Twenty-seven years after Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s death at 48, the maestro’s sublime voice that had once drawn the world to the qawwali’s wisdom will feature in a new album. On September 20, British record label, Real World Records, will put out four tracks by Khan, alongside his eight-piece ensemble, that were recorded in 1989, when British composer Peter Gabriel signed him on. Gabriel was struck by the intensity of Khan’s voice when he heard him at the WOMAD Festival of 1985 and was keen to work with him. That meeting would lead to Real World Records, which specialises in world music, releasing a lot of Khan’s music through the ‘90s. But somehow, one tape, with four recordings, got lost in the warehouse’s storage. It was only discovered when the record label decided to relocate its archive in 2021. Now four pieces, one of which has never been heard, will see the light of day in an album aptly titled, Chain of Light.
Known for tracks such as ‘Mun kunto maula’, ‘Halka halka suroor’ and ‘Dum mustt’, Khan’s music transcended borders, finding admirers across the world. The recovery of the recording is therefore not only thrilling for them but also an opportunity to introduce newer generations to the ecstasy of his music. Those who have not heard Khan before will find a voice at the pinnacle of its sonic capabilities, replete with sparkling vocal cadenzas. While Khan’s music was a refuge for many, its symbolism and lessons in humanity and peace came from the poetry of the Sufi saints from different centuries.
Chain of Light could be a conduit between the past and present, nudging a world riven with conflicts and suffering to look within. This is a time when the world needs the Sufi message in Khan’s sublime voice more than ever before.
