Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Qawwali, the mystical music of Indian and Pakistani Sufism, is rooted in song forms that are over 700 years old. Qawwali songs are devotional songs that extol Islamic virtues and shower praise upon Allah. Qawwali is intended to affect heightened spirituality through ritualized listening known as Sama. The transcendent nature of the poetic lyrics, in combination with a vivacious musical base and the participatory act of Sama, stirs ecstatic feelings of mystical adoration among both performers and audience members alike. Undoubtedly the most popular qawwali singer of all time was the Pakistani-born Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Six weeks after his death in 1997, nephew Rahat Fateh Ali Khan assumed the qawwali helm. Rahat took Nusrat's first name in a traditional gesture of admiration of his master, and in so doing was officially recognized as the new leader of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's group.

Born in Faisalabad, Pakistan, Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was selected at birth by his uncle for tutoring in the art of qawwali music. A precocious child, Rahat was singing at the age of three with his uncle and his father Farroukh Fateh Ali Khan, another respected qawwali singer. Rahat began formalized training with his uncle at the age of six. By age 15, Rahat officially joined his uncle's celebrated group