Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
(1948–1997), Qawwali singer. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the internationally acclaimed qawwali (a South Asian devotional musical tradition that is over six hundred years old), singer, was born in Faisalabad, Pakistan, into a prominent lineage of Sufi singers. Qawwali is traditionally performed at a dargah (Sufi shrine) and incorporates in its structure the classical forms of raag ("melody") and taal ("rhythm"). Lyrically qawwali draws from the compositions of medieval South Asian mystical poets and employs metaphorical language and symbolic imagery to illustrate the pain of separation from God and the ecstasy of reunion. Nusrat's qawwali music appealed to diverse cultural and linguistic groups throughout the Indian subcontinent and featured Sufi compositions from a wide array of languages, including Persian, Arabic, Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi, Braj, and Rajasthani. His mesmerizing voice often sent his audience into a musical trance and earned him the esteemed title Shahen-Shah ("the king of kings"). Nusrat's worldwide fame eventually increased due to his eclectic collaborations with popular musicians (Peter Gabriel, Eddie Vedder, Bally Sagoo) and his unique contributions to film scores (Last Temptation of Christ, Dead Man Walking, Bandit Queen). He died on 16 August 1997 in London, England, from kidney failure complications.
Further Reading
Ehrlich, Dimitri. (1997) Inside the Music: Conversations with Contemporary Musicians about Spirituality, Creativity, and Consciousness. Boston: Shambhala Publications.
Qureshi, Regula Burckhardt. (1995) Sufi Music of India and Pakistan: Sound, Context and Meaning in Qawwali. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Ruby, Ahmed Aqeel. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: A Living Legend. Trans. by Sajjad Haider Malik. Lahore, Pakistan: Words of Wisdom, 1992.
This is the complete article, containing 256 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page).
