Namita Kohli - Express Features Service, Delhi Newsline
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Talk: “Living Up to Ustad Nusrat’s Image is Tough” but Rahat Ali Khan is doing just fine without his illustrious uncle.
Life has not been easy, if not tough, for Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, the nephew and prodigy of Pakistani qawwali singer Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He was only 24 when his uncle died, leaving him to take on the mantle of the 700-year-old musical legacy. Since then, the soft-spoken Faisalabad-based Khan has been trying to keep alive the qawwali tradition. He provided the soundtrack for Shekhar Kapur-directed The Four Feathers and his songs like Mann Ki Lagan in Paap and Jiya Dhadak Dhadak in Kalyug have made him a household name. He spoke to Namita Kohli about sufi music and his new album Charkha, The Circle of Life.
You’ve been carrying on the legacy of your illustrious uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan since his death in 1997. How has the journey been?
It has only begun. Initially, it used to feel like a burden. But now things are more comfortable, though the pressure to live up to his image continues.
What projects are you working on currently?
My solo album Charkha will be out by June this year. The music will be a blend of Arabian, Latin and Spanish influences, but the beat will be ethnic. I have used Baba Bullehshah’s verses and the sufi shora for the lyrics. I also have a few proposals from Bollywood.
What about international projects?
In August, I will be touring Canada and America. I am trying to do something new by adding saxophone and guitar to my music to make it more accessible to people.
Do improvisations interfere with the essence of traditional music? Even Nusrat Khan was criticised for such experiments.
Even when we improvise, the base is always pure qawwali. Sufi music is spiritual music and it will end only when the link with the soul is absent. These days, the audience wants something different. In the West, I find that the NRI audience appreciates my music.
Are the audiences in Pakistan and India any different? Where do you enjoy performing more?
I enjoy performing in India as people understand my music. Many of the musical stalwarts are Indians and the industry here is alive. Also, I am a fan of musicians like Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma.
You started performing with your uncle at the age of 10. Any childhood memories?
He is always there in my sur. But I feel the vaccum sometimes. My journey to reach him will continue till I meet him.
Friday, October 27, 2006
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Friday, October 27, 2006
“Living Up to Ustad Nusrat’s Image is Tough”
Namita Kohli - Express Features Service, Delhi Newsline
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Talk: “Living Up to Ustad Nusrat’s Image is Tough” but Rahat Ali Khan is doing just fine without his illustrious uncle.
Life has not been easy, if not tough, for Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, the nephew and prodigy of Pakistani qawwali singer Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He was only 24 when his uncle died, leaving him to take on the mantle of the 700-year-old musical legacy. Since then, the soft-spoken Faisalabad-based Khan has been trying to keep alive the qawwali tradition. He provided the soundtrack for Shekhar Kapur-directed The Four Feathers and his songs like Mann Ki Lagan in Paap and Jiya Dhadak Dhadak in Kalyug have made him a household name. He spoke to Namita Kohli about sufi music and his new album Charkha, The Circle of Life.
You’ve been carrying on the legacy of your illustrious uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan since his death in 1997. How has the journey been?
It has only begun. Initially, it used to feel like a burden. But now things are more comfortable, though the pressure to live up to his image continues.
What projects are you working on currently?
My solo album Charkha will be out by June this year. The music will be a blend of Arabian, Latin and Spanish influences, but the beat will be ethnic. I have used Baba Bullehshah’s verses and the sufi shora for the lyrics. I also have a few proposals from Bollywood.
What about international projects?
In August, I will be touring Canada and America. I am trying to do something new by adding saxophone and guitar to my music to make it more accessible to people.
Do improvisations interfere with the essence of traditional music? Even Nusrat Khan was criticised for such experiments.
Even when we improvise, the base is always pure qawwali. Sufi music is spiritual music and it will end only when the link with the soul is absent. These days, the audience wants something different. In the West, I find that the NRI audience appreciates my music.
Are the audiences in Pakistan and India any different? Where do you enjoy performing more?
I enjoy performing in India as people understand my music. Many of the musical stalwarts are Indians and the industry here is alive. Also, I am a fan of musicians like Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma.
You started performing with your uncle at the age of 10. Any childhood memories?
He is always there in my sur. But I feel the vaccum sometimes. My journey to reach him will continue till I meet him.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Talk: “Living Up to Ustad Nusrat’s Image is Tough” but Rahat Ali Khan is doing just fine without his illustrious uncle.
Life has not been easy, if not tough, for Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, the nephew and prodigy of Pakistani qawwali singer Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He was only 24 when his uncle died, leaving him to take on the mantle of the 700-year-old musical legacy. Since then, the soft-spoken Faisalabad-based Khan has been trying to keep alive the qawwali tradition. He provided the soundtrack for Shekhar Kapur-directed The Four Feathers and his songs like Mann Ki Lagan in Paap and Jiya Dhadak Dhadak in Kalyug have made him a household name. He spoke to Namita Kohli about sufi music and his new album Charkha, The Circle of Life.
You’ve been carrying on the legacy of your illustrious uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan since his death in 1997. How has the journey been?
It has only begun. Initially, it used to feel like a burden. But now things are more comfortable, though the pressure to live up to his image continues.
What projects are you working on currently?
My solo album Charkha will be out by June this year. The music will be a blend of Arabian, Latin and Spanish influences, but the beat will be ethnic. I have used Baba Bullehshah’s verses and the sufi shora for the lyrics. I also have a few proposals from Bollywood.
What about international projects?
In August, I will be touring Canada and America. I am trying to do something new by adding saxophone and guitar to my music to make it more accessible to people.
Do improvisations interfere with the essence of traditional music? Even Nusrat Khan was criticised for such experiments.
Even when we improvise, the base is always pure qawwali. Sufi music is spiritual music and it will end only when the link with the soul is absent. These days, the audience wants something different. In the West, I find that the NRI audience appreciates my music.
Are the audiences in Pakistan and India any different? Where do you enjoy performing more?
I enjoy performing in India as people understand my music. Many of the musical stalwarts are Indians and the industry here is alive. Also, I am a fan of musicians like Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma.
You started performing with your uncle at the age of 10. Any childhood memories?
He is always there in my sur. But I feel the vaccum sometimes. My journey to reach him will continue till I meet him.
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