Search - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan :: Day Night Dawn Dusk

Simplest, Sweetest and Beautiful One

Zahra | 06/29/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was my first CD that I bought 7-8 years back. And I love it like anything. From the beginning till the end, I am captivated by the exhiliration. It's one those selections where you have only three numbers, but they are equivalent to 10. It is a beautiful CD overall.~1. Yeh Jo Halka Halka: The dhol(drum beat), the articulation, the verses are so poignant that one has to stop oneself and pay respect to the qawwal by careful listening and not letting it go. A beautiful number. The lyrics are very romantic and very sweet. I will highly recommend this qawwali.2. Mera Piya Ghar Aaya: The beginning of this song is something that really touches my heart. There are two versions of this song and one can find it in another CD as well, but that's a remix version. This is the orginal and master-piece. This in fact takes you back to the beautiful festivity days. 3. Ni Main Jana Jogi De I love this qaawali, for various reasons. This is one of those unique numbers where the late qawwal has added all his best qaawalis in one. By the time, you reach the end, you would have covered; Akheeyaan Udeek Daan Ajaa Taenoo Akheeyaan Udeek Deeyaan and Loyae' Loyae' Aja Mahi. This is an amazing qawwali and has a rocking beat! It is pretty long. I think about 15-17 minutes. But worth it! I simply love this CD. This is the simplest, sweetest and above all...beautiful one!"

A Perpetual State of Slight Intoxication

Christopher Forbes | Brooklyn,, NY | 09/30/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At the time of his death, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was poised to become as big in international circles as Ravi Shankar had in the 60s. Possessed of a voice of almost physical power and a deep spirituality, Ali Khan was the voice of the Sufi qawwali tradition in the west, and appeared on albums by Peter Gabriel and one the sound track of movies such as the Last Temptation of Christ and Dead Man Walking. Seeing Nusrat live, which I had the good fortune to do, was uplifting. He was tremendously charismatic in the way that only a man totally in love with God can be.Qawwali is a form of Sufi music originating on the Indian subcontinent and particularly associated with Pakistahn. The words of the songs are usually devotional, or deal with passionate love. In fact, the line between the devotional and the erotic is one that is easily crossed in Sufism...the song to the beloved becomes the song to the Beloved and visa versa. The instrumentation of qawwali is unique. Two groups of vocalists sing snatches of melody, echoing each other, with ecstatic vocal improvisations interspersed. All this is accompanied by a drone, a harmonium which imitates the vocal lines, including the improvisation, simple tabla patterns and hand claps. The structure of the music is relatively similar. Sometimes there's a short warm-up out of tempo, much like in Indian raga though without the lengthy improvisation. Then a short melody is introduced over a moderate tempo. As the piece builds, more melodic material is added and the tempo increases incrementally. The over all effect is curiously similar to the rev-up sections of African-American gospel music. This particularly CD is one of the best I've heard by Nusrat. It consists of just three qawwalis, two lengthy ones separated by a shorter selection. All three lyrics are love songs, but with typical Sufi euphemisms for spiritual searching, such as intoxication, wine and the return of the Lover. If one gets the feeling that these are just erotic songs by reading the texts, a quick listen will dispel that notion. This CD is packed with all the yearning, love and desire for God that could be found in music. Ali Khan is an absolute master in this music, controlling the build up through his powerful improvisations and sincere conviction. For anyone wishing to learn about this great master, this CD is a terrific starting point, better than the more readily available Real World CD, worthy as that one is. Nusrat died too young. His music was powerful enough to really make a difference in people's lives. I know it has in mine. This is music to treasure."