Musical maestro Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is set to perform at numerous venues across the globe on his epic world tour ‘Just Qawwali’ and Harrogate Civic Centre is one of them. The Pakistani superstar is the nephew of the legendary Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who tutored him in the traditions of qawwali music from as young as three years old. With his powerful vocals and message of love, peace and spiritualism he has earned a legion of fans and performed for royalty, presidents, diplomats, Nobel peace prize winners, rock stars and more. If you want to count yourself among this esteemed crowd who have heard his hypnotic voice live, grab tickets now to see him perform on June 25.
Qawwali music is the devotional music of the Sufis of Pakistan and the Indian subcontinent, originally performed at Sufi shrines and spiritual gatherings. The name is derived from the Arabic word ‘Qual’ which means belief. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan follows in the footsteps of his uncle, who continued the 600-year-old tradition of their family and was credited with bringing the transcendent melodies and rhythms of qawwali music to the masses. Whatever your personal faith, listening to a live performance is known to be an intensely moving experience.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s incredible performances are not exclusive to qawwali music; the acclaimed vocalist has also hypnotised Hollywood – listen out for his vocals on the soundtracks of Dead Man Walking and Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto – and as a result, after catching the attention of Bollywood actress-turned-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt, become an immensely popular Bollywood playback singer. He has performed in over 100 film songs and has sung over 50 title tracks for TV series.
When cinema can spare him, he has played at international benefits and events around the world. These include Tibet House Benefit at Carnegie Hall in New York and the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo. In 2006, for the first time in history, Pakistan Day was celebrated at the United Nations General Assembly Hall and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was the sole performer at the concert titled ‘Sufi Night: Music of Peace’.
With these outstanding performances and achievements in mind, it will come as no surprise that Khan has won a multitude of awards over the years. Just a few of these include the two Star Screen awards for Best Male Playback, a Mirchi Music Award for Best Song in Sufi Tradition and a Filmfare award for Best Male Playback Singer. Clearly, this concert promises to be an unforgettable night showcasing Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s talents and bringing his unique brand of qawwali to the stage. Grab your tickets today to make sure you’re among the lucky crowd who will be there on the night.
