Today’s
Enlightening Entertainment
will be presented
in Urdu and English,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Indonesian, Italian,
Japanese, Korean,
Malay, Mongolian,
Persian, Portuguese,
Russian, Spanish,
Urdu and Thai.
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
Pakistani classical singer
Rahat Nusrat Fateh
Ali Khan
is known to millions
around the world.
He was born in Faisalabad,
Pakistan to a great family
of musicians.
Mr. Rahat Nusrat Fateh
Ali Khan is the son of
the esteemed singer
Mr. Farroukh Fateh Ali
Khan and the nephew
of the legendary
qawwali singer Ustad
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Holding the world record
for the most number
of albums in his genre,
Ustad Nusrat Fateh
Ali Khan was perhaps the
most celebrated qawwal,
or singer of qawwali,
of all time.
Personally trained
by his uncle,
Mr. Rahat Nusrat Fateh
Ali Khan began to sing
even as he was learning
how to speak, and joined
his uncle’s Sufi music
group at the age of 15.
The music tradition
has been preserved
only within the family,
with complete devotion.
My family has been
serving qawwali
from the last
400 hundred years.
We don’t except
as our teacher
out of family. We learn
from our own family,
Like before me,
Nusrat Fathe Ali Khan
has learned from his
father and he learned
from his ancestors,
likewise, I learned
from Master Nusrat
Fateh Ali Khan,
from my father too.
Supreme Master TV
had the pleasure to meet
Mr. Khan when he
recently gave a charity
concert in Singapore
to benefit the victims
of the devastating 2010
floods in Pakistan.
I admire the love
of the people and
I consider myself
a lucky person to be
a part of
Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali
Khan’s family,
and you people love
me very much –
love my voice.
Thank you so much.
I love his composing of
his music, and the choice
of his music, his voice.
And the lyrics of all his
music is very soothing,
and very beautifully
expressed actually.
I believe this is actually
his second show,
and we always fail
to get his ticket actually
because it’s always
fully booked.
When his uncle passed
on in the year1997,
Mr. Rahat Nusrat Fateh
Ali Khan took the name
of his uncle’s first name,
Nusrat,
in a traditional gesture
of honoring his master.
He thus became
the leader of Nusrat
Fateh Ali Khan’s group.
Ever since,
he has continued
the great tradition of
the mystical Sufi music
of qawwali, introducing
it to ever-wider audiences.
At the same time,
he has been gaining fame
rapidly for
his performances of
romantic ghazal music
and lighter songs.
Some of these have been
instant hits featured in
popular Bollywood films.
The heart has become
so sad,
I am scared of smiling.
We have lived our youth
in fear.
Now we are becoming
passionate in old age.
Mr. Rahat Nusrat Fateh
Ali Khan has toured
not only throughout
Pakistan, India,
and other parts of Asia,
but also in North
America and Europe.
He has also collaborated
with many distinguished
international artists,
including
Grammy-nominated
Canadian guitarist
Michael Brook and
the US-based
The Derek Trucks Band.
In 2010, he was honored
with the
“Best International Act”
at the UK Asian
Music Awards.
Audiences do not need to
understand the language
to feel the transcendental
vocals of Sufi music.
I want to say that
Pakistan is a country,
and it is in the world.
From Faisalabad,
Pakistan,
Ustad Nusrat Fateh
Ali Khan started singing
and he is renowned
in the whole world
as a Pakistani.
I would like that
the world gives us
the same identity as
Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali
Khan had given.
I am an ardent fan of Rahat,
and today I feel
really lucky to get this
opportunity to come
and see him in person.
I think it’s
a one-in-a-lifetime
opportunity for me.
I’m really looking
forward to spending
this evening with him
and even more to
hear him sing tomorrow.
He’s so thorough –
his voice, soulful singing.
Not just Ghazals,
but that Sufi feel,
that he connects to God –
instantly
touches your heart.
The music, his voice,
I just love the entire package.
It’s beautiful.
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
Qawwali is a message of
peace and brotherhood,
whether you convey
this way or that way.
And regarding qawwali,
qawwali fills my heart
and soul.
The word qawwali
comes from
the Arabic word qaol
which means “utterance”
or “credo,” referring to
the precious sayings
of the prophets.
A qawwal, or the one
who sings qawwali,
sings these teachings
of the wise prophets,
as well as praises of Allah.
During the performance,
the singer and the audience
are often lifted
to a blissful state of mind.
In fact,
the intention of qawwali
is for all involved to feel
in communion with God.
Actually,
Sufism is a poetry,
words written by Sufis,
and qawwals sing that
in their lyrics,
like the way
Hazrat Ameer Khusru
presented the qawwali.
