Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s album Chain of Light released after 30 years

More than 30 years after it was recorded, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s legendary voice returns with the release of Chain of Light, a lost album released on Friday by Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records.

The album was recorded in 1990 at Real World Studios. There are four tracks in the 41-minute album.

The songs, including ‘Ya Allah Ya Rehman’ and ‘Aaj Sik Mitran Di’ take listeners back to the energy of Khan’s live concerts.

The track ‘Ya Gaus Ya Meeran’ adds intensity, while ‘Khabram Raseed Imshab’ offers a joyful tone, highlighting the range of Khan’s legendary vocals.

In addition to Nusrat on harmonium and vocals, the album features his brother Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan, tabla player Dildar Hussain, and chorus members Mujahid Ali, Rehmat Ali, Rahat Ali, Asad Ali, Ghulam Farid, and Khalid Mahmood.

Peter Gabriel, founder of Real World Records, shared his admiration for Nusrat when the album was first announced in June.

“What he could do with his voice was extraordinary,” said Gabriel. “We were proud to help bring him to a wider global audience. This album shows him at his peak.”

The recordings were rediscovered in 2021 after being forgotten in storage during the label’s archive relocation.

Gabriel called the rediscovery a “real delight,” noting that Chain of Light reveals Nusrat at his best.

He passed away in 1997 at the age of 48, but he remains an influential figure in world music. His family members, including Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and his sons, continue his legacy.