Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was born in 1948 in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Khan was the most famous exponent of qawwali music, music that is deeply rooted in Islamic Sufism. It is a tradition from father to son and Nusrats family plays music for over six hundred years. Apart from its striking appearance (Khan weighed about 150 kilograms), he attacked the young Nusrat for its enormous range and long play.
Western listeners Khan discovered music as it appeared on film soundtracks. Khan died at the age of 48 following a cardiac arrest.more