And those who present
according to that,
we call Tha Sufi Sangat,
and there is no
book for that.
He uses his message to
spread love and peace.
So Mr. Khan comes from
that tradition of families
where that work
has been passed
from generations
to generations.
Like he said, there is
no book that he has,
it’s in his blood.
So when he speaks,
he speaks from
his blood and his heart.
So it’s all here.
So that is the message.
And the other point that
he was trying to make
was in this world,
there is real need for
this message to be passed
across and that’s
the message he passes
through his music to fans
all over the world.
A group of
qawwali musicians is
called Humnawa in Urdu.
Typically, a lead singer
is surrounded by
one or two side singers,
and five or four
other musicians.
There are
one or two harmoniums,
which may be
played by a singer, and
percussion instruments.
As an ambassador
of a deep spiritual
music tradition,
Mr. Rahat Fateh Ali
Khan shares a message
of universal peace
and goodwill
wherever he goes.
In October 2010,
he sang for the occasion
of the 19th
Commonwealth Games
at the Wagah border
between
Pakistan and India.
The Commonwealth Games
were hosted in Delhi,
India and brought
together over 6,000
athletes from 71 nations
and regions.
Mr. Khan is a very good
example of music and
peace, sort of a vision
of India and Pakistan
and across the world.
So Mr. Khan,
we have a question
for you in this regard.
You have a good
reputation in India.
People love you a lot,
so would you like to say
something in this regard?
First of all,
I am happy to see
That be it America
or Europe,
Indians and Pakistanis
always work together
in harmony.
I feel very good
when I see this.
The paths between
the hearts are formed.
And people are getting
to know each other. . .
Pakistani people like
the artists of India,
and Indian people like
Pakistani singers.
So this is a very good
task which is beneficial
for both countries.
In addition to his
prolific production
of original albums,
Mr. Khan has also sung
for countless film
soundtracks, both
Pakistani and Indian.
Also, Mr. Khan appeared
as a judge on the reality
show “Chhote Ustaad”
which aired on
STAR Plus in India
and Geo Entertainment
Television in Pakistan.
Beyond promoting
greater peace and
friendship between
India and Pakistan
through his art, Mr. Khan
has also collaborated in
American film projects.
He contributed to
the soundtrack of several
Hollywood films such as
the 1995
“Dead Man Walking,”
and the 2002 film
“Four Feathers.”
His vocals have also been
featured in US director
and actor
Mr. Mel Gibson’s 2006
film “Apocalypto.”
Today, Mr. Khan’s
melodious songs for
Bollywood are among
his most cherished
and widely popular
accomplishments.
I really like his non-
classical music actually.
Being an ardent
Bollywood fan, I,
generally I prefer his
music that has been sung
in the latest Bollywood,
in the latest Bollywood songs,
so in movies like
“Dabaang,”
like “Once Upon a Time
in Mumbaai,”
and “My Name is Khan,”
and several other movies,
as well.
At least these
three movies
have been really big hits
in Bollywood this year.
I want to congratulate you
and say that
may you ever keep
singing like that and
we are grateful to you
that you came to
Bollywood and sang
for us and changed
the mode of singing.
Thank you very much.
Please give us a message
and to the people
of Pakistan and to
the future generations.
I would like to say that
we work as a team
outside our countries.
Pakistanis and Indians
always work in a group,
we should also do this
in our own countries,
with love, and harmony.
The heart has become
so sad,
I am afraid of smiling.
We have lived our youth
in fear.
Now we are becoming
so amorous in old age.
When my heart beats
it feels like
he’s coming and
he will see me.
My heart can feel the love.
Oh why is the time
not passing,
Why do these moments
remain in my vision?
I am afraid of
telling myself the truth,
That my heart is till childish,
It is still immature.
My heart is still childish,
It is still immature.
My name is Deepak,
I am your fan.
And I would request you
to please
Sing Rag marwa for us
for five minutes.
Sure, you like it?
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
O Allah. . .
Whether praising Allah
from the deep reaches
of his soul,
or interpreting love songs
for drama or film,
Mr. Khan always touches
his listeners, across
borders and cultures.
For your dedication
to the beautiful
Sufi qawwali and
the art of music itself,
we thank and admire
Mr. Rahat Nusrat Fateh
Ali Khan.
Wishing you
continued success as you
encourage the world
to cooperate
with one another
and to be spiritual.
Thank you for joining us
for Enlightening
Entertainment.
Coming up next is
Words of Wisdom,
after Noteworthy News,
here on
Supreme Master Television.
Heaven bless
and farewell for now.