Pakistan’s marks Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s famed Qawaal 74th birthday

LAHORE-Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan celebrated his 74th birthday on Thursday.

Nusrat Fateh Ali was commonly referred to as Shahenshah-e-Qawwal. He was born on October 13, 1948, in Faisalabad. In Pakistan, he was a forerunner of fusion music.

The first musician to combine eastern and western musical influences was Ustad Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan. He brought his Qawali customs to a global audience.

Shahen shah:

His name is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for having released 125 albums in total, which is the most by a Qawwali performer.

Qalandar Dum mast, Greetings, Kudos! Tommy dillagi bhooljani page, Kasy da yar na bichry Hon gy km Jany kb, Some of the King of Qawal’s masterworks are Tera in Pakistan.

He received the Pride of Performance award from the Pakistani government for his work promoting music.

At the UK Asian Music Awards in 2005, Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan was presented with the Legends award and the UNESCO Music Prize.

He died of lungs cancer in 1997:

Khan was overweight in his later years; various reports stated that he weighed over 137 kilograms (300 pounds). He had been seriously ill for several months, according to a spokesperson at his U.S. label, American Recordings.

After traveling to London from his native Pakistan for treatment for liver and kidney problems, he was rushed from the airport to Cromwell Hospital in London.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan died of a sudden cardiac arrest at Cromwell Hospital on 16 August 1997, aged 48. His body was repatriated to Faisalabad, and his funeral was a public affair.

His wife, Naheed Nusrat, moved after the death of her husband to Canada, where she died on 13 September 2013 in Mississauga, Ontario. Khan’s musical legacy is now carried forward by his nephews, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Rizwan-Muazzam.