Year of Qawwali: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan to hold 100 shows across globe

KARACHI: Renowned Qawwal Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has gone back to roots and announced to hold 100 Qawwal mehfils [gatherings] across the globe.

The singer, who is the nephew of the Qawwal maestro Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, shared his plans to celebrate 2018 as the year of Qawwali at a press conference Monday night.

"I am basically a Qawwal and the poetry of the Sufi's runs in my veins. Qawwali is at the heart of our family traditions and my ancestors have worked hard to develop this genre of music and introduce it to the world.”

He added, “Qawwali and I are inseparable. It runs in my blood. Whatever I am performing, Qawwali is always at the heart of it. Qawwali gives me the unique edge in all the music that I do.”

Shedding some light on his uncle’s talent, Khan said: “The world of music has not seen a Qawwal that is parallel to Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He glorified the art of Qawwali and took the art of international audiences. He won many awards and accolades for his performances.”

The 100 concerts seek to pay a tribute to the lasting legacy of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The shows will be held in different countries such as US, Canada, UK, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Morocco, South Africa, Kenya, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

“2018 will be celebrated as the year of the Qawali,” shared PME's Salman Ahmed — the promoter of Rahat Fateh Ali's concert tours at the press conference. “The Qawalis of the famous poets and saints for the subcontinent will be brought back to life.”

Ahmed remarked that the listeners have been seeking good Qawwali for some time and it is popular across all age groups. He shared that veterans who have performed alongside Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan have also been roped in for the performances.

“We strive to bring back Qawali to its old galore through a series of 100 concerts around the world,” he said.