Rahat Fateh Ali Khan mesmerises audience at Karachi concert

Legendary singer enthralls thousands of fans with some of his most celebrated songs in memorable musical evening

KARACHI:

A grand musical evening was held at Prem Nagar 'Land of Love' in Karachi, where Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan captivated thousands of fans with a performance featuring some of his most celebrated songs.

The concert drew a large crowd that remained engaged and singing along late into the night. Several prominent personalities from the entertainment industry, including actress Sunita Marshall, fashion designer Deepak Perwani, and actor Ali Khan, were also in attendance.

Speaking on the occasion, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan said performing in Karachi always brings him joy, adding that the city's audiences have a special appreciation for music.

During the concert, he performed a number of fan favourites, including Kisi Da Yaar Na Vichhre, Afreen Afreen, Mere Rashke Qamar, Dil Pe Zakhm Khate Hain, and the popular soundtrack Mere Paas Tum Ho. The audience enthusiastically joined in, turning the event into a collective celebration of music.

Shah Zaman Ali Khan also took the stage and received a warm response from concertgoers. His performance evoked memories of the late qawwali legend, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, drawing loud applause from the crowd.

According to Dr. Ramesh Kumar, Chairman of Prem Nagar 'Land of Love', proceeds from the concert will be used for welfare and charitable initiatives.

The evening concluded with a standing ovation from many attendees, as Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's powerful vocals and timeless repertoire left a lasting impression on music lovers in Karachi.

Rahat performed publicly for the first time in 1979 at the age of nine, on the death anniversary of his grandfather. Since he was fifteen, he was an integral part of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's well-known qawwali group and toured the United Kingdom with his uncle in 1985. He also performed solo songs at different concerts, in addition to fulfilling his roles in the Qawwali group. He made his Bollywood playback singing debut with the song "Mann Ki Lagan" from the movie Paap (2003), a composition by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan that was originally recorded in Pakistan for an unreleased album.

In 2011, after his release from a high-profile Customs case in India, Rahat was touring the US where one of his promoters, Chitresh Srivastava, died in a car crash. In April 2012, Rahat toured in the UK, performing at Wembley Arena and the Manchester Arena, playing to a combined audience of over 20,000 people and creating a record of maximum ticket-sales.

The song "Zaroori Tha" from the album Back 2 Love (2014) became the first original non-film music video from the Indian subcontinent to cross 100 million views on YouTube after two years, and 200 million views within three years of its release. Eventually it reached a billion views. He is also touring with Leo Twins from Nescafé Basement regularly.

In 2018, the daughter of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan said she intended to take legal action against copyright infringement of singers who sing her father's songs. To this, Rahat responded saying he was the adopted successor of Nusrat and that he doesn't need anyone's permission to sing his songs.

In a subordinate role with his uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, working in collaboration with Eddie Vedder, of the American rock band, Pearl Jam, Rahat contributed to the soundtrack of the 1995 Hollywood film, Dead Man Walking. In 2002, he worked on the soundtrack of The Four Feathers in collaboration with the American composer of orchestral and film music, James Horner. In 2002, Rahat guested with The Derek Trucks Band on the song "Maki Madni" for Trucks' album, Joyful Noise. In 2006, his vocals were featured on the soundtrack of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto. In 2008, he sang the song "Teri Ore" for the movie Singh Is Kinng alongside Shreya Ghoshal.

He judged the show Chhote Ustaad alongside Sonu Nigam. He was also one of the judges on the singing reality show Junoon, which premiered on NDTV Imagine in 2008.

Rahat became the first Pakistani to perform at any Nobel Prize concert, when he was invited to the concert at 2014 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. He performed Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's most memorable qawwali "Tumhe Dillagi" and "Mast Qalandar", and he also sang "Aao Parhao" there.