s shrine in Pakpattan is located in
This period saw the arrival in India of a the Pakistani Punjab, a few kilometres
Spiritual Descent wave of Sufi missionaries who followed from the border with India. His urs or
The family epic indicates that it is towards the end of the in the wake of the Muslim conquerors. death anniversary is one of the most
twelfth century that Nusrat’s ancestors followed their guide, A large number of them were monks important events for the qawwals and
the Sufi ascetic Hazrat Sheikh who came from Afghanistan belonging to the Chishtya brotherhood, they all make it a point to go there each
to propagate the message of Islam in India. Nusrat also disciples of Khwaja Mohinuddin Chishti, year at the beginning of the Islamic
mentioned that his family came from the historic town of who came to the subcontinent to spread month of Muharram. A large number of
Balkh, just like the famous poet Jalal ud-Dîn Rûmi, whose Prophet Mohammed’s message. the poems Nusrat sang were composed
by, or in homage to, Baba Farid.
As a follower of Hazrat Sheikh, Nusrat is a
direct spiritual descendant of Mohinuddin One of the twenty-two disciples Baba

35
N U S R AT N u s r at' s li n eag e

Farid formally recognized was his nephew, claims allegiance not directly to Alauddin beginning of the twentieth century. Another version of this story recounts that
Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari. Alauddin’s mother Sabir Kaliyari, but to one of his spiritual Mubarak Ali Khan, one of his sons, said Amir Khusro chose twelve particularly
had entrusted the child to the saint’s descendants, Khwaja Muhammad Diwan, of him that he was ‘the greatest qawwal. talented boys whom he taught to interpret
care upon his father’s death. Nicknamed whose tomb is located in the Jalandhar Much better than me!’. 1
his own ragas. 4 In any event, even today,
Sabir (the patient one) by Baba Farid, he region, near Hoshiarpur. The one time the qawwals associated with Nizamuddin
From Haji Maruf to Maula Baksh and then
founded the sub-brotherhood of Chishtya when Nusrat’s father and uncle, Fateh Auliya’s dargah in Delhi claim allegiance
to Nusrat, according to Nusrat’s own
Sabirya, a spiritual lineage that Nusrat’s and Mubarak Ali Khan, were permitted to this famous lineage that emphasizes a
testimony 2 , the family line descends
family is historically associated with. to return to India after Partition (they deep knowledge of poetry and the correct
from the famous Qawwal Bacche gharana
His dargah is located at Kaliyar Sharif, were invited to attend Raj Kapoor, the pronunciation of words, particularly in
(literally ‘the qawwal children’s school’)
near Roorkee, Uttarakhand in India, Indian film star’s wedding in 1958), they Persian, the classical language of qawwali.
founded under Nizamuddin Auliya, the
and remains the site of a very important insisted on going to pray at the saint’s The style of the music has evolved
Sufi saint of Delhi. In her wonderful
annual pilgrimage during the saint’s tomb. Because of the historical tension somewhat with the incorporation of new
book, Qawwali, la musique des maîtres
urs. The importance this saint still enjoys and enmity between the two neighbouring rhythmical patterns and new instruments
du soufisme, Claire Devos recounts the
today amongst Pakistani devotees countries, Nusrat, a Pakistani citizen was like the small portable harmonium.
legendary story of the creation of this
is revealed in the fact that Pakistan’s never in his lifetime allowed to visit this
school: This ‘Qawwali Bacche’ school
religious affairs ministry announces this Indian shrine, although he was often
‘Mian Samat was born deaf and dumb. distinguished itself through some of its
urs on its website and even informs allowed to travel to India.
He came to Hazrat Nizamuddin who rubbed brilliant classical musicians, particularly
the pilgrims who want to go there of
some of his saliva on Mian Samat’s lips. the khyal singers, one of the greatest of
the formalities to be carried out in
Family Genealogy
Samat began to speak and to hear. them being the famous Tan Ras Khan. He
order to obtain an Indian visa. His aura According to Ahmad Aqeel Ruby,
Then Nizamuddin said to his disciple was an outstanding artist who officiated
seems to be truly international: this Nusrat’s Pakistani biographer, his
Amir Khusro:
shrine, presented as a ‘place of Muslim genealogy can be traced back nine
“Teach this child music”.
healing’, is also included in the tours generations. The oldest certified
He was initiated into music and was
offered to some French groups seeking ancestor seems to be Haji Maruf,
taught qawwali.
spiritual renewal in India. A branch of followed by Muhammad Sharif, then
When Samat grew up, Nizamuddin had him 1. Karim Dad, one of Mubarak Ali Khan’s sons, private
this Sufi Chishtya Sabirya order has also Amanat Khan, Saadat Dad, Khaliq sing at the darba-i-Auliya, interview with the author, Faisalabad, May 2007

blossomed in South Africa, and it certainly Dad, Jehangir Khan and Miran Baksh. 2. Film Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the Last Prophet, by
The Saint’s royal court. Jérôme de Missolz, (Music Planet/Arte France - Morgan
played a big role in bringing Nusrat and The latter’s son, Maula Baksh, Nusrat’s Production, 1996), DVD, 2001
He became Nizamuddin’s qawwal,
grandfather, seems to have been a 3. Quoted by Claire Devos, Qawwali, la musique des maîtres
his group to the country in 1983. du soufisme, (éditions du Makar, Paris, 1995), p.24
And his descendants were called the
very famous qawwal of the time, the Qawwali Bacche”. 3 4. www. sufinews.blogspot.com
Nonetheless, Nusrat’s family today

36 37
 N U S R AT N u s r at' s li n eag e

Nawazish Ali

*Sources: Aqeel Rubi, Ud. Ghulam Haider Khan and personal author’s research with Nusrat’s family support, particularly Karim Dad, Nafees Jahan and Saqab Ali
+ ANWAR BIBI
at the court of the last Mughal emperor, few whose lineages were so strongly

Kokab Ali

Mukarab Ali
Rajab Ali
Ajab Ali
Saqib Ali
Bahadur Shah. The fertile imagination marked by this kind of classical training,
(the original meaning of the term ‘khyal’) which they constantly revived through
this school demonstrated provided a rich their concerts. The incredible freedom
foundation of knowledge and musical of musical and vocal improvization they

Fazal Bibi
tradition for Nusrat’s ancestors. gained through this rigorous training
undoubtedly enhanced their reputation.
The other musical legacy that particularly
Indeed, the brothers Fateh and Mubarak
inspired Nusrat’s family is, again according
Ali Khan, accompanied on the harmonium
to his own statements 5, the Dagar
by a third brother, Salamat, were
family who represent the dhrupad style.
Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s family tree*

NIDA FATIMA
immensely popular during the last years
While the ancient sources of dhrupad
Umair Bibi

of colonial India.
can be traced back to Vedic chanting,
+ Zinat (nicknamed Mâ Joni)

the present form of dhrupad gained Trained by their father Maula Baksh, the
Muhammad Sharif

Jehangir Khan
Amanat Khan

Maula Baksh
Saadat Khan
Haji Maroof

Miran Baksh
Khaliq Dad

+ RifFat Sultana
popularity at the courts of the Mughal two brothers sang together for almost
+ NahiD Nusrat
Nafees Jahan
Anees Kossar
Bilqis Basala
Kaniz Fatima

emperors, with an emphasis on a long forty-five years. Scholars, creative experts

Farrukh
NUSRAT

prelude or alap, a detailed exploration of on the tabla and the harmonium, as

Rahat
Afsheen BIBI
Amana BIBI
Arruj Fatima BIBI
Wajahat Ali
+ Nathi BIBI

the different facets of the raga. The deep well as masters of the sitar, sarod, the
Fateh Ali

interiority that characterizes the Dagar vichitraveena and even the violin, they
Naheed (wife of Nusrat)

family’s style, the amplitude and delicate were also unparalleled singers who knew
patience in the revelation of the mood of thousands of texts in Punjabi, Urdu, Arabic
Nadeem Amjad

Bazghah BIBI

the raga, are clearly visible in the qawwali and Persian. Drawing on his classical
Naveed BIBI
Asad Ali

interpretations sung by Nusrat’s ancestors foundation, Fateh embellished his qawwali

+ Saeeda Bibi
Salamat Ali

whose reputation we know. This influence renditions with sargam techniques, which
Aurangzeb

is evident in his grandfather Maula consisted of singing the names of the

Muazzam
Rizwan
Zubair

Baksh’s style and particularly in his father

Fateh Ali Khan and his uncle Mubarak
Ghulam Saber
Khurshid BIBI

Ali Khan’s interpretations.

Arshad BIBI

Rahim Dad
Tawwaqal

Karim Dad
Mujahid
+ Bakhtwar Bibi

At the time of Independence, amongst

Mubarak Ali

the qawwali musician families, there were 5. In the film Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the Last Prophet, op.cit

38 39
N U S R AT N u s r at' s li n eag e

notes of the musical scale within the During the years leading up to According to Karim Dad, one of Nusrat’s neighbours. Given the brothers’ fame and
structure of a raga, a technique that Nusrat Independence, as involved citizens they first cousins who recently passed away, their commitment to the cause of the new
brilliantly adopted and developed. also participated wholeheartedly in the and was a child at the time, his father, Pakistani nation, the government seems
movement demanding the creation of Mubarak, and his uncle Fateh Ali Khan to have looked after them generously
With their constant capacity for
Pakistan. They performed all over India, were so well known and popular in India when they arrived.
innovation, the two brothers took the
specifically for the Muslim League, during the 1940s that there was a price
Punjabi style of qawwali, the famous The family did not remain in Lahore for
Mohammed Ali Jinnah’s party, and played on their heads at the time of Partition.
Punjabi ang to new heights. In addition long, however. They were offered the
an important role in spreading Allama According to him, Hindu fanatics were
to the wealth of the sargams, this Punjabi opportunity to move a few hundred
Iqbal’s writings. The latter, a visionary poet, offering the sum of forty thousand rupees,
ang is characterized by the inclusion of kilometres north, to the small town of
had a strong influence on the theory of a considerable amount at the time, to
verses, often in a language different to Lyallpur, named after Sir Charles James
two separate nations, one for the Hindus anyone who would do away with them!
the main poem, and the addition of a Lyall, a former governor of Punjab
and another for the Muslims and thus the Karim Dad says it was Mohammed Ali
commentary on or explanation of the during the days of British India. In 1977,
need to obtain a separate state for the Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, who
theme. It is also marked by strong beats the name of the town was changed to
Muslims who were a minority in the Indian intervened personally to ensure they
produced either by the tabla or dholak, or Faisalabad, after King Faysal of Saudi
subcontinent. The two brothers set some were provided a safe vehicle to travel
by the chorus’ clapping. Arabia who fervently supported Pakistan
of Iqbal’s poems to music and performed through the province of Punjab that was
and made generous donations to the
Fateh and Mubarak Ali Khan and their them in the qawwali style throughout to be divided, and particularly to cross
new state.
family qawwali group of course sang British India. This poetry could sometimes the new border between Jalandhar (on
essentially in the Sufi dargahs of the be considered difficult to understand; the Indian side, where they had lived From the time they had started singing,
subcontinent. Their main activity took while it may have been admired in for generations) and Lahore, Punjab’s Fateh and Mubarak Ali Khan travelled
place during the yearly pilgrimages, which intellectual circles, it was little known historical capital, which was assigned every year to this town in the west
could be modest or highly prestigious, amongst the popular classes, and Fateh to Pakistan. of Punjab, for the Sufi Saint Lasoori
like the visit to Khwaja Moinuddin and so Mubarak Ali Khan’s contribution Shah’s urs. He was immensely popular
Chishti’s tomb in Ajmer, or Nizamuddin was essential to widely popularizing
E migra tion to P a kista n in the region and their own pir,
Auliya’s dargah in Delhi. Nonetheless, Iqbal’s message in support of the two Lahore was where the whole family Khwaja Muhammad Diwan, also had
like their elders, they also performed nation theory. In 1945, they were very well went initially, during those uncertain connections to him. Invited by the gaddi
at a large number of private concerts paid for the times when they performed days of 1947 and 1948, a period of mad nashin, the guardian of Lasoori Shah’s
in Rajah’s courts or the houses of other at private concerts in Bombay and they hope and carnage, new beginnings shrine, the Ali Khan family decided to
nobles, to celebrate marriages, births or donated these fees to a fund supporting and disasters, nostalgia for a lost unity move to Lyallpur and ended up settling
other family or social occasions. the Pakistani cause. and hopes of a promising future as in the very street where the shrine was

40 41
N U S R AT N u s r at' s li n eag e

located, just a stone’s throw from Thursday evenings and Fridays.

Dargah of Pir Khwaja Muhammad Diwan. Nusrat’s family’s
Pir at Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Indian Punjab the mausoleum.
Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud
Their radio broadcasts were an
Before Partition, Lyallpur was a smallish important contribution to bringing
town with a strong Hindu and Sikh people together to listen to qawwali.
minority, most of whom emigrated to With their participation, it gradually
India later. Inversely, a large number developed into a social, public and
of Muslim families, who settled in the secular genre, at the crossroads
Lyallpur area, came from Jalandhar, a of a religious practice and artistic
predominantly Hindu and Sikh town. performance. All the more so, as in
When it turned into Faisalabad, this Regula Burckhardt Qureshi’s words:
town became one of Pakistan’s industrial ‘Listeners were guided by this official
and textile capitals and some of its patronage, consuming qawwali as
businessmen became the new patrons. an approved package of Muslim
entertainment-cum-devotion.’ 6
Government support for national
qawwali, a distinctive element of the In contrast to this official support for
new Pakistani culture, combined with qawwali, the great tradition of Hindustani
the two brothers’ stellar reputation, classical music now became the poor
gave the group access to a large number relative. The new Pakistani authorities saw
of secular official programmes and this musical form as too ‘Indian’. As for
opened the doors of the nascent Radio the traditional patrons, often Hindus or
Pakistan to them. They were immediately Sikhs, they had immigrated to India and
attributed the prestigious grade of only a small number of wealthy Muslim
‘special artist class A+’ with a salary that families were still supporting this art
corresponded to their status. Although form. Classical musicians did not benefit
there were fewer concert opportunities
as private concerts had fizzled out, Radio
Pakistan provided them a guaranteed
basic income as the two musicians
performed there regularly, particularly on 6. Regula Burckhardt Qureshi, op. cit., p.90

42 43
N U S R AT N u s r at' s li n eag e

either from the profusion of Sufi shrines rare traces of exceptional recordings, qawwali its modern respectability in wider
that dotted the Pakistani landscape. This particularly sessions recorded by Raza society, they also remained fundamentally
was the primary space where qawwali Kazim in Lahore or by Mr. Rehmat, the connected to the faith underlying these
was anchored and spread from, the place founder of Rehmat Gramophone House in poems to the divine lover. Sufism,
where musicians could perform every day Lyallpur at the beginning of the 1960s, are the shrines, in fact this whole universe
and live off their talent. the only sound recordings of these artists remained the focus of their art and their
that remain. The prolific new generation practice. They were able to pass the same
Fateh and Mubarak’s reputation, however,
that was waiting in the wings was to burning passion on to their children,
went far beyond the Indo-Pakistani
completely transform this situation. leaving it to them to hold it close,
borders. During a concert in honour of
while adapting it to the shifting sands
the Shah of Iran who was visiting Pakistan, While the brothers Fateh and Mubarak
of the times.
Fateh and Mubarak sang in impeccable Ali Khan largely contributed to giving
Persian. According to the family history,
the Shah was so impressed that he
presented them his car, a Chevrolet, and
invited them to Iran!

Nonetheless, despite their huge public

success, the two brothers remained
outside the private recording circuit.
Their singing was never distributed
commercially. Somewhat jokingly, one day
Nusrat quoted Fateh, saying: ‘I don’t want
people to pay a little money and listen
to my voice’. 7 Some concerts broadcast
and preserved by Radio Pakistan, or

Sketch of Pir Khwaja Muhammad Diwan, from

7. Interview with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan by Jeff Buckley, in a portrait in Nusrat's family home, Faisalabad.
http://findarticles.com Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud

44 45
 Manam mehve khayal-e-oo, nami danam kuja raftam
Shudam gharkey wisal-e-oo, nami danam kuja raftam
Dil andar ishq-e-oo bastam, nami danam kuja raftam
First Steps

I am lost in the thoughts of my beloved, I know not where I am going

I am drowning in the moment of union with my beloved,
I know not where I am going
Source: ‘Manam Mehve Khayal-e-oo, Namee Danam Kuja Raftam’ ( by Hazrat Bu Ali Qalandar) from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Live in Paris,

Inside my heart resides my love, I know not where I am going March 1988, Ocora-Radio France CD volume 5, Paris; Roman transcription by Ghulam Farid Abbasi; Translated from the Persian by
Denis Matringe
 A n appr en ti ce q aw wal’ s fi r s t s teps

An Apprentice –’Pervez’, replied Fateh Ali Khan. with, he doubted a son as reserved, shy,

Qawwal’s –’Change this name at once. Do you know

who Pervez was? He was the King of Persia
who tore up the letter sent to him by the Holy
Prophet!(...) This name doesn’t augur well.
and as large as Nusrat could survive such
a demanding career, travelling throughout
Pakistan. With this in mind, he ensured
the child was not too closely exposed to

First Steps
It should not be the name of someone who
will tell the rosary of Allah, the Holy Prophet the musical milieu that passed through
(Peace upon him) and Ali!’
their home, and for a long time refused to
–’What should we name him, then?’ asked
include him in the circle of his students and
Fateh Ali Khan
musician friends.
–’Nusrat! Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan! or “the Path
On 13 October 1948, a baby boy was born to Fateh to Success”!’ It was impossible though, to ignore for
Ali Khan’s family—Pervez Fateh Ali Khan, also known by And thus it came about. long a family legacy that was so present in
his nickname, Paiji. He was the first boy, born after his son’s own blood. From very early on,
Nonetheless, Fateh Ali Khan still had
four girls, which made him the centre of attention and Nusrat was deeply interested in everything
no inkling that his son would become
everybody’s darling. related to music. In secret, he followed the
successful as an artist in the future. His
classes when his father was teaching some
His birth was celebrated with great ceremony. Many intention was to have him train as a doctor.
of his students, absorbing and storing away
reputed musicians, like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Lal Khan, Despite the respect and recognition he
all the knowledge he could, even trying to
and the young brothers Salamat and Nazakat Ali Khan, had received for his talent, Nusrat’s father
play the harmonium when his father was
came to the family home to pay homage to the newborn, was well aware that professional musicians
out of earshot.
who was already exhibiting a tendency to plumpness. were often accorded a very low status in
a traditional society like theirs and that One day, while Nusrat was engrossed
Very early on, certain signs seemed to predict a unique
a doctor would command far greater in his attempts to play one of the family
destiny for this child with his small hands and remarkable
respect. Maybe it was also that, to start harmoniums, he did not hear his father
corpulence.
enter the room. When he realized he was
One day, says the family legend quoted by Ahmad Aqeel there, behind him, he stopped playing,
Ruby 1, a pious Sufi friend (actually Pir Ghulam Gaus suddenly nervous. Fateh just smiled
Samadani according to Nusrat’s sister, Nafees Jahan)2 who and gave his son permission to play the
was visiting the family, asked what the last child’s name was. instrument, requesting him nonetheless to
1. Ahmed Aqeel Ruby, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, A Living
Legend, op.cit., p.45 concentrate primarily on his studies and his
2. Personal communication, discussion with the author,
Faisalabad, 2009 future as a doctor.

49
N U S R AT A n appr en ti ce q aw wal’ s fi r s t s teps

For young Nusrat, his father’s permission Now that he had realized his son’s himself wholeheartedly to his learning, being the eldest direct descendant. Now,
to play the harmonium was a blessing extraordinary skill, Fateh Ali Khan locking himself up in his room, spending during this mourning period, Mubarak
and he set about mastering both the abandoned his initial plans to make him sleepless nights absorbing his father’s told his son Karim Dad that in a dream
harmonium and the tabla. He also, on a healer of bodies, deciding‘ he would lessons and perfecting them. This he had seen the family Pir, Khwaja
occasion, received a few words of advice rather apply the balm of music to the training did not last long though as Muhammad Diwan, who had died a few
from his father, regarding the tabla to start wounded hearts of his listeners who Fateh Ali Khan was soon diagnosed with years before. In the presence of Fateh Ali,
with, as it is the source of all the ideas suffered the pangs of separation from throat cancer and died in March 1964, the latter had blessed Nusrat with his own
of rhythm so essential to qawwali; then their loved ones’, as Ahmad Aqeel Ruby just when Nusrat was appearing for his saliva, and declared he would sing and be
he helped him improve his skills on the puts it so poetically. 4
school-leaving exam. known the world over. 7
harmonium, and taught him to sing.
From this time on, he initiated him Shortly before his death, one of Nusrat’s A few days later, when certain members of
Soon after these events, Munawar Ali seriously into the mysteries of classical sisters, Kaniz Fatima, recalls an intense the family, but not Nusrat, were gathered
Khan, the son of the famous vocalist Bade music and qawwali. He began by moment: ‘When our father was going to in the main hall of the common house, a
Ghulam Ali Khan, who was settled in teaching Nusrat the tabla, then the leave us forever, he called us all around letter arrived from Ajmer (also known as
India, came to Pakistan and spent some harmonium and to sing the main ragas him and asked us to chant the Kalima. Ajmer Sharif) in Rajasthan, India. It was
time with Fateh Ali Khan. When their and the technique of chanting the We were doing his bidding, though while from the guardian of Khwaja Moinuddin
guest complained he had not managed poetic bol-baant phrases. The learning doing this, our hearts were sad and heavy. Chishti’s shrine. In this letter, he mentioned
to find a tabla player good enough to process was very demanding, and the At that moment, we felt that he looked that while the guardian and his family
accompany him, Fateh suggested his son voice had to be absolutely perfect. hard at Nusrat and he seemed to transfer were praying in memory of the late Fateh
Nusrat’s name. At Munawar Ali Khan’s Joking one day, Nusrat let slip: ‘When all his knowledge and power and skill to Ali Khan, seeking Allah’s blessings for
astonished expression once he had taken I sing, the distance between God and Nusrat through his eyes.’ 6 a successor to be found rapidly, they
a look at Nusrat, Fateh is said to have me decreases and the distance between received a divine sign, informing them that
During the forty days of mourning after
replied: ‘He is fat in his body, but his brain my cheek and my father’s right hand the successor had already been found.
Fateh Ali Khan’s death, Karim Dad,
is sharp!’ 3 Nusrat knew this was a crucial increases!’ 5 The young boy devoted While they were reading the letter, Nusrat
Nusrat’s first cousin, recounts a strange
test; if he failed, this would be the end of entered. Then at Nawazish Ali Khan, Fateh
event that occurred. Although he had
the trust his father had begun to place in
received a small amount of training from
him. He came through with flying colours,
his father, particularly in terms of voice
his skilful fingers dancing on the skin of
technique, Nusrat had not yet learnt
the tabla with lightning speed earning 3. Ibid, p.50
enough to lead the family group, as he
4. Ibid, p.50 6. Ahmad Aqeel Ruby, op. cit., p.87
him the Indian vocalist’s admiration.
5. Quoted by Denis Glazer, site www.over23.com should have according to family tradition, 7. Karim Dad, private conversation with the author, op.cit

