Music Sans Frontiers
The Glory of the ‘Velvet Fire’
by Vishal Oberoi

A pious mystic called upon the Ali Khan home in Lyallpur (erstwhile Faislabad), Pakistan, on a summer evening in the early ‘50s. Three-year old Pervez caught his attention and, as if narrating a prophecy, he instructed that the lad’s name be changed to something more apposite, because he was to scale great heights in future. Perhaps it was a premonition to indicate that this boy would go on to enthrall the world, captivate audiences with his prodigious musical talent, and, purely with his enchanting voice, infuse the fervent emotions of wholesome ecstasy into the souls of millions. He was aptly re-christened Nusrat (bliss).

Any effort to eulogize Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is analogous to holding a modest candle to the flaming sun. Perhaps Jeff Buckley’s attempt was the most appropriate, when he said, “his voice is a velvet fire, simply incomparable”. His performance on the soundtrack of “Dead Man Walking” (1995), alongside Eddie Vedder, lead singer of Pearl Jam, brought about a cyclonic wave of curiosity and acclamation, and began a revolution of sorts. At the pinnacle of his glory, Nusrat had mesmerized audiences ranging from London’s Royal Albert Hall to New York’s Central Park, taking them all on a dream-like voyage into the ambit of a 7-century old Sufi tradition called Qawwali. His songs can be heard from the Islamic shrines of Asia, to the not-so-hallowed nightclubs of Europe.  However, back home, his efforts to take Qawwali to the West were condemned, and considered to be a corruption of its sacred identity. But Nusrat was confident of the global nature and appeal of his music, and he wholeheartedly believed that the integral message of tranquility was required to reach out to everyone. He felt that if the propagation of this message entailed the fusion of the spiritual compositions of Sufism with the sounds of the West, then it was not a corruption, but merely a translation into a language with a larger wingspan. His collaborations with artists as diverse as Peter Gabriel, Tim Robbins, Michael Brook, A.R.Rehman and Massive Attack, altogether composed an unforgettable tale of triumph and achievement, which left the world, spellbound, and his critics at home, speechless.

Appreciation grew exponentially, as his fame spread amongst aficionados, musicians, and even the tattooed, body-piercing ‘GeneratioNext’-ers, who still think his ‘stuff’ is ‘groovy’. His concerts around the world drew scores of listeners, some of who couldn’t even understand a word of what he sang. They came to hear his vocal pirouettes coupled with ethno-percussion, and feel the rich, authentic texture of his music. They came to be a part of the spirited (yet meditative) trance which he launched himself into, and to watch his vigorous hand movements which seemed to pilot his wide-ranging intonations into the atmosphere. They came simply because they were passionately in love with the way he sang, because he sang the only way he knew how to – from the depths of his heart.

In the midst of critical tensions across the borders of the sub-continent, Nusrat spoke of brotherhood and unity. Although his music was a bridge of cultural harmony, which broke barriers of creed and language, his died an untimely death and his vision of an anticipated concord between India and Pakistan remained unrealized.

The dusk of 16^th August 1997 stole this musical genius from us, leaving behind embryonic plans to work with the likes of Madonna, Luciano Pavarotti and Ravi Shankar. The extent of the man’s devotion to his mission was clearly evident when doctors claimed that he put his work ahead of his health, and went on with his whirlwind tour, even though he knew he was ill. In his eternal absence, his nephew and chosen heir, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, promises to keep the flame alight. With packed performances in the U.S. and Europe, Rahat’s exceptional talent has already won him acclaim as the rightful successor to his ‘Ustad’.

An exponent of music. An ambassador of amity. A messiah of hope. A messenger of peace. However we remember him, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was an unforgettable legend. In our spirits, in our homes, and even in war-struck parts of our globe, his voice will echo on as a symbol of eternal faith, till the sense of sound subsists.