Today marks the 19th death anniversary of the legendary qawwali maestro Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan. The Pakistani singer was one of the most renowned Sufi singers in the world — something that can primarily be attributed to his diverse vocal abilities.
Ustad Nusrat Fateh who was primarily a singer of Qawwali‚ was born on October 13‚ 1948 in Faisalabad. He was popularly known as “Shahenshah-e-Qawwali”.
In his prolonged music career, he traveled extensively to perform in a wide range of countries.
Khan created a world record of releasing as many as 125 audio albums as a Qawwal which includes legendary numbers such as Dum mustt Qalandar mustt‚ Ali Maula Ali‚ Yeh Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai‚ Mera Pia Ghar Aya and many others.
In 1987, the government of Pakistan bestowed Pride of Performance on the legendary singer for his contribution to Pakistani music. Two years before his death, he received the prestigious UNESCO Music Prize. He received a number of national and international honorary awards throughout his music career.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan died on August 16‚ 1997 due to a cardiac arrest in London.
Thank you for mentioning some important and unforgettable qawwalis. The one ‘Aahen na bhari shiqwe na kiye kuch bhi na zubaan se kaam liya’ is must in the list rather in the top five. Its very enlightening to read your knowledgeable comments I expect and hope to read your comments with regularity.
Yes, favouritism differs from person to person. To me ‘yeh ishq ishq hai’ from Barsaat Ki Raat is the mother of all qawwalis.