There are literally dozens, if not a hundred, compilations of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's highly individual interpretations of classical and modern qawaali material and original songs that come from the tradition. He was, in fact, a lineage master of the form. Khan's legacy is spread out on so many labels it is impossible to count them all. This set, Sultan of Sufi Music, was assembled by his nephew, the current lineage master of qawaali Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, and it does have the stamp of authenticity upon it. Rahat ...
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There are literally dozens, if not a hundred, compilations of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's highly individual interpretations of classical and modern qawaali material and original songs that come from the tradition. He was, in fact, a lineage master of the form. Khan's legacy is spread out on so many labels it is impossible to count them all. This set, Sultan of Sufi Music, was assembled by his nephew, the current lineage master of qawaali Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, and it does have the stamp of authenticity upon it. Rahat has chosen to focus on the music of his uncle recorded after 1990 and up until the last few years of his life. For some, this will be problematic no doubt because of the modern instruments and studio techniques used in creating it. Truth be told, it shouldn't. The message is in the voice itself and always has been -- no matter the ensemble. Of the 12 tracks here, eight of them are by Nusrat, recorded in the final year of his life, 1996, for the albums Sangam and Kartoos, as well as a soundtrack contribution. The beats are modern, some of them synthetic, and the production is slick. That said, nothing can be taken from the power of the voice itself and that voice did not decline a whit despite his long fight with diabetes. (Rick Rubin's double-disc production, Final Studio Recordings on American Recordings, which is much more traditional, also bears this out.) The final four cuts are by Rahat himself! While this seems strange, ultimately weird, and to Western ears and eyes and sensibilities even a bit creepy, it's not. What it reveals, and beautifully, is that Rahat is a true carrier of the lineage of his uncle, and he too has looked to extend the reach of qawaali into the new millennium. Purists will certainly not like what they hear on this disc; the rest of us, however, who love the older music, will nonetheless hear in the voices of both Nusrat and Rahat, the truth of the ages; the sublime, ecstatic search for and worship of God in this music, and it is well worth checking out for anyone who's had some history with the great master. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi
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Add this copy of Sultan of Sufi Music to cart. $38.45, good condition, Sold by Stephen White Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Bradford, WEST YORKSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2008 by Saregama India.
