Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Biography

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Called “Shahen-Shah-e-Qawwali” (The Brightest Star in Qawwali), Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a world music superstar and the foremost artist of qawwali (a quick, rhythmic form of music used in Islamic religious ceremonies). He made his first recording in Pakistan in 1973 and in the following twenty years released more than fifty albums—much of them, alas, remixed dreck. Despite his overexposure, a few albums stand out, including Mustt Mustt (1990) and Devotional Songs (1992). He has contributed to numerous movie soundtracks, including Bandit Queen (1994) and Dead Man Walking (1995).