Qawwali maestro Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s 22nd death anniversary is being observed today. Today, people fondly remember him as the man who gave life to Qawwali.
Hailing from a Patiala gharana, Khan carried forward his family’s 600-year-old Qawwali tradition and introduced it to international audiences. He died on August 16, 1997 but is still alive in the hearts of music lovers.
At the age of 16, the Pakistani maestro first performed publicly and now holds the Guinness Book of World Record for the largest recorded output by a Qawwali artist—a total of 125 albums as of 2001.
نصرت فتح علی خان صاحب کی آج 22 ویں برسی۔
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— Bakhabar Savera (@bakhabarsavera) August 16, 2019
From performing Qawwalis, ghazals and pop to collaborating with western artists, he is considered as one of the greatest voices ever recorded who left behind a legacy of evergreen Sufi songs.
He received recognition for his exceptional work as well in the form of accolades. Apart from being a Grammy nominee, he received UNESCO Music Prize and the ‘Legends’ award at the UK Asian Music Awards in 2005.
Known as Shahanshah-e-Qawwali (King of Qawwali), for his dedication to music, his most popular numbers include Afreen Afreen, Mere Rashke Qamar, Mera Piya Ghar Aaya, Ye Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai and Sanu Ik Pal Chain Na Aave.