50 51
N U S R AT A n appr en ti ce q aw wal’ s fi r s t s teps

and Mubarak’s elder brother’s request, he Ali Khan. I described the place in detail the head of the family group. In the
sat down at the harmonium and sang a and also the ambience. He identified it meanwhile though, he was beset by
poem by Allama Iqbal: ‘If you truly desire as Ajmer Sharif, a tomb where my father constant doubt and uncertainty. Some
the other world, do not consider this world had often sung. He was sure that was the in the family, even amongst the closest
your own.’ His singing was so intense that place! ‘ 8
relatives, still did not trust Nusrat to be
everyone present was overwhelmed. able to live up to the vast reputation
A few years later, when Nusrat was finally
Fateh had built up. His voice that could
However, the most important sign, cited able to go to Ajmer Sharif, people say he
seem shrill at times, his immense shyness
by Nusrat himself, and which leads us immediately recognized the place and
and his obesity seemed to be prohibitive
back to the fundamental place Ajmer went and sat down to sing in the very
obstacles to his taking on the succession.
occupies in the hearts of all qawwals spot he had seen in his dream, a liberty Young Nusrat
Fateh Ali Khan. And some of his close relatives were
and Nusrat in particular, appeared in the he was permitted. Image source:
'My Historical relentlessly critical.
famous dream he had a few days after
All these signs, as well as the early stages Pakistan'
his father’s death. We will leave aside Courtesy Pierre- Nonetheless, Mubarak Ali Khan took upon
of the training Nusrat had received, were Alain Baud
the various other versions of the dream himself the long and demanding task of
taken into consideration when the elders paralysed him initially, but there was no
and concentrate here on the account continuously training Nusrat during the
made the decision to invite him to sing escape. So, shyly to start with, then with
Nusrat himself gave in the wonderful years following his brother Fateh’s death.
at the chelum, the ceremony to mark increasing confidence, he began singing
documentary film, Nusrat Fateh Ali Sometimes they locked themselves away
the fortieth day after his father’s death, this poem set to a classical raga:
Khan, the Last Prophet, made in 1996 for days on end, lost in poetry and music.
the end of the mourning period. This
‘I am not trying to reach the sanctuary of
by Jérôme de Missolz shortly before the As Ahmad Aqeel Ruby says so gracefully,
was an opportunity to publicly indicate the temple,
artist’s death: ‘After my father’s death, I ‘Fateh Ali Khan had prepared his son as
that he had the potential to be a worthy Nor am I seeking entrance to the
didn’t know what to do. I went through a sacred mosque.
a cultivator prepares the soil to receive
successor to his father. This was Nusrat’s
very difficult time. Later, five or ten days the seed. The training by Mubarak Ali
first appearance outside the family It is the One who has stolen the peace
after his death, I had a dream that my of my heart Khan worked like a gardener watering
circle. The sorrow of the recent loss and
father took me to a place and asked me The One who has left that I am looking for.’ the newly grown plant.’ 9 Gradually, the
the huge challenge this represented,
to sing. I told him, I couldn’t sing. He said music sown and cultivated by Fateh and
The choice of the poem, the power of
he would sing with me. He encouraged
his breath and his singing, left the
me to sing with him. So I began to sing
audience stunned.
with him. But when I slowly woke up, I
was singing! I told my dream to my late 8. Nusrat, interview in the film Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, The Finally everything seemed to be in place
Last Prophet, op.cit. 9. Ahmad Aqeel Ruby, op. cit., p.54.
uncle Mubarak Ali Khan and also Salamat for him to take his father’s position at

52 53
N U S R AT A n appr en ti ce q aw wal’ s fi r s t s teps

Salamat Ali Khan’s direction. Shakoor mysteries of qawwali. Musically, Fateh Ali
Baidil, the festival programmer was Khan was more inclined towards dhrupad,
listening to the sound check. When he and his efforts had reinforced Nusrat’s
heard Nusrat, a new voice, completely knowledge and practice of this highly
different and surprising, he suggested to interiorized form. Mubarak focused his
Salamat that he allow the young boy to attention more on transmitting the spirit
lead the session. Salamat and the others and the letter of khyal, as he was himself
hesitated, but finally, the programmer more attracted to this flamboyant and
was so insistent that they agreed. On this ornate form. During this whole period,
occasion, one of the memorable poems Nusrat often sang for ten hours at a
he sang was Amir Khusro’s text in honour stretch, imbibing his uncle’s advice and
of Ali: exploring all the unsuspected recesses
‘I have never seen anyone better than him and resources of his vocal potential.
No one on this earth comes close to In 1971, Mubarak’s health deteriorated
his excellence
seriously. Realizing his end was near, he
Even the fairies’ hair does not have
decided to hand over the responsibility
With brother Farrukh and Ali’s magic...’
cousin Mujahid Mubarak for the group to Nusrat. And so began a
Courtesy Bashir Ejjaz
He was hugely applauded. Not just by new phase…
the audience, captivated by the young,
Mubarak took root and could blossom absolute recognition from the family as
seventeen-year-old boy’s voice and style,
splendidly in Nusrat. well as professionally, occurred, in fact, as
but also by renowned artists of the time
early as 1965, just the year after Fateh Ali
Initially, when he accompanied the family like the ‘Queen of Music’, Roshan Ara
Khan’s death.
group, Nusrat only sang a few pieces Begum, the brothers Salamat and Nazakat
with the group, then he was sent off to At the time, Radio Pakistan used to Ali Khan of the Shamchaurasia vocal khyal
rest, leaving Mubarak and his other uncle, organize an important annual music tradition, and even Amir Ali Khan.
Salamat, on the harmonium, to guide festival on the 23 March, to celebrate the
Nusrat’s training process was far from over
the group and continue the concert. arrival of spring. This festival was called
though, and Mubarak Ali Khan poured
This situation did not last long though. ‘Jashn-e-Baharaan’. The Khan family was
all his energy into teaching young Nusrat
One of the first public events that was invited to perform, as they usually did
and his own son, Mujahid Mubarak, the
to open the doors to Nusrat’s receiving since Fateh’s death, under Mubarak and

54 55
N U S R AT

Nusrat, his brother Farrukh and his first

cousin Mujahid Mubarak performing
qawwali. Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud

56 57
 Makkay gaya-n gal mukdee nahee-n
Pawai-n sow sow jummay parrh a-ee-ay
Ganga gaya-n gal mukdee nahee-n
Pawai-n sow sow gotay kha-ee-ay
Gaya gaya-n gal mukdee nahee-n
Pawai-n sow sow pand parrha-ee-ay
Bulleh Shah gal ta-ee-yo-n mukdee
Jado-n May nu dillo-n gawa-ee-ay

A Rising Star
Going to Mecca doesn’t settle the matter,
Even if reciting hundreds of prayers there.
Going to the Ganges doesn’t settle the matter,
Even if one is hundreds of times immersed in her.
Going to Gaya doesn’t settle the matter,
Even if reciting hundreds of precepts.
What settles it, Bulleh Shah, Source: ‘Nee Main Janna Jogee De Naal’(Kafi by Bulleh Shah) from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Live in Paris, 1988, Ocora-Radio France CD

Is when I erase ego from my heart! volume 5, Paris; Roman transcription by Yasser Nomann and Ghulam Farid Abbasi; Translated from the Punjabi by Denis Matringe and
Ghulam Farid Abbasi
 a r i s i n g s tar at h o me

A Rising most of the musical themes, along with his member to start with, then later a

Star at brother.

As Nusrat rose to fame in his own right,

another person—who had, in fact, been
permanent one. He also came from a long
line of percussionists and was one of Iqbal
Naqibi’s cousins. From the time he joined
the group onwards, he was Nusrat’s faithful

Home with them for a long time as Fateh’s

student and one of the chorus—was to
play a determining role in the group and
in the development of Nusrat’s career.
He was Iqbal Naqibi also known as Iqbal
accompanist, playing with him for twenty
long years, sharing and developing the
essential rhythmic intimacy that they had
established at the outset.

After Fateh’s death in 1964, the composition of the Kasuri, or ‘the man from Kasur’, a town Now, the main members of Nusrat’s
family group gradually evolved. Over the years, Mujahid famous in the Indian subcontinent for group were in place and the rise of
Mubarak, Mubarak’s son, joined them, followed by Nusrat’s being home to the shrine of the great ‘Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Party’ could
younger brother, Farrukh, who was four years younger Sufi poet, Bulleh Shah. Iqbal Naqibi had begin. The star was noticed almost
than him. been close to Fateh and was older than immediately!
Nusrat; he went on to become the latter's
To start with, the group was called ‘Nusrat Fateh Ali The anthropologist Adam Nayyar, who
personal secretary and the manager of the
Khan—Mujahid Mubarak Ali Khan & Party’, confirming the went on to become a close friend of
group. A pithy, flamboyant character, he
importance of the second voice in the family group, just Nusrat’s, remembers the urs of Data
soon became the indispensable mediator,
as before during their respective parents’ time. However, Ganj Baksh in Lahore: ‘It was there, in
particularly during the international phase
Nusrat’s panache slowly gained precedence and soon only 1972 that I heard Nusrat for the first
of the 1980s and 1990s, as he was the
his name was cited, although Mujahid Mubarak continued time, and I was amazed by the virtuosity
only one in the group who could speak
to perform with Nusrat until the end of the 1980s, when he of this round young man. The energy,
English properly.
left to form his own group. the passion, pushing the music to its
In the mid 1970s, the tabla player, Dildar limits with his eyes squeezed shut,
Farrukh was a central figure in the group, with his incredible
Hussain joined the group, as an occasional everything the world would one day
virtuosity on the harmonium and his brilliant contributions as
know him by, was already there. An
the second or third vocalist. He had also inherited a wealth
enthusiastic Lahori crowd roared its
of family knowledge and we must acknowledge his vital
approval, galvanizing the young qawwal
collaboration in composing the musical arrangements for
to even more high-pitched and painfully
1. Adam Nayyar, Newsline, Lahore, September 1997
(including unpublished parts of original author’s text)
powerful creations.’ 1

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N U S R AT a r i s i n g s tar at h o me

of the great qawwals, the Sabri brothers famous poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. This was the were less fragile and easier to use.
in particular, took part in this festival and beginning of Nusrat’s rise to personal fame.
According to Arshad Rehmat, the son
presented the best of Amir Khusro’s works.
Apart from his regular participation in the of the company’s founder 2 , it is only
The most sought after qawwali group at urs and the private invitations he received, from 1976 onwards that they decided
the time, was, in fact, the ‘Sabri Brothers’, Nusrat’s fame also spread considerably to venture into recording directly in
led by Ghulam Farid, the elder brother. through his large number of recordings. their Faisalabad studio. Nusrat was the
Just like Nusrat’s family, they had moved It is, in fact, during this period, from the second artist they produced and these
from neighbouring India and had settled mid 1970s onwards, that his cassette initial releases were mainly recreations
in Karachi. They were already immensely recordings became extremely popular. of his father’s greatest hits, including the
popular in Pakistan, partly thanks to They were practical to handle and cheaply famous ‘Haq Ali Maula’, interpreted in a
television and their recordings that were available at stalls in all the bazaars. deeply personal fashion by Nusrat. This
widely circulated. track went on to become one of his most
In Faisalabad, the first company to
sought after traditional pieces. Nusrat
As Nusrat and his party had received the produce cassettes was the historic
had, in fact, sung it at Amir Khusro’s
invitation quite late, when they reached Rehmat Gramophone House, and Nusrat
anniversary the previous year, in 1975.
the festival, the other groups had already owes a great deal of his early popularity
Crowning
ceremony,
performed most of the best known and to them. The company had been founded As cassettes became very popular
"Shaheryar- most loved poems from Amir Khusro’s at the end of the 1940s by M. Rehmat. in Pakistan over the years, Rehmat
e-Mausiqi"
Nusrat Fateh repertory, like those the Sabri brothers had For many years, it operated solely as an Gramophone House made dozens of
Ali Khan, 1973.
Courtesy Ustad sung. They were thus forced to present agent for EMI Pakistan that had acquired recordings of Nusrat, traditional ones,
Ghulam Haider
songs, poems and ragas rarely played the famous Gramophone Company of or increasingly, remixes. Sold cheaply in

An important step in the process of by Pakistani artists, like the little known India catalogue. RGH first distributed EMI the bazaars, these cassettes were hugely

Nusrat being recognized as a worthy text by ‘Khusro main toh piya se naina recordings in the form of microgroove distributed and played a major role in the

successor to his father was the celebration mila aayi re (‘I have exchanged glances records, then from the beginning of the artist’s soaring popularity.

of Amir Khusro’s seven hundredth death with my Beloved, Khusro’). This broad 1970s, mainly through cassettes, which
One of the secular places where Nusrat
anniversary, which the Pakistan National knowledge of the repertory, the musical
and most qawwals loved to perform
Council for the Arts organized in 1975. and vocal inventions as well as the energy
was the famous Pilot Hotel in Lahore.
As the invention of qawwali, as we know he exuded when he sang, won Nusrat the
This small establishment had the great
it today, is yet another accomplishment respect of the whole audience, including
advantage of being located very close
2. Arshad Rehmat, personal communication with the
attributed to this musical genius, most the celebrities who were present, like the author, Faisalabad, May 2007 to the shrine of the honoured Data Sahib

62 63
N U S R AT a r i s i n g s tar at h o me

(Ali Hujweri), one of Lahore’s patron much alive. In 1979, Raj Kapoor, the
saints. His annual urs is certainly the most film director and actor, who had invited
important in Punjab, along with those them to sing at his own wedding in 1958,
of Madho Lal Hussein and Baba Farid. prevailed upon the new generation, Nusrat at Rishi Kapoor’s
wedding ceremony, 1979
According to Yasser Nomann, a tireless this time for his son Rishi’s wedding. All Courtesy Ustad Ghulam Haider
promoter of Pakistani musicians, who has the Bollywood stars were present, and
had the privilege of recording a number although to start with, people came and
of them at the National Institute of Folk went, not really listening, Nusrat’s spirited
and Traditional Heritage, Lok Virsa, creativity captured the general attention
‘Qawwal parties gave the hotel a lot of and left the audience speechless. Dildar
business yearly, so the owner thought to Hussain, Nusrat’s tabla player, remembers
give them back a portion of his profit as ‘We started at ten in the night and
nazarana and he started holding limited finished at seven in the morning. He sang
mehfils of qawwali at Pilot Hotel’s 'Halka Halka Suroor' for two-and-a-half
compound each year during the urs hours at a stretch!’ 4

of Data Sahib.’ 3 Over the years, these

During this trip, Nusrat also wanted to
mehfils increasingly became a regular
visit Ajmer Sharif, to pay homage to the
event, as the friendship between Nusrat
Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, and fulfil
and the owner of the Pilot Hotel grew,
his adolescent dream. A rare event for a
and they gradually developed into an ‘off’
foreign qawwal, he was allowed to sing
festival, bringing together the best of the International recognition arrived very and they made a series of recordings
within the shrine compound.
qawwali groups in comfortable listening progressively through the Pakistani too. This was a great success. From then
conditions. Even today, the Pilot Hotel diaspora. In 1980, he was invited to on, Nusrat travelled very frequently to
concerts are greatly appreciated by all the England by Mohammed Ayub from England, for tours targeting the diaspora
qawwals who perform at Data Sahib’s urs. Oriental Star Agencies, a production and mainly organized, at least in the
The first invitation to perform outside house and label established in 1966 in beginning, by Mohammed Ayub. At the
Pakistan took Nusrat to the land of his Birmingham, home to a large population time of Nusrat’s death, Oriental Star
ancestors, India. To Bombay, in fact, 3. Yasser Noman, personal communication with the of Indian and Pakistani immigrants. Agencies had already published sixty-
author, January 2008
where the memory of the brothers Fateh 4.Quoted by Amit Ranjan, 'Music, his Dargah' Outlook
Nusrat and his group gave a first series one CDs, about a hundred cassettes and
India, New Delhi, 3 September 2007.
and Mubarak Ali Khan was still very of concerts within the community circuits twenty-two videos of Nusrat’s concerts.

64 65
N U S R AT a r i s i n g s tar at h o me

He was the undisputed star of their label. ‘Some call the Infinite Ram, Ram, and some Says Nanak, one who realizes the Hukam of same language and the same multi-faith
Khuda. the Infinite’s Will, knows the secrets of his
In the diaspora, as in Pakistan, Nusrat’s cultural heritage. The impact he had was
Lord Master.
audience was a multi-faith one, right from Some serve Him as Gusain, others as Allah. even more pronounced as the 1970s and
It is in our harmony, respect and peace that we
the beginning. Despite all the obstacles, He is the Cause of causes, and Generous. 1980s saw the assertion of a certain Punjabi
express our love for the Lord and His Creation.
the cultural proximity between the different He showers His Grace and Mercy upon us. cultural renaissance and Sufi poetry was an
May the Lord bless everyone.’
religious communities from the Indian Some pilgrims bathe at sacred shrines, others important aspect of the movement.
subcontinent was, and remains a reality go on Hajj to Mecca. Despite all this, beyond the purely religious
Nusrat’s fame spread amongst the diaspora
for everyone, and on tour, large groups Some do devotional worship, whilst others aspect of his performances, Nusrat’s
and, from this time on, he began to extend
of Hindus or Sikhs attended his qawwali bow their heads in prayer. popularity amongst the diaspora was also
his tours, which now took him to Norway,
concerts. The tours organized for Nusrat by Some read the Vedas, and some the Koran. due to the fact that, like his father, he
Sweden, Denmark or even to South Africa.
the diaspora could even include concerts Some wear blue robes, and some wear white. sang the words of the great Punjabi Sufi
A branch of the Sabriya Chishtya, with which
in Sikh gurdwaras. There, he sang shabads, Some call themselves Muslim, and some call poets like Bulleh Shah, Baba Farid or Shah
his family was traditionally affiliated, first
the mystical poems drawn from the Sri themselves Hindu. Hussein. This brought him to the attention
invited him to South Africa in 1983. Then
Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Some yearn for paradise, and others long of a number of Punjabis (the large majority
for heaven.
came regular tours to the Emirates in the
Sikhs, which includes a large number of texts of Pakistani expatriates) who shared the
Persian Gulf, including Dubai, home to a
composed by Sufi poets like Baba Farid.
large Pakistani community.
At one of his first concerts, organized at
Despite all this, it was only through
the beginning of the 1980s in London,
a growing recognition from Western
Nusrat sang a shabad from the Sri Guru
audiences, acquired through his overall
Granth Sahib in the qawwali style 5.
artistic development, that Nusrat attained
The text promised to accept all faiths,
the status of a living legend.
considering that the variety of ways and
paths of devotion all led to the same
unique source:

5. A video based on this rendering can be consulted on

the site www.youtube.com/watch?v=66CdTLhMuwk Nusrat with family and Noor Jahan
©Bashir Ejjaz

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N u s r at a r i s i n g s tar at h o me

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Party

While it is clear that Nusrat was the head of his group, the perfect coordination between all the
musicians played an essential role in the recognition the party earned, in Pakistan to start with,
then internationally.
Like all qawwali groups, the number of members varied greatly, particularly at concerts in
Pakistan. Until almost the end of the 1980s, Nusrat’s first cousin, Mujahid Mubarak Ali Khan
sang with the group, and Atta Fareed, a vocalist and second harmonium player also made regular
appearances, besides a handful of other musicians.
From the 1990s onwards and until Nusrat’s death, in spite of minor variations sometimes, the
main group was composed in the following manner:

1st row, from left to right:

—Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: lead singer
—Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan, his youngest brother: solo singer, harmonium, composition
Nusrat and party
—(generally) Rehmat Ali: second harmonium performing in
Cherbourg, France,
—Rahat Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan: Farrukh’s son, solo singer 1993 © Yasser
Nomann
—(or in the 2nd row) Kokab Ali: chorus and clapping
2nd row left to right:
—Asad Ali Khan: chorus and clapping
—Ilyas Hussain: chorus, clapping and prompter
—Dildar Hussain: tabla
—Nafis Ahmed: chorus and clapping
—Ghulam Farid: chorus and clapping
—Khalid Mehmood: chorus and clapping

Iqbal Naqibi remained Nusrat’s personal secretary and manager from the beginning until
his death.

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n u s r at a r i s i n g s tar at h o me

Sufi Poetry generations (like the romances between Heer and Ranjha in Punjab, or between Sassui and Punhun
‘All is one, the wave and the pearl,
in Sindh), these poets drew out the essential substance that connects human passion and divine
love. ‘Sometimes mystical, made up of abandon, adoration, supreme offering, sometimes bucolic,
The sea and stone.
carried along by the music of the streams, the shivering of the dunes, the symphony of the monsoon,
Nothing that exists in this world listening to the creaking spinning wheel…’ 6 , this poetry was capable of winning hearts and souls and
is outside of you. was to contribute to the conversion of millions of people over the centuries.
Search carefully in yourself Bulleh Shah (1680-1758), one of the most famous Punjabi Sufi poets magnificently expressed this
What you want to be as you are everything. vision of a person mad with the love of God:
The whole history of the world slumbers in all of us’ ‘I have been pierced by the arrow of love,
Jalal ud Din Rumi What shall I do?
Sufism, the desire to experience the divine within, found a privileged means of expression in poetry. I can neither live, nor can I die.

Other forms of Sufi literature were ‘revealed’ or composed over the centuries, the Koran itself to start Listen ye to my ceaseless outpourings,

with, which many Sufis consider the fundamental basis of all aspects of their mysticism, then the I have peace neither by night, nor by day.
fragments of the earliest texts that have survived until our era like those by Hasan Basri or Hallaj, I cannot do without my Beloved even for a moment.
with his famous Ana’l Haq! (‘I am God!’). There are also the biographies of the first Sufis, or treatises I have been pierced by the arrow of love,
like Kashf-al-Mahjub by Ali Hujwiri, the legendary Data Sahib, who went on to become one of Lahore’s
What shall I do?’ 7
most venerated saints, along with Madho Lal Hussein.
Imbued by the principle of the oneness of beings, he fought against all kinds of intolerance and
However, it is in poetry that the essential themes of Sufi thought found their most fertile means of
narrow chapels, mosques or temples:
expression and dissemination. Pages that possess a universally recognized power and beauty (like the
‘Not Hindu and not Muslim—let’s give up pride and spin!
vast Mathnawi or Masnavi by Jalal ud Din Rumi) thus brilliantly evoked the suffering of the soul when
separated from its ‘divine origin’ because of birth into the temporal world; or the feverish wait for Not Sunni and not Shia—I took the path of peace.
reunion, sometimes experienced fleetingly during the mystical experience and guaranteed forever Not hungry and not full, no; not naked nor in robes,
after death. Not weeping and not laughing; not lonely nor in crowds.
In the Indian subcontinent, as they established themselves, the Sufi saints and poets became Not sinner and not pure, not on sin’s or virtue’s path—
increasingly permeable to local mystical approaches, Hindu Vedanta and Buddhism in particular. I gave up Turk and Hindu—I found God in all hearts!’ 8
While Persian was the classical language of Sufism and qawwali, they also began to compose in
… a vision also brilliantly expressed in the following couplet:
Punjabi, Purbi, Saraïki, Sindhi—the vernacular languages spoken and understood by all.
‘Tear down the mosque and temple too, break all that divides
Often using legends and ballads recounted by minstrels, and strongly anchored in the villages for
But do not break the human heart as it is there that God resides.’ 9

6.Jean-Yves Merlet, introduction to Les poètes mystiques du Pakistan, Académie des Belles Lettres du Pakistan, Islamabad, 1995 8. Jalal ud-Dîn Rûmi, translated by Anne-Marie Schimmel
7. http://allpoetry.com/poem/8612253-The-Arrow-Of-Love-by-Bulleh_Shah 9. http://onetruename.com/bullehshah.htm

70
n u s r at

At one of his concerts in Paris in 1988, Nusrat sang his famous poem ‘O, I will leave with the yogi’:
‘Going to Mecca doesn’t settle the matter,
Even in reciting hundreds of prayers there.
Going to the Ganges doesn’t settle the matter,
Even if one is hundreds of times immersed.
Going to Gaya doesn’t settle the matter,
Even if reciting hundreds of precepts.
What settles it, Bulleh Shah,
Is when my heart feels it!
Through study you may become a great scholar,
But you never learn how to know yourself.
You go to temples and mosques,
But never into yourself.
Just as, each day, you battle against Satan,
But your soul has never fought back itself.
Bulleh Shah, you catch what flies above you in the sky,
But what is in your own home eludes you’ 10

10. Bulleh Shah, translated by Denis Matringe, in volume 5 of the recording Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in Concert in Paris,
Ocora – Radio France, 1988

Nusrat Dropping in Ecstacy 2

© Nikunj Prajapati

72
 Chaar charagh tere baran hamesha,
Panjwaan barne aayibala jhoole laalan
Sindri da Sehvanda,sakhi Shahbaaz Qalandar
O laal meri pat rakhio bala jhoole laalan…
A Voice

Your shrine is always lighted with four lamps

And here I come to light a fifth lamp in your honour
O, the lord, the friend and the sire of Sindh and Sehwan, Sources: ‘Lal Meri Pat… Shahbaaz Qalandar’( Qalandari Dhamal by Bulleh Shah) from Nusrat’s audio rendering on https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=TAVDFbsTFkA#t=208; Original Urdu transcript from Shamin Zamanvi and Mohammad Hasan, Bangla-Urdu Sahitya

The red-robed God-intoxicated Qalandar… Foundation; Roman transcription and translation from the Urdu by Ajit Kumar Sharma on http://www.greatsong.net/PAROLES-NUSRAT-
FATEH-ALI-KHAN,SHAHBAAZ-QALANDAR,100057060.html
 th e wo r ld d i s cover s a vo i ce

The world organized for the opening of the ‘Year of several times, he gained access to the

Discovers India’ in Paris, possibly paving the way for

Nusrat’s arrival.

