Beautiful Hamd and Naat by the Greatest Qawwal NFAK – Letter from Wazir Dayers

Dear Brother W

This evening I’ve been listening to the superb Hamd and Naat that Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Sahib sang in Paris in March 1988: “Ya Hayyu, Ya Qayyum” and “Ya Mustafa, Noor-ul-Huda, Sani Tera Koi Nahin” respectively.

Both tracks remain real old gems and I believe that Ya Hayyu, Ya Qayyum even featured in the Microsoft Encarta Encyclopaedia as the ‘demo’ of Qawwali genre of music from Pakistan.

Both remain what I will call a ‘textbook Qawwalis’ and with the signature style of Nusrat Fateh Ali, it is a must listen for any fan of Sufi music. It is amazing to see that he was one of those talented singers whose voice in live concerts sounded as good as his voice in the studio. 

It will be unfair to give the credit to his Qawwali band [called humnava in Urdu]. Ustad Khurram Fateh Ali Khan was a exceptional singer himself and with backing vocals of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan [now an Ustad himself and Nusrat Sahib’s successor], the entire band was full of masters of Qawwali and Sufiana Kalam genre music.

It is no coincidence that when so many artists have faded into obscurity over the years, the popularity of NFAK songs has only increased over time.

 

 

 

 

Also, I saw the last entry on the blog of TheSufi.com, about “Heer Ranjha”, and it reminded me of a marvellous rendition of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Sahib of “Ni Main Jana Jogi De Naal” during his concert in Paris in March 1988. I’m sending this qawwali to you and hope that it will warm your heart as much as Begum Abida Parveen’s kalaam warmed mine.

 

 

Wishing you all the very best,

 

Wazir