Personnel includes: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (vocals).
Includes liner notes by Jameela Siddiqi.
Although history's most celebrated Qawwal passed away in 1997, his genius lives on in the seemingly endless release of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan retrospectives and compilations. While some of these records may seem like hastily assembled cash-ins, ECSTASY is a thoughtfully curated album that presents the singer's passionate music within its proper religious context.
Culled from various live concert recordings, these five tracks are arranged in the order of an actual Qawaali recital. The album begins with a hymn for Allah, in this case Khan's signature tune "Allah Hu Allah Hu," which starts out as an impassioned a capella call, and swiftly explodes into a swirl of percussion and Sufi choral singing. The recital continues with an "utterance of the Divine message," sung in Farsi to a classical Indian raga melody and then some pulsating Punjabi folk songs. Most unusual is a rarely performed classical Indian raga featuring sitar, tamboura, and Khan's effortless Hindi. His amazing vocals and utter sincerity will transport any listener to the heights of ECSTASY.