In addition, Nusrat himself had already

major world music distribution circuits and
was hence ‘discovered’ only several years
later, thanks to a few Europeans who were
great aficionados of music from the Indian

a Voice been to Europe several times, to England,

from the 1980s onwards, as we saw
above, and then to Scandinavia. However,
the organizers who invited him at the
time, as well as the audiences involved,
subcontinent.

Several networks, totally independent of

each other, converged to bring Nusrat
international fame. Apart from the Indo-
1985 was the year Nusrat’s international career really took off. all belonged almost exclusively to the Pakistani diaspora, primarily in England,
His first performances for a Western audience in England—at Indo-Pakistani diaspora that had settled the most determining influences on his
the ‘World of Music, Arts and Dance’ (Womad) festival at in these countries over the years. With international career were Peter Gabriel, with
Mersea Island, followed soon afterwards by his first concerts their strong family and cultural traditions the Womad festivals and his ‘Real World’
in France—threw open the doors to phenomenal acclaim. and faced with an indigenous population label, and the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris
that is not always the most open or
It was not the first time a Pakistani qawwali group was The Mersea Isla nd
welcoming, these communities often
appearing on a Western stage. The Sabri brothers Woma d
develop their own autonomous networks.
had already preceded him and were possibly the first Peter Townshend, a British guitarist
In all that concerns the religious sphere
contemporary qawwals to perform for a Western public. and songwriter for the rock band The
in particular and cultural expression, the
Their concert at Carnegie Hall in New York in 1975 had left Who, had introduced Peter Gabriel to
structures and the spaces for community
indleible memories and, with their first visit to France in qawwali at the beginning of the 1980s,
and social activities often remain
1981, invited by the Rennes Festival des Arts Traditionnels, while Womad was being developed.
surprisingly impervious to the mainstream
they had found their audience. This concert also provided Nevertheless, it was through Mohammed
circuits. These distribution networks
them the opportunity for a live recording with the label Ayub, from Oriental Star Agencies, that
are generally ignored by the Western
Arion. However, this invitation was not repeated, nor was it the rock star first contacted Nusrat. Ayub
media and often even by the amateurs of
followed up in any decisive manner. In June 1985, a group was Nusrat’s privileged representative
traditional music.
of Indian qawwals performed a magnificent concert on an in Europe at the time, and it was he
outdoor stage, facing the Eiffel Tower, at the enormous fair In this regard, it is significant that
who followed up on the invitation to the
despite the fact that Nusrat 'the vocal
Womad held at Mersea Island in England
phenomena' had performed in Europe
in July 1985.

77
N U S R AT th e wo r ld d i s cover s a vo i ce

After his first British tours among the audiences, Nusrat took the stage just
Indo-Pakistani diaspora, Nusrat was before midnight. Despite the initial plan
beginning very tentatively to adventure that his session would last half an hour,
beyond the cocoon of his community. he performed until four in the morning,
It was the beginning of the 1980s and leaving behind him an exhausted,
sounds from beyond Europe, particularly haggard audience. Dildar Hussain,

Selected pages from Nusrat's 1985

African and Asian music, were making Nusrat’s faithful tabla player remembers:
United Kingdom Tour brochure, including their way, not just to musicians and ‘It was cold, it was raining, but all the
the Mersea Island Womad festival
Courtesy Ustad Ghulam Haider, Radio Pakistan specialists, but also to producers, White people—entranced—wanted him
Classical Music Research Cell, Lahore
broadcasters and the general public. In to go on!' 1
France, it was the beginning of Radio
Peter Gabriel gladly admitted later: ‘Since
Nova, the ‘Sono Mondiale’ and the series
our first meeting at Womad in 1985,
of festivals that were to blossom all over
Nusrat, his voice and his music, have been
the hexagon. In England, the Womad
an important part of my life. I have never
festival spearheaded by Peter Gabriel,
heard so much spirit in a voice. My two
Thomas Brooman and Bob Hooton, had
main singing inspirations, Nusrat and Otis
only begun three years before, in 1982, at
Redding, have been the supreme examples
Shepton Mallet. A precursor to the ‘world
of how far and deep a voice can go in
music’ festivals to come, the main idea
finding, touching and moving the soul’.2
behind Womad was to bring together
music from all over the world, in the This ‘discovery’ of the summer of 1985,

same place, over the same weekend, in a on the other side of the Channel, was

festive atmosphere propitious to meetings to be followed a few weeks later by an

and creative exchanges. Thus, that year, event that was to be no less important in

apart from Nusrat, the invitees included

a gamelan orchestra from Bali, a solo
didgeridoo artist, the Ghanaian high-life
group Orchestra Jazira, and the spirited
1. Quoted by Amit Ranjan, op.cit. 'Music, his Dargah’,
Colombian singer Totó la Momposina. Outlook India, New Delhi, 3 September 2007
2. Quoted in www.rollingstone.com, 18 August 1997
Still totally unknown to Western

78 79
N U S R AT th e wo r ld d i s cover s a vo i ce

Nusrat’s career: his first concerts of concerts in France in the autumn of seems to be Nusrat’s first release of a and ‘unreservedly’ awarded them the
in France. 1985 was confirmed a few months later full recording made by a Western label. laudatory ‘Choc’ distinction. ‘We rarely
at a meeting in Lahore. An incredibly well-prepared exploit, the have the opportunity of listening to a vocal
T h e T h e at r e d e l a V i l l e : recording was available for sale in the form performance of this kind. Truly possessed
a n o p e n s e s am e His first performance took place at Lille
of two cassettes barely two days later, on by the music, the singer seems to make
in Northern France, on 5 November—‘an
The magic that opened the doors to the 8 November, at the first of the three light of all the technical difficulties,
event that can probably be compared to
French network during this auspicious Parisian concerts. This release that took without ever giving the impression that
the first concert the Dagar brothers gave
year of 1985 was of a totally different place in record time was handsomely he is providing a futile demonstration of
in France, revealing the incomparable
nature. It took the form of a guide, from rewarded; the sales reflected the his virtuosity. His voice, warm and husky
beauty of a music, still unknown in
a travel agency, who was mad about phenomenal success of the three concerts. at once, is the instrument of a constantly
Europe, to a foreign audience’, was
Pakistan, its landscapes and its cultural In addition, the renowned critic for the renewed inspiration, and he transports us
Gérard Goutierre's premonitory comment
wealth. His name was Bruno Ferragut, leading music monthly Le Monde de la with disconcerting ease during his stunning
the next day in the Voix du Nord 3, a
who also passed away far too early. In Musique, Laurent Aubert, immediately improvizations (…) In this music, there is a
daily newspaper. A sumptuous recital,
1983, during one of his regular visits
that lasted over two hours and left
to Pakistan as a guide accompanying
the spectators dumbfounded. It was
French tourists, amidst a handful of
broadcast on the national French radio,
music cassettes he picked up in Lahore’s
France Musique, a few weeks later on the
bazaars, he had brought back the voice
29 November 1985.
that was going to travel the world. He
played it for Soudabeh Kia, artistic adviser Anticipating that the first three Parisian
at the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, who concerts would have a powerful impact,
was always on the look out for remarkable via their world music label Ocora, Radio
new voices. She was also captivated France decided to make a studio recording
and they decided to go to Pakistan to in advance, on 6 November 1985. This
meet Nusrat. The latter was on tour in
South Africa when they got there, but
they were nonetheless able to establish
a first telephone contact through Rehmat From left to right: Gérard Violette (Director, Théâtre
de la Ville), Nusrat, Soudabeh Kia (Music adviser,
Gramophone House in Faisalabad. The Théâtre de la Ville), Iqbal Naqibi (Nusrat’s personal
3. Gérard Goutierre, ‘Les chants soufis de Nusrat Fateh Ali secretary) and Nelly Tardivier (Director of Culture
agreement in principle to perform a series Khan’, La Voix du Nord, Lille, 6 November 1985 division, Paris municipality) during Paris Vermeil
Medal award ceremony ©Birgit–Théâtre de la Ville

80 81
N U S R AT th e wo r ld d i s cover s a vo i ce

kind of communicative jubilation’. 4 sensitive spectators go into a sudden musicians. As each verse was sung, the Five-CD set cover Ocora
–Radio France
and uncontrollable trance, jumping out emotional audience uttered cries of joy Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud
As for Nusrat’s first concerts at the Théâtre
of their seats, eyes closed, head swaying, and they swayed from one foot to the
de la Ville, they were an unforgettable
arms raised skywards, experiencing in other (…). I would never have imagined
experience for the lucky audience who
the depths of their souls this love poetry the possibility of such a spectacle in
had been able to attend them. While, Vol 1, 1985
that expressed separation from and a European theatre, with such a high
apart from a few rare exceptions, the
fleeting encounters with the Beloved. degree of audience participation.' 5
singer was totally unknown to the Parisian
Blessed moments, especially as the duty
audience, a large number of spectators Vijay Singh also described this
of the qawwal singer is to constantly
were Pakistanis who already knew him atmosphere in the news daily Liberation,
remain attentive to the audience’s
or had heard of his popularity at home. in his article ‘Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan,
reactions and to accompany the sensitive
Overwhelmed by the Nusratian wave, the Qawwal Dream’, as the ‘apotheosis
listener throughout his communion Vol 2, 1985
to the astonishment of the Parisian on Sunday at Théâtre de la Ville’. He
with the ‘divine lover’, before bringing
audiences, the Pakistanis quite naturally describes in detail the ‘young Pakistani
him gradually ‘back to earth’, slowly
behaved as they did at home, loudly spectator, drunk on music (who) went
decreasing the intensity of the song and
expressing their admiration during a on to the stage, dancing, refusing all
rhythm. That is the reason why, on tour,
particularly prodigious vocal passage, or demands to behave, while the whole hall
Nusrat always requested a low light to be
getting up from their designated seats to clapped frenetically. And that evening,
kept on during the performance so that
descend onto the stage, scattering bank hundred franc notes rained down on the Vol 3, 1988
he could see the spectators.
notes over the musician as a gesture of head of the adulated traditional singer.’ 6
gratitude, while slipping in a request for The description of these concerts,
a specific poem. As much as the rest, provided by Kudsi Ergüner and Bruno
what undoubtedly left a mark on the local Ferragut, compares what took place
audience, was seeing certain particularly on those evenings, on the stage of the
Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, with the
atmosphere of a qawwali concert in a Vol 4, 1988

Punjabi village: ‘Several hundred men,

seated on the ground around a stage, 5. Kudsi Erguner and Bruno Ferragut, booklet
accompanying the CD Pakistan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan en
participated actively in the performance. concert à Paris, Volumes 1 & 2, Ocora ­Radio France, 1987,
translated into English by Michael Vogel)
4. Laurent Aubert , Musiques traditionnelles: Guide du They rose to dance, declaimed poems 6. Vijay Singh, ‘Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, le rêve du qawwal’,
disque (Georg editor, Geneva, 1991), p. 159 Libération, Paris, 12 November 1985
and threw handfuls of notes to the Vol 5, 1988

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The world op ens up

Following this dazzling success, the
Théâtre de la Ville decided, as they very
occasionally do with a handful of highly
gifted artists, to support Nusrat’s career.
Their involvement took the form of directly
organizing some of his later tours in
France, Europe, North Africa, the Indian
Ocean, Brazil and even the United States.
The first concerts Nusrat performed in
New York were set up in collaboration with
the Parisian theatre.

With regard to Europe, as early as the

spring of 1988, a tour was organized,
that included about ten programmes in
France and Belgium. It was like wildfire,
confirming the audiences’ passion for
the Nusrat phenomenon. Given the huge
demand, the Parisian concerts were again
recorded, and three compact discs were
released, co-produced once again by the
label Ocora-Radio France. With the first
albums of studio recordings, produced in
1985, this series of five CDs still remains
one of the indispensable landmarks of
Nusrat’s incredible classical talent.

These early volumes of 1985 and 1988

Standing ovation at Théâtre de la Ville, Paris are perfect examples of the manner in
©Birgit–Théâtre de la Ville
which a ‘traditional’ concert unfolds. They

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both begin with a hamd, a poem in praise do they express the diversity of forms Sufi This 1988 tour was followed the same A year later, in November 1989, Nusrat
of God. In 1988, it was the famous 'Allah poetry can take (ghazal, kafi, munadjaat, summer by Nusrat’s closing performance was invited, not to close this time, but
Hû' that was to make its way around mersia etc.), but based on the inspiration at the ‘Popular Music from Pakistan’ to inaugurate an important programme
the world. With regard to this particular the great masters received, they also programme at the highly reputed Avignon dedicated to the ‘Masters of traditional
hamd, Claire Devos reminds us that the widely evoke the recurring themes of festival. The greatest Pakistani musicians music in Pakistan’ with a series of concerts
sound 'hû' is sacred to mystics. In the Sufism, such as the suffering caused were present: the Sabri brothers with at Théâtre de la Ville. This vast initiative
words of Inayat Khan, founder of the by the separation from the Beloved, their qawwali; the ‘Bluesman of Punjab’ again brought together Pathanay Khan,
International Sufi Order: ‘It is the spirit or the joy at coming together with Him Pathanay Khan, Allan Faqir, the inspired the Bhit Shah Faqirs, Zarsanga and the
of all sounds and all words; because it again. To start with, Nusrat chose to Sindhi; Ghulam Ali, the ghazal star; Baluchi musician, Faqir Mohammed. The
does not belong to any language, it is interpret classical poems by Jalal ud- the Faqirs from the mausoleum of the same Jean-Pierre Thibaudat took the
considered the natural sound, and even Dîn Rûmi, Amir Khusro and Bulleh Shah, Sindhi saint Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai; the opportunity to write up a fervent portrait
the natural name, the one that existed all great figures of Sufi poetry. He went Pashtun diva Zarsanga; Baluchi masters. of Nusrat as the ‘Falstaff of qawwali’, as
before creation’. As is the tradition
7
on to add poems by modern poets like Shortly before dawn, performing as a large as two Orson Welles, as inventive as
in any shrine, in this CD the hamd is Allama Mohammad Iqbal or other more trio, Nusrat the unexpected ‘wonder Miles Davis, who is to Pakistan what Oum
followed by several naat, poems sung in contemporary ones like Qateel Shifahi guest’ rendered three classical pieces, Khalsoum was to Egypt: the absolute star.
homage to Prophet Mohammed. Then who returns to the classical Sufi themes. with his ‘characteristic voice, his amazing (…) In Karachi, in New York (excitement
comes the manqabat in honour of Ali chromatic acrobatics, reinforced by in the world of rock) at the Théâtre de
Although the form is traditional, as always
(the prophet’s son-in-law, often seen as his brother, Farrukh’s voice; at five-thirty, la Ville, Nusrat fills the largest halls and
Nusrat brought his fabulous creativity into
the ‘first Sufi’ and for whom all qawwals when it was time to leave, everyone clearly makes the hardest hearts bleed.’ 10
play, improvizing widely for the Parisian
have great respect), or of the principal knew they had experienced the most
audience, and replacing the long literary He baffled some journalists, like
saint of Indian Sufism, Khwaja Moinuddin wonderful night of the festival’ 8 wrote
developments with a captivating display Christophe Deshoulières, who, after
Chishti, ‘the Master of Masters’. Chantal Noeztel-Abury, correspondent
of his vast vocal and rhythmical range. having already gratified him with the
for the newspaper La Croix, who was
Nusrat chose the other poems he sang at Dizzying crescendos in the flight of a high
clearly overwhelmed. For his part, Jean-
these first concerts very carefully. Not only pitch, descents to the depths of a barely
Pierre Thibaudat, from Libération, wrote
audible whisper, developing sargams in
tellingly that the audience ‘departed
which he drew out one note after the
exhausted (…), leaving Nusrat in front of
other, returning to the refrain—easier 8. Chantal Noeztel-Aubry, ‘La plus belle nuit d’Avignon’, La
the Celestins cloister collapsed on a chair Croix l’Événement, Paris, 13 July 1988
to identify for a foreign audience— 9. Jean-Pierre Thibaudat,’Nusrat, le Falstaff du qawwali’,
sent over by one of his musicians; he was Libération, Paris, November 1989
7. Claire Devos, Qawwali, la musique des maîtres du differently each time.
soufisme, op.cit., p.61 pale and dazed’. 9 10. Ibid

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very rare title of ‘Living God’ in 1988, triggered a deluge of banknotes brought several regional theatres, this 1991 tour
‘had to start all over again after his third on by the master’s phenomenal lyrical took him to the Fontevraud Abbey for a
visit to the Théâtre de la Ville’ as ‘his art flights, we also share a singing lesson splendid weekend. After having served
had grown so much more refined. This Nusrat gave his young nephew Rahat as a prison for two centuries, this Abbey
powerful singer, whose voice seems to at their family home in Faisalabad. A was restored to its original purpose
borrow from all the human registers, particularly moving episode was also and was transformed into a haven to
including the hoarsest, is equal to all the filmed in the mausoleum of a Sufi saint. welcome different types of sacred art.
sweetest Hindu vocalists’, as his music The magic of an artist totally inhabited He shared the stage with Mohammad
offers ‘all the sensuality and joy of the by his song…The film, which is a musical Mousavi, the Iranian master of the ney,
world to the divine’. 11
road movie along the Indus River, won a in a beautifully inspiring environment.
well-deserved silver medal at the Musica Then there was a memorable journey to
The same year, 1989, the film director
dei Popoli festival in Florence, Italy, where the Reunion Island, where after several
Yves Billon, dedicated a long sequence
he was to perform brilliantly a couple of public concerts organized with the island’s
in his film, Musiques du Pakistan 12 to
years later. Muslim community, Nusrat was taken in
Nusrat. The film, co-produced by Pakistan
a helicopter (he had the fright of his life!)
Television, is now a historic work, as many Nusrat returned regularly to France (on
at dawn, close to the peak of a volcano,
of those who feature in it have since average, every second season) and went
to interpret a morning raga for Megamix,
disappeared: Nusrat and his brother on another European tour at the end of
Martin Meissonnier’s programme on world
Farrukh, Pathanay Khan, Maharaj Kathak, 1991. As usual, it was organized by the
music, broadcast on French
Allan Faqir as well as some of the Faqir Théâtre de la Ville, and thanks to the
television screens. 16.
masters from Bhit Shah and other old director, Gerard Violette’s indefatigable
Post card announcing Nusrat’s
masters from Baluchistan. In addition to support and the phenomenal energy He was to return to France again in 1993 concert in Florence, Italy, 1991
Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud
a dramatic public sequence that literally of his advisor, Soubadeh Kia, it largely and 1995, gathering increasingly tightly-
contributed to Nusrat’s growing packed crowds, singing at the Théâtre set up video screens at the entrances
international fame. de la Ville or the Renaissance Theatre to the buildings for the several hundred
in Oullins-Lyon, where they even had to spectators who were unable to gain
The headlines of the newspapers of the
time reveal his continuing ascent: ‘Nusrat access to the overcrowded hall. The label
13. Eliane Azoulay, Télérama, 23 October 1991
11. Christophe Deshoulières, ‘Dieux vivants sur la place the Magnificent’ 13, ‘Nusrat is Great’ 14 Long Distance used this opportunity to
14. Philippe Pierre Adolphe and Sergio Gonzalez, Grands
du Châtelet’, Centre-­Presse, 2 December 1989
‘Nusrat, the chosen singer’ 15... In addition
Reportages, November 1991 record a new Parisian record, Back to
12. Yves Billon, Musiques du Pakistan, Films du Village, 15. Véronique Mortaigne, Le Monde, 8 November 1991
Paris, 1989, the clip can be viewed on http://www.
to the inevitable Théâtre de la Ville and Qawwali, where he was free to choose
dailymotion.com/fr/1#video=x117bt 16. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilKs86ebVK4
what he wanted to record. Nusrat chose

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a series of Sufi poems that were little once invited to the Music Festival in Interna tiona l recognition unbelievable series of themes and known
known to European audiences at the time mythical Grenada in the presence of f or a legend a ry q a wwa l techniques: crescendos and decrescendos,
such as ‘Man Atkya Beparwah De Naal’ Queen Sofia. There, he was nicknamed of stunning mastery and precision, plays
Tunisia
('My soul is entangled with the indifferent both ‘el Camarón paquistani’ or ‘el of vocal intervals that would make tenors
one') by the poet Shah Hussein. The Camarón de la India’ in reference to the In 1994, the Carthage festival in Tunisia and opera singers from here and elsewhere
newspapers went to town: ‘Nusrat, the famous Flamenco singer Camarón de invited Nusrat, via the Théâtre de la Ville, pale; super positions and run-ons of
voice of God’ , ‘Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
17
la Isla and the similarities in the way to come and perform in the antique Roman tones, and totally unknown usages: ‘twists’,
seduces rappers and rockers’ , ‘King 18
they sang. amphitheatre. The brilliant critic for La distortions, gestural contortions, even vocal
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’ , ‘Pavarotti of the
19 Presse de Tunis, Khaled Terbourbi was ones, springing up as if from the depths
Thanks to the efforts made by Soudabeh
East, Thursday in Dieppe’ , ‘The Pasha
20 deeply moved by the concert and wrote of his being (…) The majority of spectators
Kia, who is of Persian origin, Nusrat was
of Qawwali’ , ‘Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the
21 this eulogistic piece: ‘A performance that was plunged into something like a stupor
also invited to perform at unforgettable
ecstatic’ , ‘Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, trance
22 could only drive you mad, no more no for the duration of the concert…’ 25
concerts in Iran in the early 1990s, a
master’ 23 But the prize probably goes to less as-tound-ing!(…) With his stunning
country where his popularity was growing The journalist admitted that this great
Alain Swietlik for the feverish programme inspiration, his vocal skill nothing short of
and where he ardently wished to perform, art is placed in the service of something
note he wrote in 1993 for the Théâtre magical, the master dispenses the essential,
given the wealth of Persian Sufi poetry he that literally inhabits Nusrat: ‘Whether
de la Ville: ‘We cannot escape Nusrat’s the quintessence, let us say, of what could
sang, particularly that of Jalal ud- they were singing the dhikr, the naat,
fervour’, he warns. ‘How can anyone resist and should be the human song (…) With
Dîn Rûmi. or the mankabat, (Nusrat and his group)
such a strong power of certainty, how can Nusrat, there is no other choice: you have
wonderfully recreated the different stages
we withstand this surge of passion? How to listen, just listen. And with a quality of
of Sufi initiation, paying deep attention
can we not believe in such a mad love, listening free of any traces of pure reason,
to its progression. They interpreted the
how can we not be carried away by such surrendering, deeply surrendering to the
expression of meditation and humility
outrageous joy? (...) Nusrat did not learn totality of a music, a song, spurting out
(deep tones, whispers and murmurs,
to sing to praise God, he was born to sing like a gigantic reality, to be taken as such,
17. Bertrand Dicale, Le Figaro, 23 October 1993 impressive in their reflection of spiritual
God… Nusrat is religious fervour taken to non- negotiable, indissociable (…) No halt
18. Nina Bienvenu, Le Parisien, 23 October 1993
depth) the incantations of the petition
the highest level of musical madness’. 24 19. J.­M. D., Le Progrès de Lyon, 22 October 1993 permitted, no rest along the way; it is an
(vocal flights, high registers, remarkable
20. Le Courrier Picard, 27 October 1993
Disconcerting journalistic commotion!.
21. Eliane Azoulay, Télérama, 20 October 1993 high notes, in unison and in polyphony
His European tours, generally organized 22. Globe Hebdo, 20 October 1993 that makes one shiver with delight) and
by the Théâtre de la Ville, constantly 23. L’Affiche, magazine des autres musiques, September the accents of lightness and jubilation
1993
expanded his audience in Belgium, 24. Alain Swietlik, programme note Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, characteristic of mystical ecstasy the
Théâtre de la Ville, Paris, 1993 25. Khaled Terbourbi, La Presse, Tunis, 19 July 1994
Holland, Italy or Spain, where he was percussion’s obsessive rhythm and circular

