The Essence of a Flower

Music Editor - The Times of India - India
Monday, December 17, 2007

Most singers or musicians try to break away from the style that their gurus have established to make a statement, but Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan doesn’t crave to do so.

Having learnt music under uncle and music maestro Late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat is quick to acknowledge the impact his guru’s style has had on him.

And that style reflects in his recently launched album Charkha on Sa Re Ga Ma. Obviously the expectations from him are high, luckily for him he could meet those expectations.

"Even in this album the music is different from what you get to hear these days. You’ll get to hear various kinds of songs. We have maintained the body structure of quawalis and worked around it," he says.

And besides the newly composed songs Rahat has also added an unrecorded number composed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Talk about his association with Bollywood and he has only good things to say. "I have got a lot of love and appreciation here. From Man se man ki lagan to Jag suna suna all my songs have been liked by people.," he smiles.

The singer is happy that politics has not affected the give and take between India and Pakistan where music is concerned.

"Music and politics are two different things. There shouldn’t be any politics in music. Music is like the essence of a flower you can’t bind it," he says.

With Sufi music being the flavour of the season for Bollywood, what does Rahat have to say about it?

"What you hear under the name of Sufi music is not the real thing. The mellow songs that these bands make are good, but not all songs are Sufi," he points.

Ask him about influence of Nusrat’s songs on him and he says, "I have learnt everything I know from him. It’s in my blood, the influence has to show. My songs are in his style so people don’t really ask me to compose as per his style".

"I work thoroughly on my music that the reason it took me two-and-a-half year to put together this album," he explains.