Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Shahen-Shah (2015)

‘Qawwali’ means literally ‘utterance’ and the Qawwal is the mouthpiece of Divine Power; ‘We do not sing, we are made to sing’. This is the devotional music of the Sufis —the mystical sect of Islam, intended to elevate the spirit and bring both performer and listener closer to God.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1948-1997) is considered the greatest exponent of Qawwali. A man of impressive, even daunting, stature, the emotional intensity and soaring power of his voice transcends all boundaries of language and religion and has popularised this beautiful and inspirational music beyond Muslim people to audiences world-wide.

The strength and power of Qawwali as a form is used to convey a mystic, religious message. The best Qawwal draws and holds the audience’s attention, altering the listener’s state of consciousness to make it intensely receptive of the content.

At the heart of Sufism is the heart itself: devotional love of God (Allah), His prophet (Mohammed) and His friend (Ali). Music is the vehicle to reach the heart and attain a state of Grace or enlightenment, a ‘stateless state’ or ‘Ma’rifat’ —the inner knowledge.

The music provides an intangible interplay between form and content, dwelling upon particular words to create a wider context, allowing simple language to attain great depths. The trance-inducing repetition of a sentence or phrase indicates both the obvious and hidden context, taking the audience into a discovery of new meanings, sudden revelations, new significances, new departures.

Tracklist:
01. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Shamas-Ud-Doha, Badar-Ud-Doja (11:04)
02. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Allah, Mohammed, Char, Yaar (11:29)
03. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Kali Kali Zulfon Ke Phande Nah Dalo (11:47)
04. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Meri Ankhon KO Bakhshee Hain Aansoo (10:56)
05. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Nit Khair Mansan Sohnia Main Teri (11:53)
06. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Kehna Ghalat Ghalat to Chhupana Sahi Sahi (13:59)