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movements lead straight to a lightness was broadcast, whether it was pop music, an audience perfectly in tune with the
of meaning and transport the being to the musical introduction to a programme local music. After renewed sessions of
the realms of joy (…) Homage to you, or an advertisement. He used this to listening to the television and a certain
Master Nusrat!’. 26
imbibe the soundscape of the place apprehension, the concert, nonetheless,
where he was going to perform. Through began. A few breaths later, he realized
Brazil
the unique alchemy of the way in which he was on the right track this time, and
These concerts in Tunisia were followed he listened and his talent, he was able the the concert was a phenomenal success.
immediately by a tour in Brazil, also set next day to colour his traditional qawwali As usual.
up by the Théâtre de la Ville. A totally with some of the local musical fragrances,
different audience this time, and some his music thus strangely ‘suggesting’ the
difficult moments for Nusrat… Two very bossa nova in one place, and rock, rap or
different concerts had been planned. bhangra somewhere else.
The first was to commemorate the tenth
On this occasion, however, his musical
edition of the classical music festival held
intuition seems to have been slightly
in the highly select mountain resort of
misplaced. The Brazilian audience at the
Campos de Jordao. This was the first time
first concert at Campos de Jordao was
the festival was including ‘world music’
mainly from an aristocratic bourgeois
in its programme. The second was to take
background, few had mixed origins and
place in a popular theatre in the centre
their reference frame was much closer
of Sao Paulo. The atmospheres were
to the European classical music culture
totally different, as were the audiences’
than to samba. Whatever the reasons,
musical cultures.
CD cover of the album 'Qawwali, The Vocal Art of the Sufis –
this was one of the rare occasions
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, JVC World Sounds, Tokyo, 1987
As usual, as soon as Nusrat reached his where the public thinned out as the Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud
hotel, he switched on the television and concert progressed. When it ended, the
was listening carefully to everything that
Japan
theatre was almost empty and the artist
Nusrat’s amazing capacity to imbibe the
received very little applause. Nusrat was
soundscapes of the places he visited,
deeply disturbed; he almost decided
Press cuttings from Khaled Terbourbi article in and to bring them out in his local
the Tunisian newspaper, 19 July 1994 not to perform at the second concert
Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud interpretation of traditional qawwali,
the day after, in a hall full to bursting in
26. Ibid amazed more than one attentive listener.
the popular heart of São Paulo, before

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‘As they squeezed the bellows of the record two albums that remain reference
harmonium shut and prepared to sleep, points as far as traditional qawwali is
I asked what the television had to do concerned 28. They also made a collective
with qawwali. "The music you hear on video in collaboration with the Osaka
the television contains the foundations of Ethnographic Museum.29
what the people of this area are familiar
From this time on, Nusrat was a regular
with. If they weren’t familiar with this
visitor to this country; Japan had become
music, it wouldn’t be used in advertising.
one of his favourite lands. According
In tomorrow’s performance, I’m going to
to Aqeel Ruby, thanks to his Buddha-
blend ragas with five notes, like Bhupali and
like physique, many saw him as ‘some
Pahari, into the qawwali, so that everything
heavenly being who has come down on
doesn’t sound too different to the audience
earth to spread joy and happiness with
at first. That way, we can draw the people
Post card from the 1987 Japan tour, his music. (…)The Japanese think that in
with the whole party to our music and make them listen more
Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud
Nusrat’s singing are reflected the glory
attentively. Let us never forget that qawwals
and beauty that belong only to gods. (…)
are missionaries of the Sufi faith of unity and
For them, Nusrat is a doctor who attends
this is how we can unite people musically."
to their soul and body and who cures the
'And that’s exactly what happened on maladies of the heart. Was it not the wish
Thus, already during his first tour of Japan 'That night, Farkhi (Nusrat's brother
the following day: from the normally of his father that Nusrat should become
in 1987, the anthropologist Adam Nayyar, Iqbal's pet name) and I decided to go and
conservative audience of the National a doctor? The Japanese recognized him
who used to accompany him at the time, see the lights of the city and we asked
Theater, Nusrat got a standing ovation. as one.’ 30 A return to his roots, in a way.
recounts a similar anecdote: Nusrat to come with us. "You go," he
The crown prince (now the emperor of
said, smiling his usual angelic smile, "I’ll
‘After we had checked into our hotel, Japan) invited him for an audience. The
stay here." We returned very late in high
the first thing Nusrat did was to take his prince complimented Nusrat, saying "Your
spirits and found him still listening to the
harmonium and sit in front of the television, music is very strong!"' 27
television music, but now playing the
listening to all the advertising jingles. "It’s
tunes on the harmonium. Farkhi changed, This 1987 tour was part of the traditional 27. Adam Nayyar, Newsline, Lahore, September 1997.
five," he muttered immediately. When I 28. Qawwali: the Vocal Art of the Sufis (I & II), Nusrat Fateh
showered and sat down with him on a Asian arts festival, ‘Dance and Song in Ali Khan, JVC World Sounds, Tokyo, 1987/1990
asked what was "five", he told me patiently
second harmonium and they started to the Asian Spirit’, and also gave the Japan 29. The JVC Video Anthology of Music and Dance of the
that the music being used was based on a World (South Asia IV), JVC, Tokyo, 1987/1990
sing and play.(...) Victor Company (JVC) the opportunity to
pentatonic (five-note) scale. (…) 30 Ahmad Aqeel Ruby, op. cit., p.140

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United States Park on Sunday afternoon was standing scheme for Rahat’s benefit, explaining poems in a traditional register, it was
on chairs, clapping raised hands, dancing how the full raga would sound. Rahat also like England or Bollywood—a place
The United States was another country
in place, twirling scarves and T-shirts in echoed him in song, and I had a free where his song was mixed in different yet
that contributed enormously to Nusrat’s
the air and shouting approval for favourite concert in the taxi!’ 33
specific ways and took on a unique colour.
international success. A country at the
lines of songs, like a heavy-metal crowd.
crossroads of this personality’s multiple Washington State University in Seattle
But onstage were eight seated musicians
worlds: an Indo-Pakistani diaspora with invited Nusrat to the department of
and singers led by a middle-aged
its Sufi circles, the new rich, the ‘trendy’; ethnomusicology as an artist-in-residence
man, without a guitar or an electrified
world music and university circuits, rock, for the year 1992-1993. Hiromi Lorraine
instrument in sight, playing traditional
alternative or show biz networks. Sakata, the American ethnomusicologist
music that dates back centuries. It was
who was behind this visit, having carried
He discovered this country in 1989, during just one more jubilant show by Nusrat
out a large amount of research on
a tour organized in collaboration with Fateh Ali Khan and party.’ 32
qawwali in Pakistan, confirms Nusrat’s
the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris. His first
Here again, Nusrat had drawn on his amazing ability to integrate any kind of
concert in New York literally disconcerted
unique capacity to deconstruct certain music into his performance everywhere
the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The
elements of the local musical culture he went: ‘If he went to Spain, he listened
way he looked, like a mad Buddha, his
and to evoke some of its fragrance in his to flamenco for hours, and that became
passionate virtuosity, the complexity of
qawwali. This is what Adam Nayyar, who a part of his repertory, his style. It’s not
his vocal lines and the crazy energy of
had taken a taxi one day in New York with because he was aiming to change his
his group, stunned the audience. Just
Nusrat and his nephew Rahat, had to say: style, he never was. He was just able to
two months later, in December, the New
‘They both listened intently to the music incorporate so much…’ 34
York Times included his album Shahen
on the taxi’s radio and Nusrat began to
Shah in the ‘best of’ for the year. His While the United States allowed him to
classify different bits of songs into a ‘raga’
appearances, at the Town Hall in 1992 continue to joyfully trumpet out his Sufi
and in Central Park in 1993, set crowds
on fire, and the journalists covered him in
praise for ‘some of the most sophisticated
improvized music being played today (…)
31. Peter Watrous, ‘ Mysticism and Fervor: Nusrat Fateh
received with the passion and riotousness Ali Khan and Group’, New York Times, New York,
13 October 1992 33. Adam Nayyar, op. cit
found at rock concerts.’ 31 ‘The audience 32. Jon Pareles, ‘Sufi Devotional Concerts Draws a 34. Hiromi Lorraine Sakata in the film Nusrat Fateh
Rousing Crowd’, New York Times, New York, 17 August Ali Khan, A Voice From Heaven by Giuseppe Asaro, Announcement leaflet of Nusrat’s
crammed into Rumsey Playfield in Central 1993 (Crossmedia Communications, New York, 2001). programme in New York City, 1992
Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud

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Womad and Real World Since then, ‘Real World Records has grown into a label of wide-ranging, world-class music from
all corners of the globe. Most of the label’s releases are recorded at Real World Studios whose
Womad stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance, and Real World Records represents its ‘world
live interactive spaces provide an environment capable of capturing the excitement and vitality of
music’ label, a label which goes ‘even beyond this categorization’ 35, according to their own
musicians “in performance’’.’ 39
website.
Since 1991, the ‘Real World recording week’ regularly brings together a large number of world
The British musician Peter Gabriel was the inspiration behind Womad. The main idea was to bring
artists and producers, resulting, according to their website, in a ‘triumphant celebration of music
together music, art and dance from cultures throughout the world and to valorize the wealth of
as a global language of emotion.’ 40
their meeting: ‘at festivals, performance events, through recorded releases and through educational
projects, we aim to excite, to inform, and to create awareness of the worth and potential of a Nusrat participated in a number of Womad concerts all over the world, and in 1989, he signed
multicultural society.’ 36. Peter Gabriel also insists that: ‘music is an universal language, it brings a contract with Real World. He brought out ten albums with them: some are more ‘classical
people together and proves, if it still needs to be proved, the stupidity of racism.’ 37 qawwali’, most are ‘fusion’ albums, produced or remixed mainly with the musician Michael
Brook, but also with second or third generation British musicians of Indo-Pakistani origin. In
Since the first festival held at Shepton Mallet in England in 1982, over two hundred gatherings
addition, he also appears in six collective productions: Passion Sources (1989), Bliss (1998),
have been organized in thirty countries, and the festival now takes place every year at
Voices of the Real World (2000), Real World at Womad (2012), Film & TV 1 (2013) and Real World
least in Australia, New Zealand, Spain and England. It is held over a weekend and targets a
25, released in 2014, to celebrate the company’s twenty-fifth anniversary.
wide audience with a vast variety of concerts that take place on several stages. The Womad
Foundation, the educational branch, also holds a series of workshops and organizes activities to
spread culture, along with events for children.
The label Real World Records was started by Womad and Peter Gabriel in 1989, to ‘provide
talented artists from around the world with access to state-of-the-art recording facilities and
audiences beyond their geographical region’ 38

35. in http://realworldrecords.com 36. in www.womad.org 37. ibid

38. in http://realworldrecords.com, op.cit 39. ibid 40. ibid

LP cover of WOMAD Talkbook, 1986

Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud

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Théâtre de la Ville—A theatre open to the world Atahualpa Yupanqui, Lluis Llach, to name just a few.

For more than forty years, the Théâtre de la Ville has stood as a beacon at the heart of Paris. It * Singers and musicians who took their first steps on a major Parisian stage, like Salif Keita,
was in 1968 that the actor and theatre director, Jean Mercure, created this iconic space with Youssou N’Dour, Mory Kante, I Muvrini, Paolo Conte, Cesaria Evora and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
a revolutionary concept that has led many others to copy it since. A thousand-seater theatre Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and the Théâtre de la Ville: six sessions, sixteen
for a multi-disciplinary programme, a combination of dance and theatre, as well as music, concerts, an incredible adventure
world music, mime and humour, it is a public service (prices amongst the lowest in the capital,
hence making it accessible to a wide audience) that offers different types of subscription and 8, 10 and 11 November 1985: in France for the first time
membership packages. 20 and 21 March 1988
Gérard Violette, who had been the theatre’s administrator since its creation, took over from 12 and 13 November 1989
Mercure in 1985 and remained the director until 2008. He was utterly dedicated to its
From 27 to 29 October 1991
founding principles and provided an unparalleled springboard for dance and world music. He
considerably increased the number of shows and performances to an average of a hundred From 24 to 26 October 1993
programmes a year. He loved discovering new talents, followed and supported their evolution, From 2 to 4 November 1995
thus helping create magnificent artistic trajectories.
Programmed from 27 to 31 October 1997, but unfortunately he died in
Thus, over forty years, the Théâtre de la Ville has programmed more than six hundred singers August that year.
and musicians from five different continents:
—Jacqueline Magnier
* Unrivalled masters of great musical and vocal traditions: the griots from Mali, qawwali from
Pakistan, Mugham from Azerbaijan, Iraqi Maqam, Iranian radif, poetry of the great Sufi mystics,
Algerian Chaabi, Maloya from the Reunion Islands, overtone singing from the Central Asian
steppes, khyal, dhrupad and Carnatic music from North and South India, not forgetting all the
great traditions of classical Indian dance (bharatnatyam, odissi, kathak).
* Historic international vocal artists, who are influencing or have influenced the history of their Paris Théâtre de la Ville
programmes from 1989 to 1995
countries: Taos Amrouche, Amalia Rodriguez, José Afonso, Mercedes Sosa, the Cuarteto Cedron, Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud

100
 Dil se jo baat nikalti hai, asar rakhti hai
Par nahin, taaqat-e-parwaaz magar rakhti hai
Qudsi-ul-as’l hai, rif-at pe nazar rakhti hai
Khaak se uthti hai, gardoon pe guzar rakhti hai
Ishq tha fitna gar-o-sarkash-o-chalaak mera
Aasmaa cheer gaya nala-e-bebaak mera
A Qawwal
Whatever comes out of the heart has an effect
It has no wings but has the power of flight
It has holy origins, it aims at elegance
It rises from dust, but has access to the celestial world
My love was seditious, rebellious and clever Sources: ‘Jawab-e-shikwa’( by Allama Iqbal Mohammad) from Nusrat’s audio rendering on http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=nIPqURsAIGs; Original Urdu transcription by Shamin Zamanvi and Mohammad Hasan, Bangla-Urdu Sahitya Foundation;

My fearless wailing rent the sky Roman transcription and translation from the Urdu from https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-legend_nusrat-fateh-ali-khan/dil-se-jo-
baat-niklejawab-e-shikwa-lyrics-translation/452779894278 and www.allamaiqbal.com/works/poetry/urdu/bang/translation/
 a q aw wal at th e h eart o f mo d er n i ty

A Qawwal
at the Heart in 1988, Yokohama, Japan in 1992 or the
WOMADelaide held in Australia in 1995.
of studio sessions with the Canadian
composer and producer Michael Brook,
the words of the poems have been

of Modernity Besides these international tours, Peter

Gabriel played a fundamental role in
building Nusrat’s international reputation
largely replaced by vocal improvizations
inspired by Hindustani classical ragas, and
developed around a very mixed musical
through the different recordings they
accompaniment. In addition to the Indian
made together under the label, Real
harmonium and the tabla, Michael Brook
World, started by the rock star in 1989.
used instruments from different continents
Peter Gabriel truly admired Nusrat. such as the Senegalese djembé, the
R e al World In the film by Jérôme de Missolz, he Brazilian surdo, the ‘infinite guitar’ he
In parallel to the ‘traditional’ qawwali tours, mostly confides: ‘I get tingles on the back had designed himself, keyboards and
organized by the Parisian Théâtre de la Ville, and those of my neck when I hear his music. He a bass guitar.
initiated by the Pakistani diaspora, with all the recordings has a masterful control of, if you like,
Michael Brook himself acknowledges
that were made of his performances, Nusrat’s other main the spiritual volume. A lot of people
that the recording ‘worked’, ‘although
distribution circuit was connected to Peter Gabriel, his have control over the rhythm of the
it wasn’t painless’ 2, as the two artists did
Womad festivals and above all his label, Real World. voice, or the melody of the voice, or
not necessarily understand each other
improvizations. But with Nusrat, I think
Nusrat’s first concert at the Mersea Island Womad in Essex, and each one functioned according to
it’s more designed. He understands
England in July 1985 had made a very strong impact, both their own systems. Thus, when it came
that so well, and he knows what it is,
on the audience as well as the professionals who attended to the editing, as certain pieces were too
that he can build up an improvization
the festival. Just like his performance at the Théâtre de la long and they had to be shortened and
till it climbs up to a peak and you know
Ville a few weeks later, this phenomenal success was to other passages added, some of the verses
when it gets there, it’s going to enter
throw open the doors to planetary recognition for the artist of the poems were truncated, upsetting
people’s hearts’. 1

who was about to become the ‘Shahen-Shah-e-Qawwali ’

(‘King of kings of qawwali’). At the time, as they had been so A first, more classical album, Shahen
successful, the number of Womad festivals was multiplying all Shah, was released in 1989, but the
over the world and Nusrat soon became a highly sought after one that really left its mark and scaled
participant, as was the case for the Bracknell Womad in the UK the ladder of popularity charts, was the 1. Peter Gabriel, interviewed in the film Nusrat Fateh Ali
Khan, The Last Prophet by Jérôme de Missolz, op. cit
fusion album, Mustt Mustt, released the
2. Michael Brook, CD booklet Mustt, Mustt Real World,
following year. In this album, the result 1990

105
N U S R AT a q aw wal at th e h eart o f mo d er n i ty

their meaning or the evolution of the on the contrary, felt that this album brought there blasting it in his room. We were
theme when there was just a sargam. out the ‘brilliance of a master who is clever all awash in the thick undulating tide of
Compromises had to be found, the Body and Soul Dust to Gold enough to remind us that the gymnastics dark Punjabi tabla rhythms, spiked with
main original phrases had to be restored of a Western producer, however attractive, synchronized handclaps booming from
without losing the musical structure subtle or classy they are, only serve to dress above and below in hard, perfect time.
Michael Brook had created. it all up (…) A cross border love marriage I heard the clarion call of harmoniums
(…) with its excesses, Night Song is the dancing the antique melody around like
The last track on the album, a remix of
return of spring.’ In any event, the album
6
giant, singing wooden spiders. Then,
the bestselling number Mustt Mustt with
was nominated for the Grammy Awards, as all of a sudden, the rising of one, then
the British trip-hop band, Massive Attack,
Mustt Mustt Love and Devotion
it was well suited to the taste of the Anglo- ten voices hovering over the tonic like a
was a phenomenal success in British
European ear’ And then there was Night
3
Saxon professionals of the time. flock of geese ascending into formation
discotheques when it was released. It
Song in 1996, produced with Michael across the sky. Then came the voice of
became so popular that it was even used
Brook. According to Francis Dordor, it Jef f B uckley’s E lvis Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Part Buddha,
by Coca-Cola in one of its advertisements
was ‘designed like a pop album (where) During a tour of the United States, Nusrat part demon, part mad angel ... his voice
during a World Cup cricket match, the
the rhythmic loops, fluid synthetics that met another Western musician on whom is velvet fire, simply incomparable (…).
favourite sport in the Indian subcontinent!
pervaded the melodies, the garlands of he had a indelible impact: Jeff Buckley.
The track 'Tere bina nahi lagda' developed
guitars, the drums, all make it a product The American singer, who also died too
on a more classical theme, was later included
adapted to the listening norms of a young, describes the discovery of the
in the film Bend It Like Beckham that tells
Western audience’ 4. The result was that man he called ‘my Elvis’. He writes: ‘(A
the story of two young women, one of them
Nusrat's incredible vocal prowess was much man) I deeply revere (...) above all other
from a Sikh family, who both love football,
weaker in Night Song; 'it never took off. Or artists.’ 7 ‘The first time I heard the voice
something that brings them into conflict with
it just worked on automatic pilot.' Others, 5
of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was in Harlem,
their respective families.
in 1990. My roommate and I stood
The third album, Shahbaaz, released in
1991, returns to a more traditional sound,
but the journalist Veronique Mortaigne says
that although in the beginning Nusrat’s 3. Véronique Mortaigne, ‘Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan,
Shahbaaz’, Le Monde, Paris, 8 November 1991
art seemed to pay little heed to our usual
4. Francis Dordor, ‘Un homme nommé qawwâl’, 6. Véronique Mortaigne, ‘Le mystère de Nusrat Fateh Ali
rules regarding couplets and refrains, Destination World music, Les Inrockuptibles, supplement Khan’, Le Monde, Paris, 30 March 1996
to issue 56, Paris, May 1996
7. Jeff Buckley, http://www.jeffbuckley.com/news.
here he had ‘adapted his music to the 5. Ibid asp?id=13 CD cover artwork for Jeff Buckley's album
Grace, Label Columbia,1994

106 107
N U S R AT a q aw wal at th e h eart o f mo d er n i ty

His every enunciation went straight into situation. In 1993, at a concert at Sin-é After seeing her eyes O Adam! hand will burn.' 11, the poem laments.
me. I knew not one word of Urdu, and café in New York, before a dazed I can feel the ambience of the tavern.
Nusrat’s voice also deeply overwhelmed
somehow it still hooked me into the story audience, he even sang in Urdu some Somebody does live in my heart. another singer who shared his Sufi
that he weaved with his wordless voice. I lines of the poem Nusrat had sung so
identity: Cheikh Lô. This iconoclastic
remember my senses fully froze in order often. The words are a reflection of his From the time I have seen her eyes
singer, who was himself a disciple of the
to feel melody after melody crash upon state of mind: I remain mildly intoxicated.
Sufi Murid movement, Baye Fall (Senegal),
each other in waves of improvization;
once declared that he could not go to
My beloved lives in my heart, like
with each line being repeated by the 'In awe of every glance of the cup-bearer, I sleep without listening to Nusrat. In a
men in chorus, restated again by the drank light lives in darkness.
collective ‘Homage to Nusrat’, he offered
main soloists, and then Nusrat setting I drank playing with the waves of joy.(…)
He remains intoxicated and ecstatic. a zikrouali prayer in Wolof for Nusrat’s
the whole bloody thing aflame with his
soul, ‘in the hope we may all go to
rapid-fire scatting, turning classical Indian Purple clouds are overcast
This mild intoxication Paradise on Resurrection day to meet him
Solfeggio (Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni) and the sound of music is all around.
is because of your eyes, again and to dance to the rhythm of the
into a chaotic/manic birdsong. The phrase
Whose tresses are open in the rains? that taught me drinking. Baye Fall drums!‘ 12
burst into a climax somewhere, with
Nusrat’s upper register painting a melody The winds are perfumed. This international recognition led to
Your love and your longing,
that made my heart long to fly. The piece Nusrat being awarded the prestigious
Let us dance in the garden courtyard your intoxicating glances
went on for fifteen minutes. I ate my heart Unesco International Music Council prize
the clouds brought music [with them]. made me a drunkard.' 10
out (...) I felt a rush of adrenaline in my that brought him to the attention of new

chest, like I was on the edge of a cliff, audiences either through the traditional

wondering when I would jump and how As a mark of the deep admiration Jeff version of his songs, or more often,

well the ocean would catch me.’ 8 Buckley had for the Pakistani artist, his
family chose one of Nusrat’s recordings,
The ocean did not get him just then, it
‘Aag Daman Mein Lag Jai’, for his funeral
was quite the contrary as at a meeting
8. Jeff Buckley, http://www.imran.com/pakistan/music/ procession in New York in May 1997.
with Nusrat in 1996, he told him how pakipop/khan.html
‘My life will be set on fire \ My heart will
listening to 'Yeh Jo Halka Halka Suroor 9. Jeff Buckley, site http://www.nusratfan.com/jeff­
buckley­interviews­nusrat­fateh­ali­k han/ (includes also the become a ball of fire \ Please do not
Hai' (from the album The Day, the audio recording of his Sin­é café Urdu rendering of this
song) touch my glass of wine \ If you do, your 11. http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/
Night, the Dawn, the Dusk by Shanachie 10. http://nusrat.info/ye­jo­halka­halka­suroor (the whole
faq/21nusrat.html
poem by Jigar Moradabadi, Abdul Hameed Adam and hand will catch fire \ Tears of my love fill 12. Pierre­-Alain Baud, ‘Homage to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’
Records) ‘had saved (his) life’ 9, helping Anwar Jogi is available here; we have only provided the accompanying CD booklet, Network Medien Gmbh,
verses sung by Jeff Buckley that evening at Sin­é­café) my glass \ Do not touch my glass or your Frankfürt, 1997
him emerge from a very difficult personal

