Top 10 songs by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
King of Qawwali
We are talking about top 10 tracks of The Qawwal who:
- Composed more than 200 albums despite living a short life.
- Had an unbelievable vocal frequency that actually flustered the studio recording artists as they had to re-tune their machines to captures his exceptional vocal range.
- Raised the genre of Qawwali from India and Pakistan to lands as far as Hollywood, Japan and Russia. For the first time, Sufi Music joined the world stage as a proper music genre.
Here is my Top 10, two tracks each from a particular genre:
- Sufiana Kalam
Nusrat Sahib raised singing of Kalam of Bulleh Shah to an unprecedented level, whether it is Baba Bulleh Shah’s famous Mera Piya Ghar Aya or the amazing Gal Ek Nukte Wich Mukdi Hai.
10. Mann Atkeya Beparwa De Naal – Kalam Shah Hussain (9:30)
9. Mera Piya Ghar Aaya Kalam Baba Bulleh Shah
- Manqabat
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan had great respect for Hazrat Imam Hussain R.A. and Hazrat Ali R.A. , which is evident from his evergreen Qawwali such as Ali Maula Ali Maula Ali Dam Dam, Ali Da Malang etc. Below two remain alltime favourites.
8. Ali Maula Ali Maula Ali Dam Dam (7:44)
7. Dam Mast Qalandar Mast Mast [Original Version]
- Ghazals
Besides Sufi Music, Nusrat Fateh was equally adept at Ghazals, many of which had Sufiana Rang also. There are 2 such ghazals that still remain as fresh as always:
6. Yeh Jo Halka Halka Saroor [Full Version]
5. Tumhein Dillagi Bhool Jaani Paregi
- Hamd
Hamd Bariya Taala or Praise of Allah Almighty is a genre of poetry in which Urdu and Punjabi excelled. Nusrat Fateh performed few Hamd Kalam but showed his exceptional versatility in then too.
4. Khudi Ka Sare Nihan, La Ilaha Illalah (18:06) – Kalam of Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal
3. Meri Tauba
- Punjabi Love Songs
Nusrat Sahib performed so many amazing Punjabi Love Songs, but these 2 have legendary status:
2. Sano Ek Pal Chain Naa Aaway [Live Sessions]
1. Mere Rashke-e-Qamar – Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan [Original Version]
There is so much to write but I conclude saying that Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s untimely death left a vacuum that is hard to fill. There are many qawwal who imitate him however, the genius compositions of Nusrat Sahib is something we still miss as all these artists keep remixing the same tunes again and again that NFAK once composed.
