Desh Videsh Volume 603
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Some people are
born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness
thrust upon them. With Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan it had only
been the first two. This legendary singer was born on 13
October 1948 in Lyallpur (later renamed Faisalabad),
Pakistan.Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was one of the
greatest Qawwals (Sufi singers) ever been on this earth.
One of the most popular singers in the Indian
sub-continent, Khan predominately sang Qawwali*, the music
of devotional Sufism, but incorporated other forms
including Khyal (traditional classical) to produce a
unique style that appealed to followers of all religions.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a genius singer of Qawwali. Like
no other, Nusrat’s performances transcend religious
boundaries and his music caresses the soul with its
passion.
Qawwali
Qawwali, a mystic style of music is one of the innovations of Hazrat Amir Khusru. Its primordial name was Sama’a. When Hazrat Moin-Ud-Din Chishtie came from Sanjar (a town of Iran) to Ajmer (India) to preach Islam, he thoroughly studied the Hindu style of preaching and found that they were very fond of music, and music was in all rites and rituals of the Hindus. The Brahmins used to sing Ashloks, Shabads and Bhajans with percussion and wind instruments. So, he adopted the same Hindu way of preaching among the new Muslims.
The evaluation of Qawwali versus Sama’a is centuries old. It came from Khorasan (Iran) where the nomad singers performed their songs with drumbeats and hand clapping. A leading singer used to sing the Persian rhymes and the other party men accompanied him with hand clapping. Hazrat Moin-Ud-Din Chishtie, being an Iranian, experimented the same style. This way of preaching got the name Qawwali in the era of Amir Khusru, the disciple of Khawaja Nizam-Ud-Din Aulia, in the 13th AD. Amir Khusru’s innovation of Qawwali depicted with Qawwal, Qalbana, Rung, Naqsh, Gul, etc. The Qawwali was started from Qawwal Bachey clan of Delhi and it emphasized the musicians of the era to adopt, especially the Sufis (Mystics) were much lured and influenced by this style of singing Qawwali. When harmonium was invented, it became the part and parcel of a Qawwal party. The Qawwals of the yore had been using many instruments, i.e. Arani, Dilruba, Taoos, Rabab and Dholak as accompanying instruments. But in later years only tabla and harmonium became prominent due to its loudness.
Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan belonged to the family of Qawwals. His family had been Qawwali singers for six centuries. He was the son of Ustad Fateh Ali Khan and the nephew of Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan. In the last five decades, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan and Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan were considered the post-master of the Qawwali. Both the brothers were great Ustads of classical music and their virtuosity in Qawwali is still acknowledged by everyone. Especially Ustad Fateh Ali Khan was a great musicologist, vocalist and instrumentalist. Ustad Fateh Ali Khan (Ustad Nusrat’s father) died in 1964. At that time his son Nusrat was in Matric. He was compelled to join the party (a group of highly trained Pakistani musicians, which included several family members) by his family members. Under the guidance of his paternal uncle Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan, he became the party’s leader and the party started with the new title---Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Mujahid Mubarak Ali Khan & Party. Within no time, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan got hold on all the prominent Qawwal parties and his familiarity spread like the jungle’s fire in the country. It was his dream to sing at the famous Muslim shrine of Hazrat Khawaja Moin-Ud-Din Chishtie in Ajmer, India. This dream became reality when he sang along with his party at the shrine.
Qawwali, a mystic style of music is one of the innovations of Hazrat Amir Khusru. Its primordial name was Sama’a. When Hazrat Moin-Ud-Din Chishtie came from Sanjar (a town of Iran) to Ajmer (India) to preach Islam, he thoroughly studied the Hindu style of preaching and found that they were very fond of music, and music was in all rites and rituals of the Hindus. The Brahmins used to sing Ashloks, Shabads and Bhajans with percussion and wind instruments. So, he adopted the same Hindu way of preaching among the new Muslims.
The evaluation of Qawwali versus Sama’a is centuries old. It came from Khorasan (Iran) where the nomad singers performed their songs with drumbeats and hand clapping. A leading singer used to sing the Persian rhymes and the other party men accompanied him with hand clapping. Hazrat Moin-Ud-Din Chishtie, being an Iranian, experimented the same style. This way of preaching got the name Qawwali in the era of Amir Khusru, the disciple of Khawaja Nizam-Ud-Din Aulia, in the 13th AD. Amir Khusru’s innovation of Qawwali depicted with Qawwal, Qalbana, Rung, Naqsh, Gul, etc. The Qawwali was started from Qawwal Bachey clan of Delhi and it emphasized the musicians of the era to adopt, especially the Sufis (Mystics) were much lured and influenced by this style of singing Qawwali. When harmonium was invented, it became the part and parcel of a Qawwal party. The Qawwals of the yore had been using many instruments, i.e. Arani, Dilruba, Taoos, Rabab and Dholak as accompanying instruments. But in later years only tabla and harmonium became prominent due to its loudness.
Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan belonged to the family of Qawwals. His family had been Qawwali singers for six centuries. He was the son of Ustad Fateh Ali Khan and the nephew of Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan. In the last five decades, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan and Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan were considered the post-master of the Qawwali. Both the brothers were great Ustads of classical music and their virtuosity in Qawwali is still acknowledged by everyone. Especially Ustad Fateh Ali Khan was a great musicologist, vocalist and instrumentalist. Ustad Fateh Ali Khan (Ustad Nusrat’s father) died in 1964. At that time his son Nusrat was in Matric. He was compelled to join the party (a group of highly trained Pakistani musicians, which included several family members) by his family members. Under the guidance of his paternal uncle Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan, he became the party’s leader and the party started with the new title---Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Mujahid Mubarak Ali Khan & Party. Within no time, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan got hold on all the prominent Qawwal parties and his familiarity spread like the jungle’s fire in the country. It was his dream to sing at the famous Muslim shrine of Hazrat Khawaja Moin-Ud-Din Chishtie in Ajmer, India. This dream became reality when he sang along with his party at the shrine.
