Video: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan pays homage to Ustad Nusrat with ‘Sanson Ki Mala’ remake

Noted Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Friday released cover of one of the most famous qawwalis ‘Sanson Ki Mala’ of his great uncle, the late global artist Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

“Sanson Ki Mala (is) a qawwali very close to my heart and this time, it has been presented as a fusion track, conceptualised by Salman Ahmed,” Rahat said. “I dedicate the release to my mentor Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and my father Ustad Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan. The video of the song is unique, with its locations and the entire feel mesmerising.”

The video for the track has been shot in Pakistan and also has glimpses of Rahat performing as a child next to the maestro himself. We also see a few portraits of the iconic Nusrat herein, performing and completely in his element. The rendition is by Sufiscore.

This, however, isn’t the first time Rahat has made a remake of Nusrat’s work. Earlier, in an interview with BBC Urdu, the Teri Meri crooner talked about remakes, adding how he doesn’t want his versions to be compared to the originals sung by his late uncle. According to Rahat, the comparison is barely justified since his songs are usually tailored for films.

“The originals have a beautiful trance to them and you can’t match that. I have to adapt these songs to a Bollywood style,” he had explained. He was also asked what he thinks of the music coming out of India and Pakistan today and did not hesitate before stating tersely that much work needs to be done in this regard. “I thought music was headed in the right direction but there’s quite a bit of work to be done,” he said.

Rahat elaborated on his stance further by explaining that songs need to be something people remember and that he doesn’t consider something that goes over one’s head like a song, including some of his own. “I want to add that whatever I perform and whatever that I am, is all thanks to my uncle. No one has contributed to the music industry the way my uncle has,” he said.

“I started learning music from Nusrat when I was six. I would wait for him to give me the cue to start singing. He noticed that I was very keen on it all the time and so, enjoyed training me as well.”

Rahat went on, “For 25 years, Nusrat created a stage in his house to celebrate his father’s death anniversary. And every year, he would sing variations of ragas. He would improvise on these in front of other maestros.”