108 109
N U S R AT a q aw wal at th e h eart o f mo d er n i ty

remixes. It is however upon the young World in 1997, is a collection of remixes and his voice really hit home’. 14 For Nitin for sale ‘informally’ in Europe or freely in
Asian musicians that Nusrat had the created by the best artists of Indo-Pakistani Sawhney, who also appears on this album: Pakistan. Fragments of his most famous
greatest impact. origin from Great Britain. There were tracks ‘Nusrat is more than just a singer to me— performances (like the 1985 Womad, or
by Asian Dub Foundation, Talvin Singh, Aki he is the embodiment of soul and passion the 1988 performances at Théâtre de la
T h e h yph e n at e d di a s p o ra Nawaz, or Joi who saw Nusrat as someone in music.’ 15
Ville) were also uploaded on the web,
The regular musical experiments Nusrat great: ‘He’s the godfather of Sufi music! We on the shared video websites youtube.
These ‘official’ releases did nothing to
attempted with second-generation Indo- grew up knowing Nusrat through our Dad’s com and dailymotion.com, as well as on a
stop a large number of the recordings
Pakistani artists living in England brought records, but it wasn’t until we saw him play large number of other Internet sites.
of Nusrat's voice being remixed and
him growing recognition among the live in a community centre in the East End
sometimes orchestrated, then released Even if at a given moment, it seemed
youth of the diaspora. Another album that in the late ‘80s that the power of the man
without obtaining prior permission that he would set up his own production
was a hit in British discotheques was the
from the artist. As Jérôme de Missolz company, this unregulated distribution
famous Magic Touch where Nusrat’s voice
notes, ‘When I was wandering around in (that also contributed to his becoming
is remixed by the disc jockey of Indian
Birmingham or in the Pakistani community increasingly well-known) did not seem to
origin, Bally Sagoo. Nusrat’s ethereal voice
in New York, I realized there was a huge disturb him greatly. His constant desire
emerging out of a ‘Uno, dos, très, cuatro’
amount of Nusrat’s music that was being to spread the word of the Sufi poets as
infused with overtones of Latin salsa has its
pirated. There are a vast number of widely as possible, his ‘missionary’ zeal
own charm.
recordings or even video cassettes of if we can call it that, was to some extent
Lorraine Sakata confirms: ‘I know that a lot concerts, most of them filmed in in very satisfied with this situation.
of young musicians in England, Pakistani uncomfortable conditions, that are sold
As it has been said in the Café Aman
or South-Asian musicians, used to idealize under the counter. It is actually quite
blog: ‘Nusrat was an evangelist of the
Nusrat, and he would give them whatever beautiful in a way, this idea that at a
they asked for. He would give them his given moment, music travels through
recordings, and they could do whatever CD cover artwork of "piracy" and the idea of a musician
Nusrat remixed by
they wanted with them. They mixed his Bally Sagoo. Album working only for the record industry is
Magic Touch, Original
voice in with their own compositions, and Label: Oriental Star completely distorted. The music lives and
that was fine with him, because he really Agencies,1991
is propagated outside of their control’. 16 13. Lorraine Sakata in the film Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a
Voice From Heaven, op. cit
wanted to keep the connection between 14. Joi, CD booklet Star Rise, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and
In fact, the pirated audio or video Michael Brook Remixed, Real World, 1997
these young people and Pakistan alive.’ 13
recordings of innumerable concerts by 15. Nitin Sawhney CD booklet Star Rise..., op.cit

The compilation Star Rise, released by Real Nusrat were often very quickly available 16. Jérôme de Missolz, quoted from the site www.
arteboutique.fr

110 111
N U S R AT a q aw wal at th e h eart o f mo d er n i ty

highest order. If someone approached of thousands of Pakistanis (most of musicians, exuberant dancing as well as a great pride for them, encouraging a sense
him with a tape recorder and requested them from Punjab) to live and work in few people who went into a trance. Every of respect and integration ‘from above’
him:"Just sing a little for my wife/child/ these countries. song, most of which were chosen from in the host country. Often at the end of
brother, please!", he would happily do the most popular Punjabi ones, like a concert in Paris, but also in regional
In France too, home to a more limited
so—not because he was naive enough ‘Mera Piya Ghar Aaya’ or ‘Shaabaz halls, the feeling of being appreciated,
community of a few tens of thousands of
to believe that such material might Qalandar ’, provoked loud, ebullient not primarily as mere immigrant workers,
Pakistanis, community events had always
not eventually find its way into a pirate signs of approval and banknotes rained but as actual human beings with a specific
taken place on the fringes of the Théâtre
recording or an unauthorized remix or down upon the group. cultural wealth, made their faces glow and
de la Ville concerts, or in provincial towns.
some such (because it very often did), but fostered a much more equal contact with
These invitations were often extended The Pakistani spectators’ participation in
because he fervently believed that the the usual audiences of these theatres.
by the Pakistani Embassy, but Pakistani Nusrat’s concerts that were programmed in
music’s Sufi message of love and peace
associations also occasionally organized national cultural circuits were moments of This popularity among the diaspora
could, and should, find its way to as many
programmes outside Paris. Thus, in 1993,
people as possible, through whatever
between two packed performances 28th Barsi of
channels were on offer’. 17 Ustads Fateh and
at the Théâtre de la Ville, Nusrat used Mubarak Ali Khan,
Faisalabad, 1994
Beyond his success among the young his day off to offer the community a © Bashir Ejjaz
diaspora artists, Nusrat always remained concert at a theatre in Sarcelles, in the
very close to the Pakistani, and hence northern suburbs of Paris. The hall was
the Indian, communities all over the full to bursting, the audience consisted
world. Until the end, he performed a almost exclusively of groups of men and
huge number of ‘traditional qawwali ’ Indo-Pakistani families dressed in their
concerts and went on tours wherever best; the atmosphere was very similar to
influential members of the local Pakistani that of private concerts in Pakistan. The
and Indian immigrant community invited brightly-lit hall was alive with constant
him. He thus went regularly not only movement, incessant offerings to the
to England, to Scandinavia and North
America but also to different countries
in the Emirates and the Persian Gulf.
From the 1980s onwards, the boom in
economic and migratory relations with 17. Café Aman, in http://www.anastasiat.com/2007/08/
shahen­shah­e­q.html
Pakistan had indeed attracted hundreds

112 113
N U S R AT a q aw wal at th e h eart o f mo d er n i ty

was further reinforced when Nusrat met Imran Khan had once invited Mick Jagger
With captain Imran
someone who was to become a friend: to one of the concerts in London. The Khan and the World
Imran Khan, the other internationally latter had replied that ‘he could spare Cup-winning Pakistan
cricket team, 1992
famous ‘Khan’ from Pakistan, captain of five minutes for it, as he was very busy. I © Bashir Ejjaz

the national cricket team at the time; told Nusrat about it and said to him, "If
cricket being the country’s national sport. Mick Jagger does come, he should not
‘I feel a sense of spiritual well-being when go before the concert is over." And that
I listen to Nusrat,’ 18
he used to say. This is what happened. Mick Jagger came
friendship blossomed when Imran Khan and stayed for three hours and listened
and his team won the 1992 World Cup to Nusrat’s qawwali. This proves his
tournament. ‘Our team used to pray to greatness, and for this Nusrat has worked
God and listen to a Nusrat Fateh Ali very hard. He has held many shows for
Khan cassette to derive strength,’ 19
my hospital project and it is because of
he later said. the Nusrat shows that I have been able to
collect funds for the project in European
Their relationship led particularly to a
and American cities. Nusrat did all those
series of concerts for the diaspora, to
shows for free. He is truly a great artist.’ 20
benefit the Shaukat Khanum Memorial
Trust Foundation, a research centre and In The Hague, in July 1993, one of the
cancer hospital founded by Imran Khan community concerts was organized in the by a famous Pakistani television anchor, and Film music
in Lahore on his mother’s death. These middle of an ‘international’ tour. Nusrat they shared the stage, with Nusrat singing
Another field in which the insatiable Nusrat
concerts that sought to collect funds for and his party were to perform inside a an unending series of his greatest successes
was commended and which brought him
the development and management of the Protestant temple, where a stage had in Pakistan, and the host announcing at
applause from another type of audience
centre, largely targeted an audience that been set up. The evening was presented regular intervals the donations promised,
was the collaboration on film music, first in
was already captivated. Performances the list of names of generous benefactors
the West, then in Bollywood.
were organized everywhere where the and the sums that had been paid or were
Pakistani community could make a going to be paid to the Foundation. Stephen Frears had already used Nusrat’s
significant contribution to the cause: Everyone was happy—Nusrat, as much as voice in his 1987 film, Sammy and Rosie
18. Imran Khan, Asia Week, 29 August 1997
the United States and Canada, the Persian the others, as he could yet again present Get Laid with bits of traditional qawwali
19. Imran Khan, quoted in ‘Unforgettable’, Alexandra A.
Seno, Asia Week, 29 August 1997 songs, but the first original recordings
Gulf Emirates, Scandinavia, England and his Sufi poems to an audience who could
20. Quoted on www.nusratfan.com/tributes
Holland, among other countries. actually understand them this time. began around Peter Gabriel, with the

114 115
N U S R AT C h apter n ame

music for the film The Last Temptation Walking by Tim Robbins. The film evokes as Peter Gabriel had suggested he do. (Right) DVD cover
artwork of Dead Man
of Christ at the end of the 1980s. The the relationship between a nun and a He publicly repented after the film was Walking
(Below) A scene from
director, Martin Scorsese, actually asked prisoner on death row. Bruce Springsteen released in 1994; his voice had, in fact, the film, 1996

the British artist to compose the music and Patti Smith also collaborated on the been used on an extremely violent
for this highly controversial film about soundtrack. Nusrat sang two original riot scene, something that shocked
a Christ beset by very human passions. tracks in duo with Eddie Vedder, ‘The him personally and earned him a lot of
Peter Gabriel did a lot of research on Face of Love’ and ‘The Long Road’, which scathing criticism. In Pakistan, he was
artists who could potentially participate were a raging success with the fans, even accused of blasphemy, or at least
in the project alongside musicians like even though it was Springsteen who was of collaborating on a totally inappropriate
Youssou N’Dour, Kudsi Ergüner or Baaba nominated for the Oscars. project. Other critics, on the contrary,
Maal. He finally suggested that Nusrat felt that his contribution was perfectly
Although the words in Urdu from the spiritual enlightenment. Instead of feeling
interpret the essence of the original justified: ‘What would be expected of a
‘The Face of Love’ (‘What is life without out of place, the music fits perfectly
sound track: The Passion. In a slow normal riot scene would be the average
love? Now you have come into this world, into the riot sequence. He creates an
motion scene, with Nusrat’s lament in aggressive nu-metal music, but instead,
love each other’) were unanimously energetic, tribal, back-to-roots type
the background, Jesus carries his cross, Stone uses a song by Nusrat Fateh Ali
appreciated, the actual music was not. It feeling that just accelerates the emotion
stumbling towards Golgotha where he is Khan (…) who focuses on expressing
was yet again criticized by the supporters of the moment.’ 21
to be crucified. A cry of pain and solitude
of ‘pure’ tradition. Nusrat's approach
that brings to mind the ‘O Father, why This new controversy did not prevent
nonetheless took qawwali to the
have you abandoned me?’ proffered by Nusrat from being further honoured as
alternative rock scene in America.
Christ in the Bible. The pain of the world he was awarded the Grand Prix Special

was literally present and deeply affected Peter Gabriel then asked Nusrat to des Amériques at the Montreal World

critics and audiences. collaborate on the soundtrack for Oliver Film Festival in 1996 ‘for exceptional
Stone's film, Natural Born Killers dealing contribution to the art of cinema’.
In 1993, Nusrat used his American
with the excessive mediatisation of
residency to pursue his collaborations in
crime and murders. Leonard Cohen was
the area of soundtracks for films. While
involved, as was Patti Smith again. As
he was teaching at Washington University,
usual, on the advice of his secretary and
he met Eddie Vedder, the singer and
manager Iqbal Naqibi, Nusrat accepted
songwriter for the grunge band, Pearl
the offer; but this time a little too quickly, A scene from
Jam. Vedder asked him to collaborate the film The Last 21. ]‘Indiedaze’, ‘Acid­fuelled highway ride to hell!’ http://
without having really read the script, Temptation, 1990 www.imdb.com/title/tt0110632/reviews-439
on the soundtrack for the film Dead Man

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All this aside, if there is one country an instant commercial success. Some Javed Akhtar greatly enjoyed working of intense spiritual commitment,
apart from Pakistan, where the film even saw this melody that became ‘Tu with Nusrat : ‘You feel there is something complete immersion in his faith and his
music composed by Nusrat and, more Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast’ in Rajiv Rai’s very organic about the tunes composed art, and his bonhomie that was almost
importantly, his reputation was to grow film as one of the ten best film songs by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. You don’t feel childishly innocent.
enormously, it was India. Over the years, of the 1990s. This kind of plagiarism they are built. You feel, rather, that they
At around the same time, Nusrat
Nusrat was to obtain great recognition by Bollywood music directors was fairly have grown.’ 22 Taking this ‘organic’ idea
also composed the music for another
there, something no other Pakistani artist common, and it led an exasperated Nusrat further, he later confided that 'He used to
highly controversial film, Bandit Queen
had achieved. to say one day that it was a sign of their go and sit by the ocean, and watch it for
by Shekhar Kapur, that recounts the
lack of talent. hours and hours. And one day it occurred
legendary (but very real) life of Phoolan
Bollywood and India to me, that I, as a viewer, am in fact seeing
Nevertheless, Nusrat himself greatly Devi, the ‘Bandit Queen’, whom many
As we saw, the land of his ancestors had two oceans, for this man himself is an
enjoyed Indian films, and his relationship worshipped as a reincarnation of the
paid homage to Nusrat in 1979, when ocean.' 23 Commenting on the hours Nusrat
with Bollywood was to go far beyond this Goddess Durga. This low-caste woman,
the filmstar Raj Kapoor had invited him could spend sitting before his harmonium
kind of criticism. His first collaboration was who had been forced into marriage at the
to sing for his son Rishi’s wedding. This or a synthesizer, experimenting with all
with the songwriter Javed Akhtar on the age of eleven, had become an elected
appearance had left its mark. From this the nuances and flavours of a musical
film Aur Pyar Ho Gaya by Rahul Rawail member of the Indian Parliament after
date onwards, he was no longer an phrase, Akhtar said, ‘Music was a kind of
and the album Sangam. A romance with a having been pursued throughout India
unknown qawwal from Pakistan, but a meditation for him (…) He was meditative,
million twists and turns, Aur pyar ho gaya by the police for her actions against the
worthy heir to his father and uncle. and at the same time like a kid playing with
was also the film that launched the Indian excesses of the high caste Thakurs. She
This recognition brought him numerous a toy. ’ 24
megastar Aishwarya Rai, and won her the was finally killed in 2001, in front of her
proposals for collaboration from the Hindi prize for the ‘Most promising newcomer’ It was indeed what was striking when house, riddled by bullets by a Thakur who
film industry; they revived a common at the Bombay Filmfare Awards 1994. For one spent time with Nusrat: this mixture wanted to avenge the affront to his caste,
heritage and were testimony to the this film, Nusrat was highly appreciated as well after the release of the epic film.
closeness of two peoples, too often a music director, and in it, he made his only
In the film’s soundtrack, composed in
unhappily placed in situations of conflict. Bollywood appearance. As for the audio
collaboration with Roger White, Nusrat
It is interestng to note that ‘Dum Mast album Sangam, that Nusrat brought out
tried to create bridges between classical
Qalandar Mast’, his first great success later with Javed Akhtar, it was also a hit,
Hindustani music and popular music. For
in India, crossed the border with no particularly its title track ‘Afreen, Afreen’, 22. Quoted by Amit Baruah and R. Padmanabhan,
‘The Stilled Voice’, Frontline, Delhi, Vol. 14, n°18, p.6­19, Ashish Chatterjee, who adores this album,
warning in the 1980s and was completely a ghazal that was popular throughout September 1997
‘The music aptly reflects the childhood
23. Quoted on www.nusratfan.com/tributes
plagiarized in the film Mohra that was the subcontinent, and had been heavily
24. Ibid crumbling of dreams, newfound love
remixed for the album.

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N U S R AT a q aw wal at th e h eart o f mo d er n i ty

and then the long chase, which ended real Islam that was supposed to condemn even by the Islamist military powers who
with the death of the beloved. Taking music. Somewhat sarcastically Adam were ruling at the time.
classical notes from India, mixing them Nayyar notes: 'Rumour had it that his
A sign of his national consecration, the
with local and occidental instruments, performance was music therapy for the
National Institute of Folk and Traditional
Nusrat creates a new genre, which was to treatment of the disturbed daughter of
Heritage, Lok Virsa, invited Nusrat for the
subsequently become his trademark in the the military ruler. This apparently turned
first time in March 1987, to make an audio
history of Indian films. The extensive use out to be true, for both Nusrat and the
and video recording in the series, Great
of ragas Des, Mand and Khamaj lends to psychiatrist treating the ruler’s daughter
Masters of Our Times, that the Institute
the haunting sound, which recreates the were awarded the President’s Pride of
was working on at the time. Two years
haunting ravines of the Chambal Valley ’. 25 Performance medal shortly afterwards that
later, in 1989, Nusrat returned, this time
Sangam, collaboration between Nusrat and
year.' 26 This was a medal that honoured
It goes without saying that this foray into Javed Akhtar, 1996 invited by one of his distinguished fans,
the most famous artists in the country.
Bollywood hugely increased his popularity television certainly led to an increase in Dr Mubashar. He was to return again in
Therapeutic or musical talent, whichever
with the Indian audiences, and a number his audience, the news of his international 1996 to receive the prestigious Japanese
the case, this medal awarded to Nusrat
of Nusrat’s 'official' or more often 'pirated' tours and their success gave him an Fukuoka Asian Cultural Prize there.
consecrated a personality who was
recordings surfaced in bazaars and shops incomparable aura that no other Pakistani
increasingly well-respected in Pakistan, Families of the upper bourgeoisie and the
all over the country. artist had ever enjoyed. upper echelons of the military hierarchy
began to invite Nusrat to their weddings.
R e tu r n t o P a k i s t an … In 1986, Nusrat had been invited by
glory at home the President of Pakistan General Zia- Large private Pakistani companies and
ul-Haq, to perform at a private concert. transnational companies were proud to
This growing global recognition largely
The dictator general was, nonetheless, have him participate in the parties they
contributed to Nusrat’s fame even in
a supporter of a rigorous form of Islam threw for their employees. His public
Pakistan. His personal celebrity went far
that had little time for what the Muslim concerts, either ticketed or related to
beyond the circles of the Sufi shrines
fundamentalists saw as deviations from some Sufi ceremony, attracted enormous
and amateurs interested in music. It now
crowds everywhere.
touched large segments of the urban and
‘modern’ population in his own country,
including the youth from the richer classes
as well as the Pakistani elite.
25. Ashish Chatterjee, ‘How do you classify a gem?’ http://
While his numerous cassette recordings, www.amazon.com/Bandit­Queen­Original- Soundtrack/
dp/B000050I0V 26. Adam Nayyar, 1997, op. cit
his programmes on the radio and the CD cover artwork of the album Bandit Queen , 1996

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NUSRAT a q aw wal at th e h eart o f mo d er n i ty

Nusrat always adapted his programme Beyond Nusrat’s ‘plurality’, his concerts and visual.
to the context and the audience: in were also places where Pakistani society
By taking Sufi poems and qawwali out of
a mausoleum, in the presence of the itself was on display in its incredible
their usual sounds and rhythms, Nusrat
guardians of the holy place or the diversity. Depending on the place where
awakened the interest of rock groups like
Saint’s descendant, he followed the the concert was held and the audience’s
Junoon, the stars of modern Pakistani
traditional order of the songs: hamd, naat, level of emancipation or modernity,
music at that time. Nusrat began to work
manqabat, and ended with a rang. He the public status of the women was
with Salman Ahmad, the founder of the
focused on the interpretation of poems clearly visible. In an orthodox milieu, the
band Junoon, to prepare a concert tour
in resonance with the local saint or the women were almost invisible, evanescent
they were to go on together to raise
time of the year, fully developing all the shadows concealed behind heavy drapes.
funds for Imran Khan’s cancer hospital,
couplets and using the vast litanies to the Elsewhere, they could be sitting on one
Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust. When
saints. He also patiently accompanied the side of the hall, discreet, but clearly
Salman asked Nusrat what he wanted him
The Sunday Review, 5 May 1996
most sensitive devotees, who were likely visible; in more ‘modern’ situations,
Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud to play at the begining of the programme,
to experience mystical ecstasy in their saxophones, a bass guitar, drums and a they could be mixing with the men,
Nusrat replied: 'Do whatever your heart
fleeting encounters with the Beloved. keyboard. Often, his public concerts in sometimes even actively participating in
tells you to do'. 'It turned out to be the
the 1990s were split into two: a first half making offerings to the musicians and in
At a wedding when a large family group strongest piece of career and personal
with his original party, and a second part the dances that accompanied the more
was present, he sang his ever popular advice anyone could’ve offered me.' 28 By
with young Punjabi musicians playing euphoric moments.
resounding successes ‘Dum Mustt his training and his own personal choices,
Qalander ’, ‘Mera Piya Ghar Aaya’ or ‘Ali electronic instruments. Nonetheless, at his public concerts, the Salman, who was born in Lahore but
Da Malang’, which could be heard on the Nusrat was not taken in by this ‘late audience most often mainly consisted of grew up in New York, was more attracted
radio and in the local corner shops. recognition’ from Pakistani high society. men, who were not the least reticent to as he says himself, towards the Beatles,

His response to Adam Nayyar, who was make their presence felt very publicly, Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd. All the same,
For a ‘trendy’ urban audience, well aware
asking him one day about this rising when they were offering money very he saw Nusrat’s music and singing as
of his international success, he improvized
popularity with a certain elite of the flamboyantly. This traditional practice of
around raga Darbari sung in The Last
country, was: 'You know this perfectly vel, a sign of respect and appreciation,
Temptation of Christ, or on the basis of
good cloth they make in Faisalabad. had in most of Nusrat’s concerts, become
his British remixes. For a young audience
People won’t buy it unless you stamp an integral element of the performance.
that enjoyed loud music and rhythm, he
‘Made in Japan’ down the side. I’m just The videos made of the concerts 27. Ibid
would leave his traditional group and 28. Salman Ahmed, ‘Remembering Nusrat : 1948-­1997
like that cloth for the "gentry".' 27 generally dwell upon these moments, http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/
sing with ‘modern’ musicians, who used guestvoices/2007/08/long_before_911_and_the.html
which are admittedly highly festive

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N U S R AT a q aw wal at th e h eart o f mo d er n i ty

'addictive and contagious'. He went on to song has a romantic meaning. That’s the As for Nusrat's other critics, who held the world a message of love, knowledge
explain that 'the poetry and the melodies case in this quite famous song "Tere Bina other things against him, they were and humanity. Our Sufi music is a bridge
opened doors inside my head, which Nai Lagda Dil Mera…" (“I have not alarmed at seeing him make compromises to other nations. It invites people to get
allowed Rumi, Bulleh Shah and Iqbal a moment of peace without you, far removed from traditional qawwali closer in love and brotherhood. It is the
to enter and coexist with John Lennon, my Beloved...")' 30
in his way of singing, in concerts or on way to bring people together. (…) I am
Jimmy Page and John Lee Hooker.' 29
albums. Nusrat used to reply that it was who I am today because of the blessings
This man’s amazing capacity to adapt
firstly and above all a question of musical of my elders. I have worth only because
The experience Nusrat gained over the cheerfully and brilliantly to every situation,
and artistic experimentation, but his focus of their rich legacy. I am grateful to my
course of his numerous programmes in guaranteed him an enthusiastic response
never wavered from the idea of spreading heritage. I am proud to be able to follow
Pakistan and abroad, hugely broadened from the audience wherever he went.
the love of the Prophet and the in their footsteps.' 32
his range, as he says: 'At first, I sang It did not however always protect him
Sufi saints.
just like my father or my uncle. Pure from the fundamentalist reactions that Disconcerting humility from a colossal
classical. Then, I thought that they could sometimes be truly frightening. In the course of a conversation with personality. Given the changing times,
dominated with their style for a long time. One evening while Nusrat and his group Jacques Dupont in 1988, Nusrat confided: and the general acceleration of life,
I realized, I couldn’t better them in their were getting ready for a public concert 'People may consider me an artist. Art is, Nusrat had no qualms about including
style of music. So, I started to innovate. in Muree, an area on the border of the in fact, something very important, but for electronic instruments in his renderings
I included folk music and some light Pakistani side of Kashmir, a vociferous me it is simply a means of conveying the of qawwali. After all, had his ancestors
music. I simplified the heavy classical crowd came and banged violently on the message I have inherited from my great not swapped the sarangi, that took too
compositions. That made the music more doors of the theatre where the concert, ancestors. When I give a concert, it’s as if long to tune, for the harmonium, which
accessible and usable. My music has a lot organized by a local cultural association, the public were not there for me. As soon they felt was better adapted to ‘modern’
of folk music and some very simple tunes. was to be held. The doors almost as I begin to sing, I am immersed in my listening conditions? Neither did he
That brought me a lot of fame. I included collapsed under their attack. In addition, music and nothing else exists any longer. mind singing the Sufi poets in the most
romantic songs in my repertoire. Some all this was happening in pitch darkness as (…) If I sing, it’s because I have learnt secular places all over the world, Milanese
songs have two meanings: some see in there was an power-cut. Meanwhile, the this from my great ancestors. Thanks to theatres, Australian festivals, hotels on
them a spiritual meaning, to others the party, including Nusrat, had to escape to them, I can impart the message that they
avoid being punished by these activists themselves spread and be of service to
who saw music as blasphemy against the you in making you aware of it.' 31
all-powerful God. The party dispersed
Eight years and a thousand and one
frantically and only met up again much 31. Quoted by Jacques Dupont, booklet to volumes 3, 4
musical encounters later, his approach and 5 of the CD Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan en concert à Paris,
29 Ibid Ocora ­Radio France and Théâtre de la Ville, Paris, 1988
later in the night in Islamabad, at the home
30. Film Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, The Last Prophet, op. cit had not changed: 'I would like to give to 32. Film Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the Last Prophet, op. cit
of an outraged family friend.

