Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s unreleased album discovered after 34 years, set for release in September
ISLAMABAD: A new album of unreleased melodies recorded 34 years ago by Pakistani music icon Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan will be released on September 20, according to a statement issued by Real World Records on Wednesday.
Founded by Peter Gabriel in 1989, the company was the result of the two musicians’ joint decision to record Khan’s fusion music, which blends the mystical qawwali style of the East with Western instrumentation and sensibilities.
The Pakistani maestro’s lost album, “Chain of Light,” has been discovered in the Real World Records tape archives.
The album came after the label signed him in 1989 and released a series of internationally acclaimed albums throughout the 1990s.
“I’ve had the privilege of working with many musicians from all over the world, but perhaps the greatest singer of all was Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan,” Peter Gabriel said in a statement released by the company.
“The things he could do with that voice and make people feel were truly extraordinary and we’re so proud to have played a part in bringing him to a wider audience around the world,” he added. “We were so pleased when we found out we had this tape in our library. This album really shows him at the peak of his powers. It’s a fantastic record.”
The album, buried deep in a warehouse storage space, was unearthed when the label relocated its archives in 2021.
Khan tragically passed away in 1997 at the age of 48, but almost three decades later, his work continues to inspire new generations of fans, as evidenced by an average of six million monthly listeners on Spotify and over one billion views of his music on YouTube.
Reflecting on the importance of the album, producer Michael Brook, who collaborated with Khan on the popular album “Mustt Mustt”, noted that the Pakistani singer’s voice deeply touched listeners.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he said. “Like the inherent light of the record’s title, these songs have a transformative and transcendent quality that transcends language and culture. They will draw you in no matter what your expectations are.”
He said he was happy to have Khan’s voice back.
