Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khanwas a Pakistani musician, primarily a singer of Qawwali, the devotional music of the Sufis. Considered one of the greatest voices ever recorded, he possessed an extraordinary range of vocal abilities and could perform at a high level of intensity for several hours. Extending the 600-year old Qawwali tradition of his family, Khan is widely credited with introducing Qawwali music to international audiences. He is popularly known as "Shahenshah-e-Qawwali", meaning "The King of Kings of Qawwali"...
NationalityPakistani
ProfessionMusician
CountryPakistan
I am not a Sufi, but I follow the Sufi.
When people start dancing, they dance like they don't know they are doing it.
Yes, you've got to sing from the depths of the heart.
These three elements are called Qawwali, and they've got to be there.
I do listen to other music though, and try to pick up what is good.
In his day, the audience was well aware of the music, of the classical beat.
On the fortieth day after his death, we held the ceremony, and I performed for the very first time.
I have tried to make the music a bit easier for them to understand.
To be a qawwal is more than being a performer, more than being an artist,One must be willing to release one's mind and soul from one's body to achieve ecstasy through music. Qawwali is enlightenment itself.
When I sing for God, I feel myself in accord with God, and the house of God, Mecca, is right in front of me. And I worship. When I sing for Mohammed, peace be upon him, our prophet, I feel like I am sitting right next to his tomb, Medina, and paying him respect and admitting to myself that I accept his message.
I also like Western classical music and jazz.
I was just studying with my father, a very difficult task for me since he was a great, great Qawwali singer.