Nusrat

Shahenshah-e-Qawwali, NusratFateh Ali Khan’s voice gripped theimagination of people across the world.A man of deep simplicity, as well assomeone truly of his times, he singlehandedlymade qawwali a globalpassion. With hundreds of albums tohis credit, and millions of sales, Nusrathad an all-consuming mission: tospread the message of the Sufi poetsand mystics. In Pakistan and abroad,he reincarnated the ancient Suficulture, steeped in mysticism anddevotion, with a blazing modernity.This book is a personal accountof the great qawwal’s life byPierre-Alain Baud who had intimateaccess to Nusrat for over a decade.Baud, who was overcome with emotionwhen he heard Nusrat during hisvery first concerts in France in 1985,often travelled with the artiste andcontributed to organizing numerousshows for him all over the world andin Pakistan, until his untimely deathin 1997. This insightful account isreplete with anecdotes from thosetravels and enriched by conversationswith the great man’s friends, familyand collaborators.Nusrat is, in the author’s words,the result of ‘generous exchangesinterrupted by unexpected vocaldemonstrations, stunning silences,fiery looks and the magic of hispersonality, so close yet constantlyeluding us’.