124 125
NNFAK
U S Auditorium,
R AT a q aw wal at th e h eart o f mo d er n i ty
Faisalabad
© Bashir Ejjaz

It is true that in Pakistan, listening to What of the international audience

Nusrat, each one found an echo of some though? At the end of 1996, I wrote:
kind of sentiment—religious, aesthetic, 'A priori it is not religious tradition,
social, economic or of something related nor national pride nor mainly social
to their own identity: the modern woman differences that draw us back, irresistibly,
who was demanding a social status in again and again, in increasing numbers
her own right by fully participating in to his song. The paths are to be sought
the acts of offering; the young urban in other places, in "elsewheres" certainly
audience, avid for the dense rhythms interwoven, mixed, ambivalent. What
of their bhangra generation (for them should we pay most attention to?
these concerts provided one of the Consumption of the exotic, intercultural
rare spaces where music was permitted curiosity, a renewed search for spirituality,
in public, where they could dance a need of the East, the primordial echo
the Persian Gulf, these new venues that with diverse motivations. Some come for
exuberantly, share a rebellious collective of a “music invested with power” thrown
had replaced Mughal courts and private the music, some to hear the message,
joy); opulent families, who behind their out like a whiplash, by an extraordinary
salons where his predecessors used to and others to find a solution to their
protective walls ran through fortunes artist, to be heard by the world? These
appear just as regularly. problems… Those able to understand
in offerings distributed at sumptuous are partial answers, emerging from
the message and its depth will react to
Whatever the circumstances, if for Nusrat private concerts; aficionados who were the heart of our deafening and deeply
the message and to the music, but for
it was always essentially about an offering knowledgeable about Hindustani music permeable modernity.
those others, the exact effect sought by
and a message to be transmitted, to what and who delighted in his interpretations
'As for Nusrat, absorbing all these
the master’s words will be created by
extent were the message and the offering of an unusual raga—each one could find
expectations, he sings, captures the
the music alone. A recited text will not
conveyed, and were they understood? something to identify with.
specific texture of each audience and
have the same effect as when it is sung.
What was his audience’s state of mind?
incorporates it into his offering. A celestial,
Depending on the public, I have and
Modernizing the words of the twelfth inspired sponge, as if by capillarity he
the message I wish to convey, I choose a
century Persian Sufi master, Shihabuddin could draw in all the specific atmospheres,
raga, a particular melody and the musical
Suhrawardi who reminded people that the soundscapes of every place he
backing gives the text all its majesty. If the
'music only brings to life feelings in the went, and depending on the moment
poem is not sung, it remains in the book
heart that already belong to it' 33, Nusrat 33. Quoted by Laurent Aubert, 'Mondes en musique', or the audience, he would infuse certain
and cannot get out. It can only really Musée d’Ethnographie, Geneva, 1991
himself willingly recognized that even 34. Quoted by Jacques Dupont, booklet for volumes 3, 4 elements of it into the concert (…) Porous
reach people if it is sung.' 34 and 5, op. cit
in Pakistan, 'the public is very varied, to every specificity, he has become the

126 127
N U S R AT a q aw wal at th e h eart o f mo d er n i ty

emblematic figure of our global village,

Nusrat in a concert
arousing the commitment of the most © Bashir Ejjaz
varied listeners, without ever, it seems,
betraying himself. Metamorphosis of a
modernity that hums with our uniqueness,
he turns us back to our own listening, our
own desires, our paths, our wanderings,
loitering in our emotions and revealing
what lies there, latent. Fabulous modern
interrogation!' 35

Unfortunately, Nusrat did not leave us the

option of walking further with him…

35. Pierre­-Alain Baud, ‘Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, le

qawwali au risque de la modernité’, Cahiers de Musiques
Traditionnelles n°9, (Georg editor, Geneva, 1996)

128 129
 Mann atkeya beparwah de naal
Us deen duni de Shah de naal
Wasdi hardam mann mere vich, soorat yaar pyare di
Apne Shah au ap rajawan, hajat nai pasaray di
Kahe Husain faqeer numanha, theewan khaak daware di
Away

My soul is entangled with the indifferent one

Lord of all things visible and invisible
The image of the precious beloved lives constantly within my soul
I can please my love alone, I need no display
Says Hussain the worthless faqir, I am the dust on your doorstep Source: ‘Man Atkya Beparwah De Naal’(Kafi by Shah Hussain) from https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=491133939278, notes
by https://www.facebook.com/TheLegend.NFAK
 th e s tar fad es away

The Star
Fades Away
For several years, Nusrat’s health had been failing.
Recurring problems stemming from chronic diabetes and
obesity, doctors that were not always the most competent
and who prescribed hosts of dubious medicines, a chaotic
lifestyle brought on by a frantic rhythm—all this had
progressively compromized his already fragile health.

In 1993, during a check up in the United States, the doctors

discovered that he had already had a series of heart attacks
that had gone unnoticed. They also removed several large
kidney stones. He should have respected a strict diet and a
calmer rhythm of life, a lifestyle he was never really able to
conform to for long.

On tour, life was evidently far more hectic, but even in

Lahore where he lived most of the time with his party, it
was not unusual for him to begin the day with a student
or a guest in the morning. He then went to his recording
studio and proceeded to attend a series of meetings before
setting off for a first concert in the early evening. A second
Newsline magazine, Pakistan,
September 1997
Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud

133
N U S R AT th e s tar fad es away

Naheed and his daughter Nida, who was them was to be the basis of the album
born in the early 1980s. Although regular, Dust to Gold), film music with Bollywood
his trips to Faisalabad were generally very directors, international tours, and in
short; he would go there for a religious Pakistan, studio work and unending
festival or a family gathering, like Nida’s concerts. In 1996, his promoters at
birthday or his father’s barsi (death Oriental Star Agencies were proud to say:
anniversary). To mark these occasions, ‘No one can do what he does. One day,
he would generally invite the greatest he performs in New York, the next day he
voices in Pakistan to a large concert. has a concert in London, the next day
It was also at this time, shortly after he’s in Bombay for a film, and the
his cousin Mujahid Mubarak died, that following day in Lahore at the shrine
he formally became the disciple of Pir of Data Ganj Bakhsh. He never stops. He
Ghulam Mustafa, a spiritual descendant performs tirelessly.’ 1
of Pir Khwaja Muhammad Diwan’s family,
Doubtless, but never having time to stop…
who lived in Faisalabad and was of the
Chishtya Sabirya lineage. On 11 August 1997, on a flight between
Pakistan and the United States, where
The News on Sunday, Lahore, 23 August 1998 In 1995, during his last visit to Paris,
Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud he was going for a kidney transplant,
and his last major European tour, his
his health suddenly deteriorated and
health was visibly poor. Several concerts
when the flight stopped in London, he
often followed in the late evening, and had to be cancelled and his personal
was rapidly transported to Cromwell
this one could easily last the whole night, physician went everywhere with him.
hospital. It is there that he died suddenly
when it was not followed by a third. He Although his concerts were still met with
of a heart attack, on 16 August, shortly
was also often invited to perform at Sufi great enthusiasm from the audiences,
before midday.
shrines, at official functions or at private knowledgeable critics could see a visible
concerts, generally several hours away loss of energy and wondered if it was just
from Lahore. He usually travelled by car or a passing moment or a lasting decline.
by plane, and it was exhausting. He, nonetheless, continued to pursue
His family life was reduced to a minimum several projects simultaneously:
1. Muhammad Ayub, in the film Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, The
and he spent little time with his wife recordings with Real World (the last of Last Prophet op. cit

134 135
N U S R AT

Irony of fate: on this very date another this one they would play to mourn Nusrat
‘sublime obese singer’ , another musical
2
Fateh Ali Khan’s death. They played it over
giant, Elvis Presley, had died exactly and over, all day long in their shops.’ 3
twenty years earlier in 1977. Something
His death shocked millions, the Pakistani
closer to his own personal life, this date
President, Farooq Leghari and the Prime
was also barely two days after the fiftieth
Minister at the time, Nawaz Sharif,
anniversary of his country’s existence—
declared it a ‘national loss’. An association
14 August. The man who had provided
of Pakistani musicians declared three days
a totally different image of his homeland,
of mourning in his honour and numerous
far from the idea of the army, feudal
events were organized to pay homage
lords and a range of fundamentalists,
to him. The chelum—or the fortieth
disappeared just when his country with its
day celebration marking the end of the
turbulent history, was celebrating its first
mourning period—held in Faisalabad was
half century of existence.
particularly intense, attended by hundreds
Nusrat's body was quickly repatriated to of friends and admirers. The ceremony
Pakistan where thousands of people were took place in a very local fashion with
waiting for a last glimpse of him. He was a series of religious rituals, as decided
buried in Faisalabad, near his father, in the by a family who, despite the recent
presence of a vast crowd, and the song global whirlwind they had experienced,
that played incessantly then was ‘Kisay remained rooted in this land and its
Da Yaar Na Vichhre’ ('May no one ever be Punjabi culture. Liberation, Paris, 18 August 1997
Just a few months earlier, Nusrat had
seperated from his beloved'). ‘The voice Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud
recorded the track ‘Gurus of Peace’ with
is high, powerful, audacious, it seems to
the Indian composer, A.R. Rahman. It The international press gave wide
be jumping off a cliff towards the heights,
was part of the album Vande Mataram to coverage to his departure for the beyond;
as if dizzily it were trying to reach the
celebrate fifty years of Independence in for many it was front-page news. In
skies. Intimate and expansive, spinning
both countries and, as a symbol of the India, the press spoke largely of his role
and confident, it expresses loss and joy,
incredible role he had played as a bridge in reinforcing peace between the two
regret and hope. Out of the dozens and 2. Hervé Resse, at www.blog­hrc.typepad.com, 31 August
2005 towards India, it was released just after his countries. Javed Akhtar spoke of ‘a loss
dozens of cassettes he had recorded, the 3. Bertrand Dicale, ‘Nusrat, la grande voix d’Allah’,
Marianne, Paris, n°0 22, 22-28 September 1997 death, at the end of August 1997. for the whole subcontinent’. In the Indian
shopkeepers in Faisalabad all agreed it was

136 137
N U S R AT th e s tar fad es away

Express, his death made the headlines. was really over and there would be no (…) No, Nusrat was not limited to the
In France, the daily newspaper Libération more encores. mazaars before Gabriel found him. He
announced on the front page: ‘Nusrat was popular everywhere except with the
The film followed on from a critical note
returns to Allah’ Along the same lines,
4
Pizza Hut/Café Zouk bunch of stimulus-
the film director had published a week
they spoke of ‘Nusrat, the voice of faith’ ,5
controlled yuppies. If you look around,
after Nusrat’s death, in Lahore’s English
‘The voice in Paradise’ or ‘Nusrat, the man
6
you will find a host of people who buried
language daily, The News. In the article,
drunk on God’. For Judith Gabriel, ‘Nusrat
7
Nusrat’s music the day they heard 'Dum
he criticized the severe collective pressure
Fateh Ali Khan was a high-suspension Mast Qalandar Mast'. They watched in
the artist had been subjected to. He
bridge, spanning not only East and West, horror as the video for 'Mera Piya Ghar
tragically recalled the far too ‘ostensible’
but with the arc of timeless genius, closing Ayaa' showed that the "piya"/lover was
trance Nusrat had seemed to go into
the gap between earth and heaven with a UN soldier; they cringed when he went
in a televised report on one of his last
timeless songs of divine love.’ 8
off-key on the soundtrack of Dead Man
concerts: 'Like Abida Parveen, people
Walking (and still sold millions) and they
In the concert of praises, there were expected him to reach God in each one Pierre-Alain
Baud's article
simply laughed when 'Afreen, Afreen'
however a few discordant notes, of his performances and he had to do it. If in Mondomix
magazine, Paris, came on. I mean, that hot babe in the
harshly criticizing ‘the indifference of an not, they would feel cheated. Nusrat had autumn 2007
Courtesy Pierre- video represented everything pure and
entourage often intoxicated by the size become a glitzy package with the words Alain Baud
sublime in Sufi music, didn’t she?’ 10
of the contracts’.9 The people who had "Sufi Music Inside" printed on it. But it
surrounded Nusrat, particularly those was later, much later. Earlier, a mass of The film he created with the same title,
closest to him, had, in fact, without "original" fans had already been cheated. just a few weeks later, is made by a
being fully aware of what they were disappointed lover, or rather one who is
doing, hastened the process of physical disoriented by the loss of someone he
degeneration that led to his premature end. loved. An experimental work, with very
rich cinematography, the film was to go
The Punjabi film director, Farjad Nabi,
4. Bouziane Daoudi, Libération, 18 August 1997 on to win a prize at the Kathmandu South
paid a very personal tribute to him, with
5. Bertrand Dicale, ‘Nusrat, la voix de la foi’, Le Figaro 18
his film Nusrat Has Left the Building, But August 1997

When? He used the famous quote ‘Elvis 6. Francis Dordor, Les Inrockuptibles, 3-9 September 1997. Francis Dordor
's article in Les
7. Frédéric Bernard, TradMag n°56, November­December
has left the building’ that was regularly 1997 Inrockuptibles,
Paris, 3-9
announced at the end of Elvis Presley’s 8. Judith Gabriel, Al Jahid Magazine, Vol.3, n°20, summer September
1997
1997 10. Farjad Nabi, The News on Sunday, Lahore, 24 August
concerts to inform his fans that the show 9. Bertrand Dicale, op. cit Courtesy Pierre- 1997
Alain Baud

138 139
N U S R AT th e s tar fad es away

Bern, Switzerland, 15 August, 1998 Asia Film Festival in October 1997. Icelandic singer, Bjork. As we will see, a
Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud
large number of other initiatives survived
Many projects remained unfinished, like
nonetheless, with or without the approval
the planned collaboration between Nusrat
of his family. As was, in fact, already the
and the Italian operatic tenor, Luciano
case while he was alive.
Pavarotti, to whom he had often been
compared; or the collaboration with the

Nusrat’s first cousin Karim

Dad’s son placing flowers on
his tomb,Faisalabad, 2007
© Pierre-Alain Baud

Daily Dawn, Karachi, 24 September 1997

Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud

Nusrat's funeral in
Faisalabad
© Bashir Ejjaz

140 141
 Ye jo halkaa halkaa suroor hai
Ye teree nazar kaa qusoor hai
Ke sharaab peena sikha diyaa

Tere pyaar ne teree chaah ne

Teri bahkee bahkee nigaah ne
Mujhe ek sharaabee bana diyaa
That Time
This mild intoxication
Is because of your eyes
That taught me to drink

Your love and your longing

Your intoxicating glances Sources: ‘Ye Jo Halka Halka Suroor’ (by Jigar Moradabadi, Abdul Hameed Adam, Anwar Jogi) from the original audio of Nusrat’s rendering:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_WcK3Z3hEA (proposed by Yasir Younous); Original Urdu transcript by Shamin Zamanvi and

Made me a drunkard Mohammad Hasan, Bangla-Urdu Sahitya Foundation, Dhaka; Roman transcription and translation from the Urdu from http://nusrat.info/
ye-jo-halka-halka-suroor/
 fr o m th at ti me o n

From That
Time On
concerts and recordings in Great Britain. Considering his particular physiognomy,
a gentle face and an imposing Buddha
In 2006, New York Times Magazine listed
like body, very early on, Nusrat became
him as one of the sixty ‘Asian Heroes’ who
the object of a profusion of paintings,
marked the twentieth century, and in 2007,
ball point drawings, caricatures, sketches,
the Indian magazine Outlook confirmed
posters as well as ceramics. 2 And the
that 'a decade after he passed away, he
inspiration seems unending. By early
is the subcontinent’s most internationally
2014, he was the subject of a huge mural
famous singer, with a huge fan following and
in South-Delhi created by the promising
a long chain of imitators' 1 ; it went on to
young painter, Nikunj Prajapati. 3
Since his death, Nusrat’s fame has only increased and grown say that according to the National Public
more enduring. If he was already a ‘living legend’ during Radio—a network that includes over eight More than a dozen Internet sites or blogs
his lifetime, after he passed on, he became a myth that hundred American public radio stations,he have already emerged, as well as more
everyone could draw on, given the diversity of his trajectory. had sold more records than Elvis Presley. than seventy facebook groups or pages,
In 2010, the same network, NPR, included focusing solely on Nusrat. Some have
His posthumous career has been very active and the stream
him in its list of '50 Greatest Voices of the already disappeared, while others like
of homages and tributes has not run dry. Shortly after his
World' and the same year, the American nusratonline.com, nusratcollection.com,
death, the Pakistani postal service brought out a two-rupee
television channel, CNN chose him as nusratsahib.com, nusratqawalies.blogspot.
stamp with his picture on it. In 2001, the documentary
one of the 'twenty most iconic musicians com, nfalikhan.wordpress.com or nusrat.
film Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a Voice from Heaven, by the
from the past fifty years'. In 2013, the BBC info are still in existence and have greatly
filmmaker Giuseppe Asaro who lives in the United States,
dedicated a two-hour long programme consolidated their content.
was released. This was, in fact, the second in-depth
titled Guru of Peace to him.
documentary made on Nusrat as Jérôme de Missolz’s film, And now we can hear Nusrat’s voice
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the Last Prophet, had been released Pakistani postage stamp all over the planet, from the exhibition
Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud
at the end of 1996, a few months before he died. Also in
2001, Nusrat was awarded the annual World of Music Expo
(Womex) prize for his body of work. This prize was entrusted
to the founder of Oriental Star Agencies, Mohammed
1. Amit Ranjan, Outlook India, New Delhi, August 2007
Ayub, who for years had been responsible for organizing his
2. See www.nusratonline for a whole series of striking
renditions
3. Ibid, to see the mural in progress see the post, dated
June 8th, 2014

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‘Bombay Maximum City’ that was part of certainly a madness in modulating divine Soul (2002), constituted on the basis of
Lille 3000, to a fashion show in China, or love in this manner. In Nusrat’s case, 'recordings made just before his death
on the music programmes proposed by however, this inspiration never takes away and discovered in personal archives'.
a number of airlines. In 2013, the Indian from the mystery that is preserved; on the Nusrat is still a goldmine for Real World. In
company Jet Airways dedicated a one-and- contrary, it seems to reinforce it'. 4
addition to the re-releases of Mustt Mustt
a-half-hour exclusive homage to him on and Night Song in 2012 and of Love and
The year 2007 was just as active; a bunch
its international flights and in August 2014 Devotion in a single box in 2013, some
of recordings were published that year
Nusrat was the 'Hit of the Month' on the Air of Nusrat’s songs now appear on five of
too, on the international market and
France flight to Delhi. Broadcasts of Nusrat’s their CDs that include various artists. Their
in Pakistan or in India, including a new
voice are still highly appreciated in their latest records featuring Nusrat were Film
concert DVD by Koch international.
CD cover artwork of the album Swan Song,
different variations of international remixes. and TV 1 released in 2013, and Real World
Nusrat's final performace, 1998-98 Several 'best of' albums by OSA, as
25 in late 2014 for the twenty-five years
It is clearly in the music world as such, Not forgetting, still with OSA, the over well as the album Dub Qawwali with
of the label’s existence. As for Michael
that Nusrat has the greatest influence. half a dozen CDs and cassettes that are the electronic music producer, Gaudi.
Brook, he remixed RockPaperScissors
The posthumous production of his a homage to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan or Composed from recordings by Nusrat
(2006) that uses Nusrat’s voice. It is not
discography is, in itself, a constantly reproduce his compositions! As for Nusrat’s preserved by Rehmat Gramophone House
for nothing that in the autumn of 2013, on
expanding universe. The number of his ‘historic’ label, Rehmat Gramophone and sometimes remixed with Jamaican
recordings that actually exist is by now House in Faisalabad, it lists about a dub and reggae, this album released by
far higher, certainly even double the hundred albums and Sonic, also a Pakistani Six Degrees Records was nominated for
figure listed by the Guiness Book of label, about fifty. the BBC Awards and even remained at
Records, as there are just so many the top of Amazon.com’s electronic music
These releases are nowhere near
productions and releases of concert sales list for a long time!
exhaustion as producers keep finding new
or studio recordings, most of them
‘unpublished’ recordings to release or to These posthumous publications are
orchestrated and remixed after the event,
remix. In 1998, the label VCI brought out repeated at Real World, with albums
in what concerns the live recordings.
Swan Song, his final performance; in 2001 like Dust to Gold (2000) or Body and
At the end of 2014, under the heading American Recording announced The Final
Nusrat, the Oriental Star Agencies Studio Recording; and in 2004, Capital/
catalogue alone listed more than a Virgin released The Ultimates, vols. 1 &
hundred and sixty CDs, DVDs and videos 2. About these latter recordings, Francis
4. Francis Dordor, 'L’Infini en héritage', Les
produced by them as being available. Dordor wrote 'There is a hysteria and Inrockuptibles, 3 November 2004 CD cover artwork of the album Dub Qawwali, in which Nusrat
colaborated with Gaudi, 2007-08

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the occasion of the enhanced re-release (1998), Emma-Kate Croghan in Strange nephew’s turn to sing at the wedding of
of Star Rise, the record company declared: Planet (1998), Oliver Stone in Any Given two Indian film stars, Aishwarya Rai and
'The qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Sunday (1999), Serena Cross in her Abhishek Bachchan.
has always been something of a totem documentary Jeff Buckley: Everybody
In an August 2007 report, Outlook
figure both to Real World Records and its Here Wants You (2002), Gurinder Chadha
informed us that the label Nupur audio still
sister organization Womad, gracing their in Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Michael
sells, on an average, about five thousand
Film and TV 1 Real World 25
respective recording studios and stages on Winterbottom in Code 46 (2003), Hamish
CDs by Nusrat every month in India 7, a
many occasions.' 5 Hamilton in his documentary Peter
Alim Qasimov, Monajât Yulchieva, Abida figure that has certainly increased by now
Gabriel: Growing Up Live (2003), Edward
And Nusrat’s own daughter, Nida Nusrat, Parveen or Cheikh Lô. A large number given the considerable number of press
Zwick in Blood Diamond (2006) and in
is planning to release a set of totally of other compilations have followed, all articles and reviews regularly published on
2012 (a film made in 2009), Ryan Murphy
exclusive recordings from the family more eclectic than the previous ones. the master since then.
in Eat, Pray, Love (2010) and Kathryn
archives. 6 Les Musiques du Routard: Best of the
Bigelow in Zero Dark Thirty (2012). Iqbal Naqibi, Nusrat’s personal secretary,
If we look at the compilations that have World (Virgin, 1998), Le Voyage au cœur set up an 'Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
des musiques du monde by Geo World As for Bollywood, after the two
appeared since 1997, which include Music Academy' that is active in the
(BGM, 1999), the original Prayer Cycle by collaborations while he was alive (Aur
at least one track by Nusrat, there are United Kingdom and Pakistan. For several
Jonathan Elias (Sony Classical Records, Pyar Ho Gaya and Bandit Queen), half a
dozens of them. The Homage to Nusrat years, they have been organising an
1999), Mega World (Wagram Music dozen other films have already used his
Fateh Ali Khan (Network, 1998) to start 'Award show' and recently, in the spring
2000), Asian Travels (Six Degrees 2000), singing, generally remixed. This was the
with, following on from the superb double of 2013, they assembled a large number
Rough Guide to World Music (World case in 1998 with Shaheed-e-Mohabbat
album Sufi Soul; it brings together a of artists that filled the venerable Alhamra
Music Network, 2000), Tantra Lounge 2 Boota Singh by Shamim Ara and Manoj
dozen artists from or close to Sufi culture, Arts Council in Lahore.
(Water Music Records, 2004), Vibrations Punj, in 1999 with Kartoos by Mahesh
who wanted to pay a tribute to Nusrat,
Bhatt, Kachche Dhaage by Milan Luthria Even today, Nusrat is still the object of
and includes artists like Sharam Nazeri, (Universal, 2004), or Visions (Golden
and Dillagi by Sunny Deol. Then in 2000, a large amount of posthumous praise.
Stars, 2005), and a whole range of other
there was Dhadkan by Dharmesh Darshan, In 2009, when the Indian film director
compilations have been released since.
and the charming Monsoon Wedding Mira Nair was asked the question 'What
An incredible discographic logorrhoea!
by Mira Nair in 2001. The relationship
The same is true of his film music. A
between Nusrat’s family and the Bollywood
number of internationally recognised
5. https://realworldrecords.com/release/618/love­and­
devotion/
film industry continues. At least with regard
directors used Nusrat’s voice on their
6. Nida Nusrat, personal conversation with the author, to marriages: in the spring of 2007, it
Faisalabad, September 2014 soundtracks: Nanni Moretti in Aprile 7. Amit Ranjan, op. cit
was Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Nusrat’s

