Rahat’s uncle, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, tutored him in the art of the ancient music. He is said to be the most popular qawwali singer of all time, as the first South Asian singer to reach audiences in Western Culture. Working with Ustad in 1995, Rahat contributed to the soundtrack of the Hollywood film Dead Man Walking, collaborating with Eddie Vedder, of the American Rock Band, Pearl Jam. In 2002, he worked with American Composer James Horner on the soundtrack of Four Feathers, and was a guest with the Derek Trucks Band on the song "Maki Mandi" for the Trucks’ album Joyful Noise. Most recently his vocals were featured on the soundtrack to Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto.
Upon his uncle’s death in 1997, Rahat assumed the role as leader of his uncle’s qawwali group. He feels that qawwali is a message more than it is music. He once said in an interview, "Once you start listening, it [qawwali] goes into your soul, goes into your spirit, and you become more human."
|
