KARACHI: Music lovers including traditional Qawwali lovers are observing the 24th death anniversary of legendary singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Born on 13th October 1948 in Faisalabad, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was not only famous in Pakistan but also in the rest of the world. He sang mostly in the Islamic devotional style known as Qawwali. He passed away at the age of 48, had become one of the world’s most outstanding vocalists.
The young man began by learning the tabla before moving on to vocals in 1964. His father died, leaving his musical education under the supervision of his paternal uncles, Mubarak Ali Khan and Salamat Ali Khan.
Read more: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: An unforgettable voice in the world of music
Nusrat was known as Pervaiz until he visited Ghulam Ghaus Samdani who changed his name to Nusrat Fateh Ali. After impressed Khan’s learning skills Samdani also told him that he would become a great singer in the future.
In 1971, after the death of his uncle Mubarak Ali Khan, Khan became the official leader of the family Qawwali party and the party became known as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mujahid Mubarak Ali Khan & Party.
Nusrat Fateh’s songs are still alive among his fans and also youngsters, and have defined the art-form of Qawwali for the generations to come. Most of his fans belong to Pakistan and India, where he sang several songs for movies and music albums.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Nusrat Fateh Ali holds the world record for the largest recorded output by a Qawwali artist – a total of 125 albums as of 2001.
