Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Classical -

In standard Qawwali, the poetry is supreme. In classical Khayal, the Sargam is used to demonstrate speed and clarity. Nusrat merged the two. During a live performance in London (1985), he engaged in a Sargam battle with his own chorus. The speed at which he articulated "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni" was bullet-fast, with the clarity of a sitar.

Listen with headphones. Listen to the spaces between the notes. That is where Nusrat becomes a classicist. nusrat fateh ali khan classical

Nusrat is one of the few Qawwals to successfully perform a pure Tappa. In the recording Raga Tilak Kamod , he launches into a Tappa passage that sounds like a cascading waterfall of glass beads. The jumps are wider than an octave; the speed is relentless. This is the sound of a man who could have been a court musician in the Mughal era but chose to take it to the masses instead. If you compare Nusrat to a vocalist from the Jaipur Gharana (which is very rigid and geometric), the Patiala flavor is "spicy." The Patiala Gharana relies heavily on Bol (words) and Bol Taan (rhythmic melodic runs using nonsense syllables). In standard Qawwali, the poetry is supreme

In Islamic Sufi thought, Sama (listening to music) is a path to Wajad (ecstatic trance). Nusrat realized that the faster and more complex the classical ornamentation ( Gamak, Andolan, Meend ), the faster the audience would enter that trance. During a live performance in London (1985), he

When the name Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is uttered, the immediate association for most listeners is the ecstatic, hand-clapping, whirlwind force of Qawwali. Tracks like Allah Hoo , Dum Mast Qalandar , and Dam Mast Qalandar have become anthems of spiritual euphoria, while his collaborations with Peter Gabriel and Eddie Vedder introduced his voice to Western rock audiences.