Legendary qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is being remembered on his 21st death anniversary.
Nusrat was born on October 13, 1948 in Faisalabad and hailed from a family of qawwals.
The great musical legend had his first public performance at the age of 16, at his father's chehlum and went on to gather world renown with his unmatched voice and musical credentials.
Popularly known as Shahenshah-e-Qawwali meaning 'The King of Qawwali', Nusrat is widely credited with introducing qawwali music to international audiences.
The government of Pakistan bestowed Pride of Performance on the legendary singer in 1987 for his contribution to Pakistani music.
He was also honored with the prestigious UNESCO Music Prize.
During his lifetime, Nusrat collaborated with several foreign artists, including Eddie Vedder, Peter Gabriel, Jeff Buckley, Michael Brook. He was also included in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Most of Nusrat’s songs including, Allah Hoo Allah Hoo and Yeh Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai have been remixed and produced again. However, his vocals remain unmatched. His massive hit Dam Mast Dam Mast Qalandar became household anthems.
The king of qawwali died at the age of 48 on August 16, 1997 leaving a legacy of over 125 albums.
