Body and Soul

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Released 14 October 2001

  1. Mayey Nee Main Dhak Farid Dey Jana / Mother, I Have To Go To Farid
  2. Mahya Pardesi Hogiya / My Love Has Become A Stranger
  3. Barsoon Kay Intizar Ka / Waiting For Years
  4. Tasbeh Dei Ik Ik Dhaneh / Each And Every Rosary Bead

Liner notes

Sufism, Islamic mysticism, is in essence a message of love. The metaphor of love, lover and the beloved was developed so intensely by Sufism that its metaphoric significance was and is sometimes mistaken for wanton sexuality.

Key to sufism is the concept of disciple and master, the master being belover. However, it is important to note that the beloved is an embodiment of a spirtitual beloved entirely beyond physical form.

Of all the Sufi orders that played a part in popularising the message of love in the Indian sub-continent, the most significant was the Chisti order which had its origins in the village of Chist in North Eastern Iran.

At the end of the 12th century Moinuddin Hasan Chisti established the order in India. His Tomb in Ajmeer, today in India, is a famous centre of pilgrimage for muslims, Hindu, Sikhs and Christians. Moinuddin’s disciple was Outbuddin Bakhtiyar, who in turn was the master of farid Uddin Masud, known as Baba Farid Ganj-I-Shakar. Through his many disciples Baba Farid was responsible for the spread of the order of different parts of India.

A central motif in Sufi songs is the image of the seperated beloved. Of the four songs on this rcording only one is a devotional praise song. ‘Mayey Nee Main Dhak Farid Dey Jana (Mother, I have to go to Farid)’, dedicated to Baba Farid; the others take the form of love songs. Usually evening is the time for lovers’ trysts. It is not uncommon practise that the writer of a song signs it by mentioning his own name in a lyric. Often the singer takes on the persona of a young woman who yearns to be united with her male beloved.

Undoubtedly in recent times, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan through his music was the most significant bearer of the Sufi message of love.

Reviews

  • This is the great Sufi devotional singer at his best, a set of completely traditional qawwali performances recorded on home ground in Pakistan...Apparently a great deal of audio restoration was necessary before the tapes were up to scratch, but the results are excellent: warm and listenable, with the drums nice and clear underneath...The high pitched melismata and endlessly inventive ornamentation tumble forth in a manner European music hasn't heard for many a century. The Wire (UK)
  • Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan produced a body of work that raised the profile of Sufiism and Qawwali songs to new heights of artistry and vocal dexterity. Live he was an awesome sight. There is no greater demonstration of the message of peace and love in Islam than to discover the spirituality inherent in Ali Khan's work. Piccadilly Records (UK)

Listen

Credits

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: lead vocals; Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan: vocals, harmonium; Irshad Ali: vocals, harmonium Rahat Ali Khan: vocals; Dildar Hussain: tabla; Asad Ali: chorus; Ilyas Hussain: chorus Naseef Ahmed: chorus Khaled Mehmood: chorus

All music composed by and directed by Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. All tracks published by WOMAD Music Ltd

Produced by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Recorded by Shahzaad Ahmed. Recorded at Sargam Studio, Lahore, Pakistan. Mixed at Millside Studio at Real World, Box, Wiltshire, UK. Mix engineer: Stuart Bruce.

A Real World Design. Graphic design and illustration by Tristan Manco. Photograph of Nusrat by Dave Peabody. Sleeve notes and lyric translations by Pervaiz Khan and Mahmood Hashmi.

Special thanks to Mrs Naheed Nusrat Khan, Mr Mohammad Ayub of Oriental Star and Usha Rajan (custodian and sole representative of the estate of Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan).

Further Listening

  • Mustt Mustt

    Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Michael Brook

    Released 12 November 1990

    The late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is today acknowledged as the great master of Qawwali who popularised this beautiful and inspirational music beyond Muslim peoples to a worldwide audience. Mustt Mustt is the first of two albums on which the singer collaborates with Canadian producer Michael Brook to place the music in a contemporary setting.
  • Dust to Gold

    Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

    Released 17 June 2000

    This posthumous release by the legendary Pakistani singer has been culled from unique archives discovered in Nusrat's hometown of Lahore. It is a traditional qawwali session of panegyrics (praise songs) in which Nusrat is accompanied by the complete party.

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