I would be remiss not to include the legendary Sabri Brothers in any discussion about qawwali music. I’ve included two songs from Moksha on the playlist because its spiritual goal is similar to qawwali music-the Hindu word Moksha translates as “the end of the death and rebirth cycle.” It also means “liberation.” In the first video below, Amjad Ali Khan performs with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra in a fusion of Indian, Chinese, and western traditions. I’m blown away by the passionate vocals.Īmjad Ali Khan, an Indian classical sarod player, reinterpreted traditional raga on his album Mokshaand, like Ravi Shankar, has performed with symphony orchestras. Here she is with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Nusrat’s nephew and part of his group when he was still with us. I was lucky to see her at a show in Long Beach years ago. Called the “Queen of Sufi Music,” Parveen’s career started when she was just twenty, and since then her fame has spread throughout Pakistan, India, the Gulf States, France, and the U.S. She has perfect pitch, a powerful voice, huge range, and her low notes will give you goosebumps. The most famous female qawwal, Abida Parveen will occasionally use a piano ostinato in her music, unusual for the genre. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (left) and Amjad Ali Khan (right) in the mid 1990’s. His adventurous spirit makes him the greatest qawwal of them all in my eyes. Nusrat’s brilliant collaborations with producer Michael Brook brought new audiences to him as well. He crossed musical boundaries, recording a hit song called “ Mustt Mustt” with Massive Attack as well as crazy fun albums with producer Bally Sagoo.
I had a chance to see him perform twice, first at the LAX Hilton and again in Buena Park, California. Nusrat toured the U.S., including a big show at the Universal (now Gibson) Amphitheater.
#Free download nusrat fateh ali khan qawwalis full
In terms of feeling and gestalt, it is more like a full American Gospel choir than, say, a Catholic service, with ecstasy and transcendence as its goal. The word qawwal means “utterance,” and qawwali songs are often about love and devotion to the divine. The roots of qawwali (Sufi gospel) music reach back to 8 th-century Persia, before its migration to the Indian subcontinent in the 11 th century. The late Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan introduced ecstatic Sufi gospel to an international audience and also worked with producers outside of the qawwali tradition. They bent the rules and took chances, creating something new and sublime along the way. This playlist features Pakistani and Indian world music artists I deeply admire.