Chain of Light

His voice was unmistakable and this release is among my most treasured LPs.

Having attended one of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's concerts decades ago, and owning his many other releases on Realworld, this archival discovery was as wonderful as expected. I have heard qawwali elsewhere, locally and in India, but Ali Khan's ensemble was special, more dynamic, more uplifting. The strength of his voice is key along with the crisp, sparkling chorus, who clap and play the tabla drum. Package notes have the English translations of the devotional Sufi ghazals performed in Urdu, Punjabi, and Persian. But in Sufism, the words are lesser importance than the act of singing, breathing, moving — the music itself, the entrainment of repetition. [Put yourself as part of the Party, not the cantor. The distinction is between sama'a listening and dikhr, acting/remembering/joining; also see the music writings of Hazrat Inayat Khan.] Of special interest is the poem Ya Gaus Ya Meeran with its changing rhythms and pattern of phrasing. The album title is from this ghazal (Every breath of mine is related to his chain of light). Lately, explorers of music archives of unreleased material have brought forth gems in jazz (Sonny Rollins, Cal Tjader, for instance). Many thanks to the restoration crew who found and processed the tapes. This exciting release will bring joy.

Simply put, I needed something that exemplified Nusrat's capabilities. To those that did previous reviews, let me know the other albums I should listen to. Of course I know Real World but if there other recordings out there I should listen, hit me up!

This is an extraordinary album. Even if you have many of his CDs, this one will shock and surprise you. His voice is like a shooting star from another realm, especially comparing with ordinary though harmonious voices of the choir. When he enters the song, you feel like you physically begin to levitate and leave the physical reality. Then the choir enters and you are back on Earth. Then he enters again and you crave the new ascension, which follows. And it happens many times through the song. Choir recitatives give you time to breath and recover from highest peaks. No one ever was able to connect with Divine so unequivocally and share his gift with us, the mortals.