Close friends and family, including Pakistan’s leading music artist, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, nephew of internationally acclaimed music legend Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan gathered to commemorate the 16th death anniversary of the Pakistani icon through tributes to his memory.
As per yearly tradition, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan visited his Uncle’s final resting place to pay his respects, renew the grave’s ceremonial shroud and offer a few verses of qawwali as a tribute to his mentor.
Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan had achieved prominence through his extraordinary range of vocal abilities and his unrelenting intensity which took the music world by storm. The Pakistani Sufi maestro had also been embraced by the international music industry, performing with Peter Gabriel, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Michael Brook and many others before his untimely demise in 1997.
Speaking about the memory of his Uncle, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan said, “It’s been 16 long years since my Ustad and Uncle departed this world for the hereafter. We, his family, still find it difficult to get over his loss and his absence is still felt profoundly to this day.
For me, he was not just my dear Uncle, but he was a role model, a mentor, a teacher and a close friend. He taught me the art of classical music and showed me how to master the lyrical intricacies of the qawwali. His timeless legacy still endures and his music still resonates as strongly today as it did half a century ago. He has left a void in our hearts which is impossible to fill, but we will always cherish his vitality and his indelible impact on our lives.”
