'Qawwali'
is Soul Music
: “It emerges from within”
An
Exclusive Interview with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
The Successor of the Ali Khan Dynasty
by
Vishal Oberoi
"Qawwali is
within me. It’s instilled in my soul. It nourishes my spirit. Qawwali is
forever". These are words spoken by a man who virtually
worships his music, since he was born into a dynasty where it runs in the blood.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan gracefully carries the onus of upholding a legacy. The
legacy of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. His heritage is Qawwali, the 700-year old
musical component of the mystical tradition of Islam, called as Sufism.
Born and brought
up in Faislabad, Pakistan, Rahat cannot identify the point of his inspiration,
since music was ubiquitous, throughout his childhood. "When I first
heard Qawwali, I was spellbound. I wanted to learn it and become a Qawwali
singer. And there was no better
school than my home itself. It was a musical institute and we were a joint
family of musicians. I learnt everything at home".
The voice, which
Jeff Buckley described as “the incomparable velvet fire”, faded away on
August 16th, 1997. Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the most prolific
practitioner of Qawwali, had no sons, and the Qawwali tradition required that a
master choose his own rightful heir. Rahat was a born successor, as he began
learning the art at the age of three. When he turned six, the traditional,
rigorous process of vocal training began with Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
personally teaching him the fundamental ‘ragas’. “When he saw the potential in me, Nusrat Jee asked for me to
be given to him as a son. I’ve been brought up learning music under his
tutelage. At the age of 9, I performed on stage for the first time. It was a
carnival-like atmosphere, where classical and ghazal singers came together. The
stage seemed so big, back then. I had my father, Farroukh Fateh Ali Khan, next
to me, and my guru, Nusrat Jee, on the other side. I was very nervous, but once
the performance began, it was as if I was transported into a different
dimension, altogether”.
The relationship
between his guru and him has been a crucial factor in Rahat's life. Rahat
spent twelve years (from 1985 to 1997) touring with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. "Not
only was he my grand-uncle, but also my best friend and teacher. I learnt from
him, from day one until the end of his life. We shared a beautiful and
unforgettable relationship, which I will always cherish”.
But, Rahat’s music is more of a
mission. “Sufism promotes love and brotherhood. Saints have been
propagating this message to the whole world, since time immemorial, which we
translate and present in the form of Qawwali. It doesn’t require modern
instrumentation nor does it require appreciation or popularity. The message,
itself, is sincere and integral”. For
Rahat, music is an austere practice; a near religion. "I wake up around
6 in the morning every day, and do ‘riaz’ (vocal training) for five or six
hours. Qawwali is more a form of prayer, than a form of music. It is a way of
advocating a philosophy to the world, through phrases and poetry, through
devotional music".
Rahat does not
feel that being a successor to Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan has hindered his
individual persona in any way. “We
come from a gharana (musical family). Nusrat Jee’s father was his major
influence. There’s always a different path to reach your final destination.
You may call it impersonating your ‘ustaad’ (teacher), or establishing your
own style. It
is, undoubtedly, an honor for me to be his successor and I am proud to be
propagating his message. No one is, or ever can be like him. His voice and his
magic can never be recreated. I am only doing my duty as his student. I have my
own vocal sound and my own style. I learned from him, and he expected me to be a
different singer. I’m sure people will understand this when they listen to
me".
Rahat can never forget his performance
at Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s shrine in Lahore, Pakistan in the spring of 1998,
immediately after his death, touted to be the largest festival in South Asia. He was the
youngest qawwali singer present in the 3-day festival and more than 200,000
people attended the all-night performance. “Now, we have the ceremony in
Los Angeles at the residence of Joseph Lazarro, every year on August 16th.
It is attended by several
directors, actors, actresses and musicians from around the world”. Rahat also performed at the
Shrine Auditorium in L.A. in 1998, for the "Dead Man Walking" benefit
concert, along with Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam), and did eleven successful concerts
in August 1999 at prestigious venues including Central Park (New York) and the
Hollywood Bowl.
How does one
catalog Rahat Fateh Ali Khan? A musical ambassador. An unassuming prodigy who
carries off a rich heritage with finesse. A performer par excellence. With
talent galore, the most evident factor about Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is his immense
respect for the legacy which he has been entrusted with. The undying passion is
visible in his eyes as he speaks about it with zeal. “Once you begin
listening to Qawwali music, it enters you slowly, fills up your senses and makes
you feel alive. My family carried the tradition for over 700 years. My mission
is to explore the world through Qawwali and to give the message of peace, love
and brotherhood to one and all. I think there should be no differences of race
and religion. This was the dream of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. This is my
dream now”.
“I am also very
interested in collaborating with other performers, as well as Western artists.
Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan teamed up with artists like Peter Gabriel, Pearl Jam, Massive
Attack, A. R. Rehman, Philip Glass, and Patti Smith. I will definitely do it in the near future . I feel that this
music is my duty, to go and give the message of Sufism. My sole ambition in life
is that one day I will fulfill the desire of Nusrat Jee to give this message to
the world".
Rahat eagerly
looks forward to his forthcoming concert, entitled “A Tribute to the Legend,
Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan”, in Dubai on July 5th, 2002 at the
Crystal Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency. A musical evening with Rahat Fateh Ali
Khan is a marriage of the traditional and the contemporary.
More than a dozen musicians and back-up vocalists join Rahat in the
generation of a unique musical symphony, which utilizes modern instruments but
maintains the fervent authenticity of the Qawwali culture. Harmoniums and
ethno-percussion form the backdrop, as Rahat and his team take you on a
meditative and soulful voyage, wrought with ecstatic poetry and charged
emotions. Human impulses are fashioned through this mesmerizing ‘vocal
ballet’, in an overall uplifting experience.