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one song would work as the soundtrack has evolved into a major global singer,
A new ly res pected
to your life?', she replied, 'Allah Hû' by traditio n flitting from an international tour to a
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. 'It teaches you recording for a Bollywood film, and is
In what concerns ‘traditional’ qawwali,
to surrender to something larger than mainly involved in very mixed vocal and
there is clearly a ‘before’ and ‘after’
yourself.' As for Shekhar Kapur, the
8
orchestral experiments. He nonetheless
Nusrat. His success created an amazing
director of Bandit Queen, with whom remains the official heir, as well as a
‘artistic’ thrust and a large number of
Nusrat had collaborated, he considers symbol of peaceful relations between
groups now aspire to the planetary
that 'working with Nusrat Saheb was the India and Pakistan. As such, in December
recognition he had attained over a period
closest I ever got to God' And Michael9
2014, he was invited to perform at the
of barely fifteen years. Nonetheless, there
Brook, from Real World, admits that Nobel Peace Prize concert, celebrating
is a long way to go from the cup to the
'Nusrat somehow reaches listeners on an Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi.
lip and, while all the claimants see the
emotional and spiritual level that seems
indisputable master as their reference, Nusrat’s second cousins, Rizwan and
to be universal. In his voice, I find a kind
the yearning to become a genius or an Muazzam (sons of Nusrat’s first cousin
of direct communication that seldom fails
inspired go-between is not enough. Mujahid Mubarak, who accompanied
to move me deeply.' 10
him for about twenty years) can also use
In the circle of potential heirs, the most
With this gigantic aura, the Shahen-Shah- the family lineage as a reference along
legitimate is of course, Nusrat’s own
e-Qawwali has, of course, left a lasting with Nusrat’s teaching after their father
nephew, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. He
mark on musicians, in Pakistan primarily, died in the mid-1990s. They were then
performed with Nusrat for a dozen years
but largely beyond its borders too. placed under the protection of their
or so and was enthroned as his ‘official’
great uncle. Like Rahat, they continue to
successor during the chelum ceremony
pursue a career that alternates traditional
forty days after the master’s death. Rahat
performances in sanctuaries with a
(accompanied by his father Farrukh until
large number of private performances,
he also suddenly passed away in 2003)
international concerts and recordings that
continues to perform at the different
are often remixed, particularly with Real
Sufi ceremonies in Punjab and has a
World, with whom they signed a five-year
considerable reputation there thanks
8. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002163/ contract shortly after Nusrat’s death.
news?year=2009) to his lineage and his vast knowledge.
9. http://nusratonline.com/blog/articles/celebrity­ His renditions have however become
tributes)
CD cover of the album Homage to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan,
10. http://www.nusratfan.com/tributes/ essentially secular and ‘modern’, as he Network Medien, Frankfurt, 1998
Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud

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Nonetheless, one thing will always be world that integrated it as a specific style was an adolescent. Rizwan, Muazzam
fundamentally different, beyond any of ‘World Music’. By doing this, they also and the others also began very young.
discussion about individual merit and transformed the qawwals from musicians But as soon as the Master left to ‘return
talent: there is unlikely to ever be a 'second in the service of the Sufi faith for centuries to Allah’, despite their young age, all of
Nusrat', a unique and commonly accepted into ‘modern’ and autonomous artists in them were already under pressure, and
‘successor’. This is valid for the other their own right. had to perform internationally. There
qawwals who can also claim to be close were ‘tribute concerts’ held all over the
Nusrat’s impact and fame were, of course,
heirs of Nusrat and who even learnt from world, they were immediately offered
primarily due to his personal genius, his
him; artists like Asif Ali Khan or Faiz Ali Faiz, recording contracts with Real World or
capacity to absorb and synthesize the
who are well-distributed in Europe. The fact other labels, asked to create film music
most varied and seemingly disparate
is that times have changed. for Bollywood, and received proposals for
influences. However, his success was
CD cover of album Rizwan-Muazam Qawwali group - Attish, musical collaborations of all kinds. To be
Earlier, in the Pakistan of the 1950s and also largely due to the fact that he acted The Hidden Fire, Real World, UK, 1998
Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud a Pakistani qawwal in view after Nusrat, in
1960s, even partially secularized qawwali as a sublime link between two eras.
the twenty-first century, means being (or
remained essentially a ‘traditional’ musical Before he was discovered by a dazzled
diaspora, that his audiences became wanting to be) an international star, most
expression of Indo-Pakistani Sufism. world outside, and although he did also
larger and more varied but, he still often thrust far from ones roots, barely
Nusrat, and to a lesser extent, the Sabri perform in secular contexts, he had
continued to pay particular attention to having had the time to comprehend these
brothers and Aziz Mia, internationalized first and foremost officiated for over
the way in which people listened. He then very roots and to invigorate them. Nusrat
it, globalized it, launched it in the modern fifteen years, in the most varied Sufi
went through all the stages of ascension had an unshakable rootedness within
sanctuaries in his homeland Pakistan.
towards the international ‘star system’. himself, the sincerity of his faith and his
He had forged a musical personality for
From that time on, the path of a ‘global exceptional personality were able to
himself (an artistic personality, people
artist’ had already been traced. Qawwali protect him.
would say today) among the Sufis and
the devotees of these shrines. As qawwali exists in the dictionaries of world music Nowadays, all the Pakistani qawwali groups,
is one of the ‘most context-driven forms and is recognized as a specific genre including the most rooted ones like the
of music’, paying attention to the way in music and festival programming sensitive brothers Mehr and Sher Ali, Akhtar
in which audiences listened was (and throughout the world. There is a Sharif Arupwale or the intense Subhan
still is) fundamental, and this intensity demand and an interest, hence an offer, Ahmed Nizami and Fareed Ayaz- Abu
he developed over these years, served as well a certain pressure on potential Muhammad from the Karachi based Delhi
him well as his career evolved. It is only candidates to carry forward the torch. Qawwali Bacche lineage are part of a global
CD cover of album Nazarana, label: Long
Distance, Paris by Asif Ali Khan later, progressively, in India, then in the Rahat had sung with Nusrat since he logic of distribution that has profoundly

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Despite all this, Nusrat represented a Strongly inspired by Nusrat, and in the
moving force at an international level for spirit of a certain quote by him 'Know
all the best traditional Pakistani musicians. your tradition, but let it live, develop
His own success thus uniquely drew the it for yourself and your people, today',
attention, both of distributors as well as the active Polish musician, journalist and
audiences, towards the colourful range of promoter, Maciej Szajkowski 11, recorded
poetico-musical expressions in the country, Fareed Ayaz-Abu Muhammad and Amjad
musical forms as diverse as Pashtun Farid Sabri Qawwali groups in Poland and
singing by the Pathan Diva Zarsanga, the in 2014 even started an online celebration
love laments of the Shah-jo-Raggi Sindhi of Nusrat’s birthday.
faqirs from Bhit Shah and the ballads of the
CD cover of the album by Mehr Ali & Sher Ali Qawwali, The
Nusrat also had a strong influence on
Baluchi troubadours. The combination of Essence of Desire, Buda Records, Paris other Indo-Pakistani musicians whose
Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud
a ‘driving force’ like Nusrat with an active
musical direction was quite different to
CD cover of the album The Lyrical Tradition of Qawwali, choice in the music distribution world, that
start off with. In a recent homage, Salman
Me'raj Nizami, Qawwal Bacche, Makar, Paris, 1995 surprising project Sufi Moon (that brought
Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud favoured traditional music from Pakistan,
Ahmed, the founder of the band Junoon,
together the qawwal Sher Mian Dad,
opened the door to their gaining extensive
jazz musicians and a horn from the Swiss
affected their daily practice. visibility in the world music market, and in
Alps) to Faiz Ali Faiz’s widely distributed
Western imagination.
Henceforth, aware that international Qawwali-Flamenco and Qawwali-
audiences do not generally understand Pos t- qaw w ali, Sufi ro ck , Gospel, via fusion collaborations like the
the texts of Sufi poems in Persian, nor, à dub- qawwali encounter between the qawwal Javed
fortiori those in Urdu or Punjabi, a large In musical terms, Nusrat’s influence goes Bashir, the Norwegian Christian singer
number of groups limit their songs to a far beyond the ‘traditional’ world and Sondre Bratland and the choir of the
few of Nusrat’s successes, only singing affects a much wider sphere. To start with, Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, in the
the first few verses, accentuating the his experiments with other musical trends wonderful experiment, Dialogue.
vocal gymnastics and using fast rhythms. inspired a large number of contemporary
These artistic effects are sufficient to make qawwals in their own experiences of
them stars on the international market, collaborations or fusion with other acoustic
while they move further and further away horizons. There are a large number of 11. Nusrat quoted by Maciej Szajkowski in CD cover of the album Pakistan, The Night of the Qawwals,
from the intent that initially inhabited all initiatives, ranging, for example, from the https://www.facebook.com/WarsawVillageBand/ Mehr Ali & Sher Ali, Faiz Ali & Rehmat Ali, Inudit, Maison des
posts/303464763055438 Cultures du Monde, Paris, 1999
the qawwals. Courtesy Pierre-Alain Baud

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record in India in 1998, with its lead track In India, Rabbi Shergill, an Indian Sufi rock created a 'Blasting You With Love' fusion
‘Sayonee’. The band's sensitivity to Sufi star (who facetiously wanted to be called concert, with the qawwals from the Mian
poetry 'the doors of which had been Bubb Dhillon given Bob Dylan’s influence Mir shrine in Lahore, under the aegis of
opened' by Nusrat, as Salman Ahmed on his career!), also openly admits the the famous Rafi Peer brothers, dashing
reminds us, led a year later to the sale of influence of Nusrat’s energy and freedom promoters of the arts in Pakistan, despite
millions of copies of the album Parvaaz on his music, particularly on his 2005 all the difficulties they have to face.
with the main track ‘Bulaya’. The words of debut album Rabbi with the song that Noting that 'the magnificent Nusrat
this song were taken mainly from poems topped the charts, 'Bulleh Ki Janna', based Fateh Ali Khan typified how qawwali is
by the Sufi saint Bulleh Shah, a poet on an intense verse by Bulleh Shah: 'Ki performed with such passion that you
Nusrat had often sung. Janna Me Kun' (‘I know not, who I am’). sense the singer trying to tear away
the veil of separation between himself
The committed singer-guitarist Arieb Another singer who greatly acknowledges
and the “beloved”', in the British daily
Azhar, also deeply influenced by Bulleh Nusrat’s inspiration is Kailash Kher, often
newspaper the Guardian, she describes
CD cover of album Rabbi, by Shah, Khwajah Ghulam Farid or Shah nicknamed ‘Chota Nusrat’ (little Nusrat).
Rabbi Shergill, 2004 how qawwali 'reaches across cultural
Abdul Latif Bhittai’s Sufi poetry, sees He had been fascinated by Nusrat’s voice
divides. There is no sense of a separation
again recognized the huge influence Nusrat as one of his main sources of that had completely overwhelmed him
of sacred and profane or Muslim and
Nusrat had on his music: 'Nusrat also inspiration and masters, along with when he had heard it for the first time
helped pave the way for my band Junoon, Pathanay Khan, Abida Parveen, as well at the age of thirteen. Kailash Kher, who
An event-poster of Brooklyn Qawwali Party, 2013
to take the risks we did when we married as Bob Marley, Fela Kuti or Aretha has gained immense popularity in the
electric guitars to bhangra drum and dhol Franklin. He is perfectly comfortable with subcontinent over the years, regularly
grooves while chanting traditional Sufi this diversity, rightly considering that 'the pays homage to Nusrat, thus recognizing
texts considered sacred by the orthodoxy. essence of Sufi philosophy lies in growth, the huge influence the master had on
In fact, it was Nusrat who broke the change and evolution'. 13 his own evolution. In an interview with
traditional mould of the qawwali singer Aadil Bhoja, he faithfully expresses
when he collaborated with Peter Gabriel, that 'someone who devoted his life to
Michael Brook and Eddie Vedder of Pearl preaching divinity through music and has
Jam.' 12 The band, in fact, dedicated their the ability to transform the listener has to
album Azadi (Freedom) to the master, a be an extraordinary human being'.
12. Salman Ahmed, 'Remembering Nusrat', op.cit
few months after his death. In the space 13. Arieb Azhar, interviewed by Anjum Dawood Also inspired by Nusrat, the British
Alden (2010), at http://www.nefa.org/sites/default/
of a few weeks, it became a platinum files/Interview%20with%20Arieb%20Azhar%20
Indian singer, Susheela Raman recently
PakUSonline%20circa%202010.pdf

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non-Muslim: everyone is invited. It Party, later renamed Brooklyn Qawwali As for the surprising Californian band, of what Nusrat always wanted… He must
simply sweeps you up and blasts you Party, was formed in 2003 as 'a Nusrat Fanna-fi-Allah (i.e. Annihilation into the be very happy seeing them from heaven'.
with love, like all real “soul” music does. Fateh Ali Khan cover band made up of infinite, into Allah), more traditionally
If political Islam is about the struggle for non-desi Brooklynites who get together composed, it aspires to bring 'the magic
Iconic figure of our times
an imaginary future, this kind of Sufi Islam in Park Slope'. 15 It was set up by the of Pakistani Qawwali to the West in its Sign of the times, Nusrat has also become
is about evoking the feeling of the divine in percussionist Brook Martinez in homage traditional form, inherited directly from the focus of an increasing amount of
the present.' 14 However her recent live to Nusrat, after its founder discovered the grand masters'. 20 Representing the academic research and publications.
concerts with Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwals that 'the sacred sounds that I yearned to ‘Western face of Qawwali’ and trained One particularly relevant work is the study
and her latest recording with them lead find in Western jazz were emanating from by legitimate qawwali artists such as by Virinder Kalra on the significant role of
us to question the inequalities that exist Nusrat in this completely foreign music'. Rahat Ali Khan or Dildar Hussain, they Nusrat’s music in the modern elaboration
between artists from the East and West 16
With five brass instruments, a guitar, were able to share their vibrant energy of 'Punjabiyat', this linguistic and cultural
when it comes to accessing resources a bass guitar, a harmonium and three in the most famous shrines: Moinuddin Punjabi identity that cuts across religious,
and hence the process of designing percussions, the band tries to recreate Chishti’s in Ajmer, Nizamuddin Auliya’s caste and national divides and which is
common projects. 'the joyful spirit of this Pakistani folk music in Delhi, Data Sahib’s in Lahore, or Baba in a constant process of reformulation,
in a unique instrumental blend of jazz and Farid’s in Pakpattan, as well as on a series particularly in the diaspora. Kalra,
Beyond the borders of the subcontinent
qawwali' 17. Since 2003 to date, through of stages and at American festivals. As consistently mentions that 'Nusrat’s music
and the diaspora, there are also many
their numerous programmes, they have the site nusratonline.com quite rightly is able, in the absence of cross-political or
other marks of recognition. In New
also attracted a large number of young says about them: 'Though calling their social movements or institutions, to slip
York, a jazz group, the Brook’s Qawwali
Americans of South Asian origin to follow effort a rendition is not much correct as through the gaps of border control, initially
them, as they recognize themselves in this they pretty much sing what NFAK sang, via cassettes copying, and now via digital
dual musical identity. their inspirations, aspirations and bravery technologies'. Nevertheless, the author also
are still incomparable', and it concludes, acknowledges that 'the containers of Sufi
Also, a singer from Seattle, ‘the Lair
quite daringly: 'They are exactly the result music or Muslim culture that have gained
14. Susheela Rahman, 'It Blasts With Love', in The Mistress’ Karen Olsen, is profoundly
Guardian, London, 12 April 2012
marked, as much by Irish ballads as by her currency in Western liberal countries are
15. http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2006/01/24/brooks_
qawwali meetings with Nusrat, a master artist she unable to hold the irrepressible energy of
16. http://www.brooklynqawwaliparty.com/live/
considers 'the heart and soul of the world an NFAK singing "Dha de masjid, bhan de
17. http://www.brooklynqawwaliparty.com/html/about.
php music community' 18 and 'a role model for mandir" ("Demolish the mosque, break
18. http://www.angelfire.com/folk/karivox/musicmarket/ adapting traditional music to contemporary 20. http://www.fanna­fi­allah.com the temple")' 21, evoking the famous
nfak.html?mp3-freemusicp
21. Kalra, Vrinider S., 'Punjabiyat and the Music of Nusrat transgressive Bulleh Shah’s verse which
19. www.angelfire.com/folk/karivox/litmarket/goals sensibilities'. 19 She is in the process of Fateh Ali Khan', in South Asian Diaspora, vol. 6, issue 2,
2003.html Routledge, London, 2014
developing a genre she calls ‘celtoqawwali’. continues with '…break everything in sight,

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but do not break a person’s heart, it is there mind-altering substances), musical fusion soap’ (in Pakistan ‘Sufi’ is also a brand of of Pakistan at the time, Pervez Musharraf,
that God resides.' (stretching traditional musical boundaries washing soap), than to promote a certain knew pertinently what he was doing at
to reach new audiences), media ‘Sufi soul’… the inauguration of the National Academy
Another striking publication is the recent
proliferation (taking advantage of new of Performing Arts’ in Karachi in 2005,
'Natural Mystics: the Prophetic Lives of Going far beyond the music, Nusrat’s
and emerging communication channels), when, publicly supporting a soft image
Bob Marley and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.' 22 aura also largely contributed to nuancing
economic commodification (making the of Pakistan and an enlightened image of
In spite of ignoring the major contribution the vision a Western audience had of his
most of the global musical marketplace), Islam, he praised Nusrat and his genius.
of the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, to country. The image of Pakistan spread
and political appropriation (putting
the ‘discovery’ and globalization of by the Western media is certainly deeply
music consciously in the service of social
A revived ritua l
Nusrat—as is true of much of the existing marked by the clichés of a ‘hard-line’
change)' as Jim Burklo expresses it in his At another level, the consolidation of an
international documentation on Nusrat— Muslim country, with terrorist attacks
review of the book. ‘artistic’ form of qawwali and Nusrat’s
Soni Varun refreshingly explores Nusrat’s taking place everywhere, noisy Islamic
international success also drew the
and Bob Marley’s lives as new Pop- Particularly salient are Varun Soni’s crowds, an omnipresent army with their
attention of the general urban public in
prophetic’s existences. The author argues comments on the global commodification nuclear warheads. Despite all this, in
Pakistan, and particularly the youth, to
that both iconic artists localize themselves of Nusrat’s singing: “Nusrat Fateh Ali parallel, another Pakistan came to light
the very practice of qawwali, a ritual that
in rooted lineages of religious prophecies, Khan as a brand identity is synonymous and was recognized through Nusrat’s
could have seemed outdated and only
in modern ways also reflecting cultural with Sufi industry. (…) What Rûmi has exceptional celebrity; Pakistan, 'inscribed
of interest to older people some thirty
globalization and technological now become to Sufi poetry, Khan is on the international music map', with a
years ago. In Pakistan, as well as in the
advances. Naming this phenomenon to Sufi music; they are both global vast wealth of traditional music; Pakistan,
diaspora, where people were seeking
‘pop prophetism’, he characterizes it by icons and have spread the teachings of a cultural crossroads between India,
a new identity between their roots and
'canonical recitation (referencing ancient Sufism, in part, through the economic Central Asia and Iran, that hums with
an integration into the host society, the
lines of prophetic utterance), mystical commodification of their art. By opening all these musical and poetic influences;
recognition of qawwali as an artistic and
intoxication with the Divine (whether up commercial and mercantile avenues of ‘Sufi Pakistan’, steeped both in mystical
modern musical form, brought about by
through spiritual practices or by ingesting cultural consumption, Rumi’s poetry and wandering and an intense devotion to the
Nusrat, paradoxically revived its status as
Khan’s music are indispensable brands saints, a devotion that is still incredibly
a Sufi ritual.
in the global Sufi industry.' 23 Indeed, vibrant; ‘modern’ Pakistan, open to all
considering the current global—and kinds of encounters, even if they tend In this respect, the example of qawwali’s
successful—marketing of Sufi music, strongly towards the Bollywood model place in a politico-religious movement
22.Soni Varun, Natural Mystics – The Prophetic Lives of V. Soni aptly shows here a sharp in neighbouring India, or towards the of Sufi inspiration like the Minhaj-ul-
Bob Marley and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Figueroa Press, Los
Angeles, 2014) awareness of a world music sphere, West, a land of plenty, a land of often Quran, strongly entrenched among the
23. Soni Varun, op.cit, p. 120
which often serves more to sell ‘Sufi dreamed-of immigration. The President diaspora, reveals its modernity and its

160 161
N U S R AT Ch a pt er name

vitality as well as its position within the Maybe it is, if we consider all the Nusrat Dropping Ecstacy'
© Nikunj Prajapati
idea of integration with the host country. sometimes-surprising usages that his
The context of a qawwali ceremony in the voice has been put to. Nonetheless, with
diaspora is, at the same time, a secular his great flexibility and the ‘lightness’ of
and modern event. These ceremonies his being, he did not seem too bothered
are most often held in secular halls, by these deviations. His motivation
with young second or third generation was elsewhere and he truly hoped that
immigrants, who sometimes have his audiences, wherever they were,
difficulty understanding the original whoever they were, would follow him,
languages of the poems. Nonetheless, with their truest intentions, as best they
the process and the atmosphere remain could. Although he willingly took part
totally ‘traditional’: the central place is in innumerable artistic experiments,
occupied by the spiritual guide, who his focus, as we have seen, remained
is the focus of all the attention and the qawwali, the spirit of qawwali, the
offerings. He intervenes frequently, transmission of the message of the Sufi
choosing the poems, or commenting on poets. After all, did he not confide: 'To be
a specific verse, he watches over those a qawwal is more than being a performer,
who may go into a trance. Even if the more than being an artist. (…) Qawwali is
qawwals musical and vocal expression enlightenment itself.' 24
may be influenced by some of their
An enlightenment he never ceased to
famous ‘traditional’ elders, most of all
embody during his lifetime, and which,
by Nusrat, in this context they become
even almost twenty years after his
simple musicians who are there to serve
death, still brightly illuminates our inner
the gathering of Sufi devotees, and in the
landscapes in the East as well as the West.
first instance, their Sheikh. This, in effect,
is a return to the sources of original, ritual
qawwali in a completely renewed context.

