Guardian' honours NFAK's 'Chain of Light'

Maestro's posthumous release named global album of the year

With 2024 coming to a close, The Guardian has ranked the year's top ten global albums, with qawwali legend Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's posthumous release of Chain of Light taking the number 1 spot.

Writing for the publication, reviewer Ammar Kalia hails Chain of Light as a "remarkable discovery" and commends the posthumous album for subverting the "usual rend for hastily pieced-together collections of offcuts".

Chain of Light was released on September 20 this year. The legendary qawwali maestro's album was originally recorded in April 1990 and packs four tracks into a powerful 41 minutes.

"Standards of his repertoire such as Ya Allah Ya Rehman showcase sweeping syllabics over the locked-in groove of his family band Party, but it's the previously unrecorded Ya Gaus Ya Meeran that truly surprises," writes Kalia in his review. "Over nine minutes of shifting rhythms, Khan anchors us in his counterpoint and longing cries, cementing his status as one of music's great voices."

Meanwhile, Grammy-winning singer Arooj Aftab's Night Reign, released on May 31, ranked number 6 on the publication's list of global albums. Consisting of nine tracks, Night Reign ranges from laid-back jazz to a pumping dance number, with the range meriting a spot on Kalia's list. "Throughout, Aftab's powerful voice anchors each composition, gliding languorously over shifting sounds to embody the night-time settings that provided inspiration for this music," pens Kalia.

The remaining albums comprised Nanji, a collaboration between Mongolian singer Enji and German drummer Simon Popp, as well as Budots World (Reloaded) by DJ Love from the Philippines. Daughter of a Temple by Indian classical vocalist Ganavya, and True Story by South African musician Malcolm Jiyane Tree-O, also garnered a mention, as did Unbound by Native American singer Bizhiki, and The Adept by Kenyan metalhead Lord Spikeheart. The Room by American saxophonist Sam Gendel and Brazilian guitarist Fabiano do Nascimento, and Milton + Esperanza by Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento's debut album with jazz composer Esperanza Spalding made up the remainder.