Qawwali

Nusrat’s father Fateh Ali Khan was diagnosed with throat cancer and died in March 1964, just when Nusrat was appearing for his school-leaving exam. Shortly before his death, one of Nusrat’s sisters, Kaniz Fatima, recalls an intense moment: ‘When our father was going to leave us forever, he called us all around him and asked us to

From very early on, Nusrat was deeply interested in everything related to music. In secret, he followed the classes when his father was teaching some of his students, absorbing and storing away all the knowledge he could, even trying to play the harmonium when his father was out of earshot. One day, while Nusrat was engrossed in his

On 13 October 1948, a baby boy was born to Fateh Ali Khan’s family—Pervez Fateh Ali Khan, also known by his nickname, Paiji. He was the first boy, born after four girls, which made him the centre of attention and everybody’s darling. His birth was celebrated with great ceremony. Many reputed musicians, like Bade Ghulam