Is Nusrat’s ‘artistic’ interpretation so far

from this original spirit of qawwali? 24. Nusrat quoted by Andy Carvin, 'The Spirit of Nusrat
Fateh Ali Khan', www.edwebproject.org/nusrat.html

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N U S R AT g lo s s ary

Murshid: master, spiritual guide in Sufi tradition Tariqa: Sufi path based on mystical love. By extension,

Glossary
brotherhood or mystical order
Naat, naat-e-sharif: praise to Prophet Mohammed
Thâkur: Indian upper caste, assimilated to the kshatriyas
Naghma: musical prelude (kings and soldiers)
Ney: straight reed flute, very common in Turko-Persian Urs (literally the ‘marriage’): death anniversary of a Sufi
musical traditions. It symbolizes the wandering human soul saint, celebrating the union of his soul with the divine. It is
seeking union with the Divine lover the occasion of an annual pilgrimage
Pahari: like Bhupali, the name of an evening raga often Ustad: Master
performed during the monsoon
Vél: offering of money to the musicians during a concert,
Panjabi ang: Punjabi musical style particularly to qawwals during a qawwali session
Pîr (literally ‘old'): sheikh, spiritual guide Vichitraveena: plucked string instrument fitted with two
Alap: largely improvized vocal or instrumental introduction Hal (literally ‘state’; plural: ahwal): spiritual state considered
to a piece of Hindustani classical music a gift from God, that the Sufi passes through on his Qaul: Word, what is said resonance boxes, used in the classical Hindustani tradition
mystical path Wahad al wujûd: doctrine of the oneness of being: the
Amin: celebration of a child’s first recitation of the Koran Qawwal: professional musician, generally of a hereditary
Hamd: praise to God lineage and belonging to a Sufi order whole created world—from a stone to a human being—is
Awazia: second solo singer in a qawwal group considered or is seen as a manifestation of God
Iqbaliyat: science and knowledge of Allama Mohammad Qawwali: a musical genre, played and sung by qawwals, its
Bhangra: originally rural, folk music from Punjab. It has Iqbal’s life and work; can be related to his poems rendered original purpose is to bring about mystical ecstasy Zahir: the letter of the text in the Sufi tradition
become a very popular type of fusion music within the as song
Indo-Pakistani diaspora, particularly in Great Britain Raga: musical mode specific to Hindustani classical music
Ishq: perfect, transcendental love; communion with God
Batin: hidden esoteric meaning in the Sufi tradition Rang (literally ‘colour'): traditionally a poem that ends a
Kafi: classical form of Sufi poetry destined to be sung, very qawwali session. Attributed to Amir Khusro in homage to
Bhupali: name of an early evening raga, often performed common in Punjab and Sindh in particular his master, Nizamuddin Auliya
during the rainy season
Khwajah: one of the honorific titles used for a spiritual Sajda nashin (literally ‘he who is seated on the prayer mat’),
Bol-bant: vocal technique that consists of repeating one or master the successor to the saint in a sanctuary and hence the
several syllables of a verse in order to accentuate the rhythm master of the place
Kirtan: Hindu or Sikh devotional song
Chelum: ceremony held forty days after a death, marking Sarangi: bowed string viola, predominantly used in classical
the end of the mourning period Khyal (literally ‘imagination’, ‘creative thought’): a style of Hindustani music
classical Hindustani singing
Darbar-i-Auliya: Saints hall, Royal court of saints Sargam: technique of classical Hindustani vocal music. It
Manqabat: praise for a Sufi saint consists of singing the notes of the musical scale within the
Dargah (literally ‘threshold’): the place where the Sufis
gather, often a Saint’s mausoleum, a sanctuary Maqamat: the different stages or spiritual stations in the structure of the raga
path towards God Sarod: a plucked string instrument, used in classical
Dhrupad: ancient style of singing Hindustani classical music,
one of its characteristics is the importance paid to the Ma’rifat: gnosis, ultimate knowledge bestowed by God Hindustani music
progression of the raga Sitar: a plucked string lute with a long neck, it has become
Mazar—see also Dargah—: tomb, mausoleum of a Sufi saint,
Dilruba (literally ‘charmer of the heart’): an Indian viola with sanctuary, shrine one of the symbols of Hindustani classical music
plucked strings, a hybrid instrument between the sarangi Shabad: hymn or part of the Sikh sacred book, the Sri Guru
and the sitar Mehfil-e-samâ (or Samâ): mystical listening, spiritual concert
Granth Sahib
Gaddi nashin—see also Sajda nashin—(literally ‘the person Mersiye: type of Sufi poetry dedicated to Imam Hussein and
his companions at Karbala Sharia: Islamic law that can be interpreted in different
seated on the cushion’, assimilated to a throne): the saint’s manners, depending on the legal school that serves as a
successor in a sanctuary and hence the person in charge of Mohri: main singer in a qawwali group reference
the place
Munadjaat: type of Sufi poetry that includes a petition, a Sheikh (literally ‘old man'): master, spiritual guide and
Girah: verses that explain or comment a poem, often in prayer intellectual
narrative style
Murid: disciple in the Sufi tradition. He takes an oath on his Tabla: pair of percussions from the Indian subcontinent,
Gurdwara: Sikh place of worship master’s hand there are two cylinders, the bayan, played with the left hand
and the dayan, played with the right hand

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N U S R AT b i b li o g r aph y

Traditionnelles, vol. 3 'Musique et pouvoir', Geneva, 1990 Mole Marijan, 'La danse extatique en Islam', in Les Danses

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"Gramophone Culture" in South Asia', Popular Music, vol. publications, Lahore, 1979) Traditional Music, Berlin, vol. 36 (3), 1994)
Baud Pierre-Alain, 'Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, le qawwali au 18/1, (Cambridge University Press, 1990)
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N° 9, (Georg éditeur, Geneva, 1996) Catella Martina, 'Introduction au qawwali', Masters degree Paris, 2000) culture (Sindhi Adabi board, Jamshoro-Hyderabad, 1986)
thesis in ethnomusicology (Université de Paris X, 1993)
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Khan, Faqirs du Mausolée de Shah Abdul Latif, Sohrab Faqir, Clayer Nathalie and Zarcone Thierry, “Petit dictionnaire Ali Khan', in South Asian Diaspora, vol. 6, issue 2, (Routledge, (brochure neither the publisher nor the date of publication
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Qawwal, Mehr & Sher Ali Qawwal, Asif Ali Khan Qawwal, Bare byAlexandre Popovic and Gilles Veinstein, (Fayard,
Fateh Ali Khan, Ustad Omar de Sor/Sachchoo Khan/Md. Khan/ Paris, 1996) Kutbi Muhammad Mahmoo Ali, Sufism, (Royal Book Sharda Sadhu Ram, Sufi Thought: its development in Panjab
Mosa/Mula, Ustad Shafi Mohammad Faqir, Javed Bashir, Company, Karachi, 1993) and its impact on Panjabi literature, from Baba Farid to 1850
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Sinbad, Paris, 1978) Malik, Saeed, The Musical Heritage of Pakistan, (Idara
Yulchieva, Sharam Nazieri... (Théâtre de la Ville, Paris, 1993 Saqafat-e-Pakistan, Islamabad, 1983) Soni Varun, Natural Mystics – The Prophetic Lives of Bob
to 2015) Devos Claire, Qawwali, la musique des maîtres du soufisme, Marley and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Figueroa Press, Los
(éditions du Makar, Paris, 1995) Marc Gaborieau, 'Le sous-continent indien', in Les Voies Angeles, 2014)
Baud Pierre-Alain, CD booklets Hommage à Nusrat Fateh d’Allah, edited by’Alexandre Popovic and Gilles Veinstein,
Ali Khan (Network Medien, Frankfürt, 1998), Asif Ali Khan, Dupont Jacques, booklet for volumes 3, 4 and 5 of the CD (Fayard, Paris, 1996) Ustad Ghulam Haider Khan, Music and Radio Pakistan,
Mazarana, (Long Distance, Paris, 2005) and Faqirs du Pakistan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan en concert à Paris, (Ocora/ (Pakistan Classical Music Guild, Lahore, 2009)
Mausolée de Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, (Ocora/Radio France, Radio France and Théâtre de la Ville, Paris, 1988) Matringe Denis, 'Une séance de qawwali archétypale,
Paris, 2006) introduction, transcription et traduction', in Le Rajasthan, Yusuf Zohra (editor), Rhythms of the Lower-Indus Valley
During Jean, Musique et extase, l’audition mystique dans la ses dieux, ses héros, ses hommes, edited by Annie Montaut, (Government of Sindh, Pakistan, 1988)
Baud Pierre-Alain 'Sufi Soul or Sufi soap? Sufi music in the tradition soufie, (Albin Michel, Paris, 1988) (INALCO, Paris, 2000)
global whirlpool', 'Sufism' session keynote address, ‘1st
International Seminar on Folklore’ proceedings, 2013 (Bangla During Jean, 'Musique et rites : le samâ', in Les Voies d’Allah, Matringe Denis, 'La littérature soufie', in Les Voies d’Allah,
Academy, Dhaka, to be released) edited by Alexandre Popovic and Gilles Veinstein, (Fayard, edited by Alexandre Popovic and Gilles Veinstein, (Fayard,
Paris, 1996) Paris, 1996)
Bohlman Philip V., World Music, A Very Short Introduction
(Oxford University Press, Karachi, 2009) During Jean, 'L’autre oreille : le pouvoir mystique de Michaud Roland and Sabrina (introduction by Anne-Marie
la musique au Moyen-Orient', Cahiers de Musiques Schimmel), Derviches du Hind et du Sindh, (Phébus, Paris, 1991)

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N U S R AT n u s r at' s s electi ve d i s co g r aph y

Nusrat's diaspora is very important, this series provides a good

idea of the type of performances Nusrat presented for an
audience capable of understanding the texts he sang.
—Shahen-Shah, 1989, first ‘traditional’ recording with Real
World, widely distributed, as well as the album Shaabaaz
released in 1993

Selective Discography Network Gmb, Germany

—Homage to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, (double CD), 1998. A
superb box containing 2 ‘traditional’ CDs. It begins with a
famous poem sung by Nusrat: ‘Love has no destination…
Love is a wave, Love is not the shore’. The homage then
includes songs interpreted by a dozen Sufi artists who
—Passion, (collective), 1990, original soundtrack of the
album The Last Temptation of Christ, by Martin Scorcese.
Nusrat interprets a Passion that was much talked about
when the film was released, as the intensity of his
interpretation had a powerful impact on audiences.

wanted to pay their last respects to Nusrat. Featuring: —Mustt Mustt, (with Michael Brook), 1990 re-released
Sheikh Hamza Shakkur, Syria; Alim Qasimov, Azerbaijan; 2012, Nusrat’s first fusion recording. The master’s first great
Monajat Yulchieva, Uzbekistan; Sharam Nazeri, Iran; Cheikh commercial success in a modernised style that was new to
Lô, Senegal; Salamat Ali Khan and Abida Parveen, Pakistan, him at the time.
Establishing Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s discography is the film by Oliver Stone as well as the qawwals Mehr & Sher Ali and Asif Ali Khan. —Night Song (with Michael Brook), 1995, nominated for the
something of a challenge, given the wealth of the Grammy Awards. An album that was particularly noticed for
production that ranges from innumerable live concerts to a The controversial history and the content of this recording Oriental Star Agencies, United Kingdom
are discussed in chapter 6. This label that primarily targeted an Indo-Pakistani audience its remarkable ‘fusion’ qualities.
large number of studio recordings that were often remixed
later. This discography is hence in no way exhaustive (a offers the most complete range of Nusrat’s studio concert —Star Rise (with Michael Brook), 1997, re-released 2013, this
JVC World Sounds, Japan
complete list would easily include 250, if not 300 titles), recordings and remixes. See the page dedicated to Nusrat: remixed recording assembles themes by Nusrat, interpreted
—Pakistan Qawwali - The Vocal Art of the Sufis (I) & (II), Nusrat
particularly, as the Nusratian profusion is ongoing almost http://www.osa.co.uk/cgi/artistpage.cgi?artistID=46 by the young Indo-Pakistani diaspora settled in England at
Fateh Ali Khan, 1990. A beautiful recording made during
twenty years after his death and there are still a large Nusrat’s first tour of Japan in 1987. The first volume includes, Over 160 albums, CDs, DVDs, cassettes and videos by late the time. Features in particular Joi, Talvin Singh, Asian Dub
number of initiatives, both ‘official’ or pirated. The selection in particular, the wonderful poem ‘Allah Muhammad Char 2014. In this vast profusion, see the comments in chapter 6 Foundation, State of Bengal, Aki Nawaz, Black Star Liner,
presented below focuses primarily on some of the major yaar’ in homage to Baba Farid, one of the most popular Sufi that focus on: Nitin Sawhney, Earthbride and The Dhol Foundation & Fun-
releases. saints in the Indo-Pakistani pantheon, whose shrine is at da-mental
Pakpattan. —The Best of Shahenshah-e-Qawwali, 1988, ‘Best of’ taken
Some of these have already been discussed in the text, in from the 24 first OSA volumes, both traditional and remixed. Rehmat Gramophone House, Pakistan
which case the relevant chapters are mentioned. Lok Virsa, National Institute of Folk and Traditional It includes many of his hits, like ‘Allah Hoo Allah Hoo’, ‘Ali Nusrat’s original label, established in Faisalabad.
Heritage, Islamabad, Pakistan Maula Ali Dam Dam’, ‘Haq Ali Ali’, ‘Mast Nazron Se Allah Complete and historic collection including close to one
Théâtre de la Ville and Ocora Radio France hundred releases.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan en concert à Paris (the first to be —Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali khan, volumes 1, 2 and 3. Fabulous Bachaye’ ‘Ni Main Jana Jogi De Naal’, ‘Woh Hata Rahe Hain
distributed internationally) audio and video recordings from 1987 and 1989, including Parda’, ‘Yeh Jo Halka Halka Saroor Hai’, ‘Sanson Ki Mala Peh Shanachie Records, United States
—Vol. 1 & 2, recordings made in 1985 the whole historic party and some of Nusrat’s most Simroon Main’ —The Day, the Night, the Dawn, the Dusk, 1993, This album
memorable numbers such as 'Allah Hoo Allah Hoo', 'Ni Main includes, in particular, the poem ‘Yeh Jo Halka Halka’ that
—Vol. 3, 4 & 5, recordings made in1988 Jaana Jogi De Naal', 'Haq Ali Maula', 'Yaadan Vichre Sajan —House of Shah, 1991, remixed by a certain Mick Saint Clair
who had a meteoric career and almost disappeared from saved Jeff Buckley’s life as he says himself.
Diyan', or lesser known items predominantly sung by his
This is the international reference in terms of traditional father and uncle, like 'O Disdee Kulli Yaar Di'. the music scene shortly afterwards, but who left behind this Six Degrees Records, United Kingdom
recordings. Volumes 1& 2 were recorded at the Radio France memorable album. —Dub Qawwali, 2007, Gaudi /Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
studios in Paris, just before his first 1985 concerts at Théâtre Long Distance
de la Ville, as his dazzling international career was taking off. —Back to Qawwali, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, 1995. —Magic Touch, 1991, remixed by Bally Sagoo. An album A release by the musician Gaudi, based in London who
Volumes 3, 4 and 5 were recorded live on the same Parisian signed by two of the 100 ’Greatest musicians of all time ‘ remixed earlier recordings from the 1970s by Nusrat with
stage. We can hear a number of the tracks that went on to —Nusrat for Ever, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, 1999. (Also available according to the Sunday Times in London: Nusrat and Bally reggae dub.
become great hits that travelled the world. All the volumes as a ‘long box’ containing both records, 2000). Sagoo. Striking! (See commentary chapter 6)
are accompanied by detailed presentation booklets and for Dozens, if not hundreds, of other albums are also available,
Materiali Sonori Italie —Bandit Queen, 1994, original soundtrack of the film. One particularly via the online sales sites on the Internet. These
the last three CDs, the texts of the poems are translated into —Oriente - Occidente, 1997, (Novum Gaudium Chorus / of Nusrat’s great Bollywood productions (See commentary
French and English. These albums are described at greater titles include labels as varied as Birdman, Carolina, Ecstasy,
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan). An encounter between Gregorian chapter 6). Exworks, Interra, Jaro, Lok Virsa, Mercury, MIL Multimedia,
length in chapter 5, ‘The World Discovers a Voice’. chanting and qawwali. A very interesting meeting between
Real World, United Kingdom Milan, Music Club, Music Collection International, Music
Columbia, United States two genres a priori far removed from sacred music. Based Today, Narada, Nupur, NYC Music, Radi City, Rough Guides,
on a public concert recorded in Italy. Another of Nusrat’s legendary Western labels; it contributed
—Dead Man Walking, (collective), 1996, original soundtrack in a major way to his international distribution. Saregama, Shanachie Records, Silverspace, Sonic, T-series,
of the film by Tim Robbins. Album produced in collaboration Navras Records, United Kingdom Terrascape, Time Line, Triloka and World Music Network.
with Tim Robbins. See commentary in chapter 6 A Qawwal —Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Traditional Sufi Qawwali, Vols. 1 to See the complete catalogue on their site: http://
at the Heart of Modernity 4, 1995. Another series of traditional concerts proposed by realworldrecords.com
Fontana Interscope, United States a British label specialising in Indian classical music. Initially See specifically (commentaries on these albums are in
Natural Born Killers, (collective), 1994, original soundtrack of intended for distribution in Britain, where the Indo-Pakistani chapter 6 of the book):

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N U S R AT r es o u r ces o n n u s r at

Resources A few Internet sites a nd b logs d ed ica ted to

Nusra t or tha t ha ve a la rge numb er of ref erences

on Nusrat a b out him

- www.nusratonline.com

- www.nusratcollection.com

- www.nusratsahib.com

- nusratqawalies.blogspot.com- www.nfalikhan.wordpress.com

S o m e o f t h e m aj o r d o c u m entary film s av ailable - www.nusrat.info- http://alikhan.free.fr/ (in Frenwww.nusratfateh.com (in Turkish)

on Nusrat Plus an undeterminded number of facebook groups and pages dedicated to Nusrat (over 70 by late 2014)
ranging from a couple of to thousands of members. See updated list on: https://www.facebook.com/search/
Sequence on Nusrat, in Musiques du Pakistan /Music of Pakistan (1989) 16’, by Yves Billon, http://www. str/nusrat%2Bfateh/groups-named
dailymotion.com/fr/1#video=x117bt.
Currently the most popular are:
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the Last Prophet (1996), 58’, by Jérôme de Missolz (French, English) https://www.
*https://www.facebook.com/groups/unfak/members/
youtube.com/watch?v=qW861zdBeEY
*https://www.facebook.com/Nusratfatehalikhan
Nusrat Has Left the Building, But When? (1997), 20’, by Farjad Nabi (English): http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=gX9aL4dfOLo *https://www.facebook.com/groups/19845757880
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, A Voice from Heaven (2001), 1h18’, by Asaro Giuseppe (English): http://www. *https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nusrat-Fateh-Ali-Khan/149475525062550
youtube.com/watch?v=ql3TmuXVCaw
Plus more general sites, such as
Samandar Main Samandar (2007) 32’04”, by Geo News (Urdu): http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=p2xMoRiBxr0 - http://qawwal.blogspot.com/

A Tribute to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (2009), 10’, by Waris Shahid (English): https://www.youtube.com/ - www.youtube.com
watch?v=Xal674RRLog
- www.dailymotion.com
The King of Qawwali (2009). 20’, Dawn News (Urdu): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_RuNLff9PA
- www.vimeo.com
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Express Icon - nusratfan.com (2013), 17’, by Express News (Urdu): http://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=DL_gVE5Yk6M#t=432 - www.imdb.com (for Nusrat’s films contributions)

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Bio Documentary (August 2013) – 1h16’ documentary, released by www.nusratfan.com
(Urdu and English): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkAkEMbVutw#t=2345

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Present day India cannot be forgotten either, with my 'Open

sesame’s to qawwali' and to other rich musical forms of the

Acknowledgements
subcontinent: Meraj Qawwal, Claire Devos, Komal Kothari
(Peace be upon his soul) Neela Bhagwat, Sunil Goyal from
Rekha Guest House and Samuel Berthet who is always a
generous host in Delhi.
I must also sincerely thank Renuka George for her sensitive
translation of this text as well as her hospitality.
All of these people have in one way or another been
part of my Nusrat story and I owe them my deep and
sincere gratitude.
Then, the circle is complete with a return to the European
Although this book is signed by just one person, it also gratitude for the generous support from my dear and close faces and presences: Azhar and Assad Siddique, Jacqueline
remains an adventure to which a large number of people friends, Ghulam Farid Abassi, Umair Jaffar, Alix Philippon Magnier and her Théâtre de la Ville colleagues, Benjamin
contributed. Those who shared advice: friends, the Saida Haider, at the outset Zaryab Baig, Georges & Babeth Minimum and Mondomix, Serge Noel-Ranaïvo and
people closest to me, relatives, and institutions—they all Lefeuvre and their respective families were a fundamental Ocora-Radio France, Lucia Nayyar, Mariam Abu-Zahab,
participated in some manner to help these pages come into presence, as is my current ‘family’ in Lahore – Bina and Béatrice Bertho, Mathias Coulange,Marc Mangin, Michel
existence. Jawad Khawaja along with Zainab and Ayaz, Saleema and and Hafida Le Bastard, the friends from Zone Franche,
Mehboob, Ismet and Usman, Haider, I am grateful for their Marie-Jo Justamond and the whole team of Les Suds à Arles
First of all, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the kind welcome in their homes, filled with generosity and
French Embassy in Delhi, and the Institut Français in Delhi, festival, Murat Gümüskaya and his ‘Turquoise production’
warmth as well as for our lengthy and inspiring discussions. venture, Laurent Aubert and everyone from the Ateliers
without whose support, these lines would not have been
acceessible to English-speaking readers. Sindh, with its presences and points of view, although d’Ethnomusicologie in Geneva.
somewhat distant from Nusrat’s Punjab, also provided an Bracing friendships also accompanied me throughout:
Then, of course, there are, the people who were both close essential inspiration for these pages. There, I would like,
to Nusrat and shared in our common journey: Martine Jean-Pierre and Marie-Catherine Petit, Christiane Mordelet,
particularly, to mention Adam Malik, Comrade Ramzan Pascale and Patrick Vuarand, Jean-Pierre and Brigitte Burnet,
Rayer, Stéphane Gallay and Soudabeh Kia who helped make Memon & Shahina, Pîr Ibadullah Rashdi, Abdul Haq Chang
our fortunate meeting at Fontevraud (see preface) develop Rosa Miriam Ribeiro and Marc Berger, Catherine Gaudard,
and their families, the companions from PILER, the staff of Florence Strigler, Sandrine Genevier, Agnès Marot, Roger
into a fruitful experience, for me at least. the Institute of Sindhology at Sindh University, where I had Frick, Alain Dubouloz and Dario Paris.
All the people I met in Pakistan, some of whom have pursued a post-doctoral research project, and of course,
become long-term friends—without their help this book I wholeheartedly thank all the singing fakirs, particularly And to end, first names will do: Germaine and Alexis, Anne-
would not be what it is. I would like to first mention Nusrat’s those from the Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai shrine, at Bhit Shah. Marie and Pierre, Gabriel and Catherine, Bernadette and
family, particularly the rare people of his generation whom I Mahmoud, Michel and Sylvie, Thérèse and Daniel and Marie-
I would like to dedicate these pages to all these gentle Christine: all those who, in one way or another, contributed,
met when I began this work, his sister Nafees Jahan and his people of God.
first cousin Karim Dad—who passed away recently, (peace sometimes very largely, to the existence of these pages.
Another horizon, a bit further away and yet so present in
be upon his soul) I must also mention his nephew Rahat the spirit of these lines, both with its commonality and its Bahut shukria! Mille mercis!
Fateh Ali Khan and his second cousins, Rizwan, Muazam differences, is Bangladesh. For me, the blessed Bengal of the
and Aurangzeb Mubarak Ali Khan, and, of course, his first last thirty years. There I would like to start by mentioning
cousin Saqab Ali, and Nusrat’s daughter Nida, whom I met Dr. Jasim Uddin Mukul and Imran Najir Opu, as well as
again recently. Amongst those who knew Nusrat well, how Thérèse Blanchet, Farida Parveen, Mridul Chakrobarty, Kiron
could I not mention his faithful musicians, Rehmat Ali, Dildar Babu and Anissa, Kazi Muktadir, Saiful Islam Foulbabu, Atiq
Hussain, Nafeez Ahmed, IIyas Hussain, Ghulam Farid, Khaled Rahman Shufol, Nipun Mazumder, AZ Shimul, Titu, Nasir
Mehmood and Kokab Ali, as well as Nusrat’s brother, late Uddin Ahmed and GUP's friends, Brother Jacques, Colette
Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan and late Asif Ali, his brother-in-law Maire and Alim Khan, Florence Durandin and François
and also Nusrat’s personal secretary Iqbal Naqibi. Nusrat's Persyn. There, I definitely need also to add a warm and
party was his second family in fact. grateful Salam to Mohammad Hasan and Shamim Zamanvi
I must, of course, thank the first friends I made while from the Bangla-Urdu Sahitya Foundation in Dhaka,
working on this book and those who were around who unstintingly assisted me in the demanding task of
throughout the writing of this text: Adam Nayyar (Peace be transcribing and translating Nusrat’s poems, an arduous
upon his soul), Yasser Noman, Rashid Sheikh, Fozia Tanveer, exercise begun in Pakistan by my dear friends Yasser Noman
Imran Siddique, Ustad Ghulam Haider and express my and Ghulam Farid Abbasi.

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