My songs shouldn't be compared to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's songs: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

The singer shared his thoughts on music, Coke Studio and his own remakes

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan recently sat down for a chat with BBC Asian Network’s Haroon Rashid and talked about many things, including his sell-out UK tour and Coke Studio, the quality of which, he feels, has dwindled over the years.

“The earlier Coke Studio seasons that Rohail Hyatt was producing were very good. After that, it was good but it became worse over time,” said the iconic singer, when asked about his hits from the show. Rahat patted his own shoulder, saying that he did well on songs like Afreen Afreen, but seemed unsure of the song selection in later seasons. “I did well, but I was going to do well, regardless. I’m not talking about myself but the overall show. We have to perform well, but some things happen that are wrong. They went wrong with the song selection,” he explained.

"You can't match that" - @RFAKWorld says his version of Mere Rashke Qamar and Nit Khair Manga are not comparable to his uncle's originals. He also speaks to @iharoonrashid about his relationship with @cokestudio. pic.twitter.com/p5WoIvMqYM

— BBC Asian Network (@bbcasiannetwork) November 4, 2019

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Rahat admitted he wasn’t fit to perform Junoon’s Sayonee back in 2017 but was given the song regardless. Needless to say, it was criticized heavily for ruining the original.

Talking about remakes, qawwali maestro also talked about how he doesn’t want his versions to be compared to the originals sung by his late uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. According to Rahat, the comparison is barely justified since his song 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 shared.

Talking about his recent remakes of classics like Mere Rashke Qamar and Nit Khair Manga, and the criticism that they received, Rahat clarified that it shouldn’t matter because these are ghazals, not traditional songs, and it’s imperative to understand them. “We have to understand the words. What is rashke qamar? Some people think of it as kamar, as in waist. No, it means moon, and Nit Khair Manga is just a love song.”



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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. “I thought music was headed in the right direction but there’s quite a bit of work to be done.”

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 as a song, including some of his own.

The Jiya Dhadak Dhadak hit maker has just wrapped up performing for over 200,000 people in the UK. He has also performed Dam Mastam recently for Coke Studio Season 12.

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