Anticipating the 10-year anniversary of qawwali vocal legend Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's death on Aug. 16, San Francisco label Six Degrees recently released the Pakistani giant's latest dub-laced collaboration, with London producer-composer Gaudi, Dub Qawwali. Get a listen here to the opening track, "Bethe Bethe Kese Kese":
Meanwhile, here's more on the project from Six Degrees:
"Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was and is still very much considered to be one of the greatest Qawwals (singer of qawwali music) in the world. Not only recognized as a legend in his native Pakistan he also took his
musical messages of peace, love, and spirituality to the international stage, earning him the title of Pakistan’s premier ambassador of Qawwali music. The origins ofthe genre trace back over 700 years to the spiritual Samah songs of Persia and the mystical faith of Sufism.
"Nusrat’s music is not only hugely revered in the devotional lives of Indo-Pakistani communities around the world, but from their spiritual roots his songs have also entered the secular world. The enormous Bollywood film industry has seen scenes set to the music of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan become an established element of any big production.
While in the west, audiences were introduced to the power of Nusrat’s music through collaborations with Eddie Vedder and Tim Robbins on the soundtrack for Dead Man Walking and with Peter Gabriel in Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ.
"Dubbed by many as the "Elvis of the East" and the "Bob Marley of Pakistan" these titles are not without foundation. Some have claimed he has sold more albums than Elvis, and he has reached as many hearts and souls and crossed as many cultural and spiritual boarders as Bob Marley with his unique mix of poetic eastern spiritual and western musical themes.
"This inspiring tribute to a legend of our time has been created by highly regarded London based producer and composer Gaudi, himself no stranger to crossing boundaries and forging links using the music of the world. Included in his impressive discography is the soundtrack for Hanif Kureishi’s hit play My Beautiful Laundrette - a soundtrack richly woven with the cultural traditions of Pakistani music. His bestselling 2004 release, Bass, Sweat & Tears (Interchill), skilfully unites many ancient and culturally diverse musical styles with beats and bass in an inspiring musical exploration of our planet.
"Using recently discovered and rare vocal parts, recorded during sessions in Pakistan in the late '60s & early '70s, Gaudi has sensitively created a set of completely new tracks, crafted around Nusrat’s uniquely beautiful melodies and universal themes of spirituality, peace and love."
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Comments (1)
This is one of the top world music albums that I have heard in a long time ... there are so many `world fusion' projects out there and so many of them fall short of the mark... Dub Qawwali has most definitely exceeded expectation for me... not only is it musically beautiful but also original in it's combining of old and new, east and west, sacred and secular... not a project to be undertaken by the faint hearted but an album that can be enjoyed by anyone.
To make this album Gaudi was given access to rare and unreleased vocal recordings of `The Emperor of Qawwali' Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan from the 60's and 70's by Khan's former record label Rehmat Gramophone. With them he has created, in my opinion, something really very special. What struck me first about this production is the seamless integration of old vocals and brand new musical composition... it sounds as if the tracks were voiced yesterday by Nusrat specifically for the project, not 35 years ago on the other side of the world for another purpose. This for me is a testament not only to Gaudi's skill as a producer but also to his musical sensitivity and respect for the work of this great Qawwal.
Sceptics of this project needn't be... what may be required is a little lateral thinking ... the spiritual cultures of Sufism and Rastafarianism may not immediately seem to be natural partners, most obviously in the musical manifestation of their beliefs... however at closer inspection I believe there is a strong commonality..
...The reaching of spiritual highs and ecstatic states through musical expressions of peace, love, tolerance and the celebration of a greater guiding force is most certainly common to both ...even if the tempo and instrumentation is different... To explore this in music is not only courageous but requires a sensitivity and respect for both cultures that I believe is 100% present in Dub Qawwali.
10/10
Posted by The Groove Reviewer | August 20, 2007 12:48 PM