Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

The recycling of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's work continues with Nami Danam, a 1987 recording originally released on JVC as Pakistan: Vocal Art of Sufis, Vol. 1. This isn't a bad thing necessarily, but it does tend to make a large and sometimes inconsistent discography even more difficult to negotiate. Alula has picked up a good one here, though. The recording is excellent, made at a time when Khan had become a major star on the Indian subcontinent, but well before his breakthrough in the West. This is generally an indication that you're getting qawwali in its purest form: vocals, harmonium, tabla, and handclapping. These are stirring performances, whether you're a Sufi or not, and Khan's soaring vocals are in excellent form. There's a great deal of qawwali music available nowadays, and Nami Danam is as good a starting point as any. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide