Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is seen during a concert in New Delhi November 30, 2006. Khan loves performing in India and says he perhaps receives a warmer welcome there than anywhere else in the world. Photo Credit: REUTERS/StringerBy Palash Kumar
NEW DELHI (Reuters Life!) - Renowned Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan loves performing in India and says he perhaps receives a warmer welcome there than anywhere else in the world.
Strange, given the bitter rivalry between the two South Asian neighbours. But such is the world of Khan's music, which draws on the ancient musical traditions of the subcontinent.
To the sound of the "tabla", Khan weaves and wails verses in praise of Allah in his baritone, as he renders the "qawwali", or Islamic devotional song.
Heir to the legacy of his uncle, the legendary "qawwali" singer Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, alongside whom he performed for many years, Rahat spoke to Reuters in New Delhi on Thursday ahead of his latest performance in India.
Q: What are your first memories related to "qawwali"?
A: "Mr. Khan initiated me into it when I was seven years old. On that day, I remember Mr. Khan was rehearsing, I listened to him with a child's curiosity and wondered what was happening. I went inside the music room and sat next to him and he told me to start singing and I started singing."
Q: You performed at a very young age, how did it feel?
A: "I didn't know what I was doing. I was doing what was told to me. I was told not to move. Many big singers were there. Mr. Khan really appreciated me, saying 'Son, whatever you have done in your limits, you have done it really well'."
Q: Do you miss Nusrat sometimes, some memories when you are singing and you feel like missing him"
A: "Sometimes when I am singing and I don't understand something, I wonder, who should I ask? I miss him then."
Q: Your new album to be released soon will fuse traditional techniques with electronic music. Is this the first time you have done this?
A. "Yes, but I have not let go the real element of qawwali. I have maintained that. It's called 'Charkha' (wheel) ... It (fusion) is already becoming popular."
Q: How much do you practise?
A: "Sometimes I practise through the night until 6 a.m. The day is too short to practise."
Q: Where does "qawwali" stand in world music?
A: "Qawwali has its own place. It can never go because there is no music like qawwali. Rock music came out of blues ... but qawwali is qawwali. A hundred years ago it was qawwali and 1,000 years later too, it would be qawwali."
Q: Do you think you can achieve the cult status of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan? Is it a challenge for you?
A: "No, I have not accepted this challenge because he is Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. No one can reach that height. I will perform my duty. If I get a chance and life gives me an opportunity, I will reach there."