In a remarkable discovery, Real World Records set to release a new album by the late Pakistani musical icon Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The album, titled Chain of Light, will hit the shelves on September 20, 2024, a full 34 years after it recorded. This previously unheard collection of songs unearthed in the tape archives of Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records, the label that signed Khan in 1989.
Chain of Light features four traditional qawwalis, including one that has never heard before. Captured in April 1990 at Real World Studios, this album showcases Khan’s vocal prowess at its peak. The recording session took place concurrently with the production of his groundbreaking crossover album, Mustt Mustt, which he worked on with Canadian producer Michael Brook.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a descendant of a 600-year-old lineage of qawwali singers, credited with spreading the devotional music of Sufism to a global audience. His powerful and precise vocal abilities made him a cultural icon, admired by fans worldwide, including prominent Western artists like Jeff Buckley, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. Khan’s voice also graced the soundtracks of films by Hollywood directors Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone, and Tim Robbins.
Peter Gabriel, founder of Real World Records, first encountered Khan at the 1985 WOMAD festival, where Khan performed to a predominantly Western audience for the first time. Impressed by Khan’s extraordinary vocal talent, Gabriel signed him to Real World Records, helping to elevate his international profile. Their collaboration on Gabriel’s 1989 album Passion, which was part of the soundtrack for the movie The Last Temptation of Christ, further solidified Khan’s global influence.
Reflecting on the newly discovered album, Gabriel said, “What he could do and make you feel with his voice was quite extraordinary and we were very proud to have played a role in getting him to a much wider global audience. This album really shows him at his peak. It’s a wonderful record.”
The April 1990 recording of Chain of Light found in a warehouse at Real World Studios in 2021 during an archive relocation. This discovery captures Khan at a pivotal moment in his career, on the verge of achieving global greatness. Khan passed away tragically in 1997 at the age of 48, but his legacy continues to attract new generations of fans, with millions of listeners on Spotify and billions of views on YouTube.
In addition to the album release, fans can look forward to a definitive documentary film about Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s life. Islamabad-based Saiyna Bashir Studios will release Ustad in late 2025. This biopic, supported by a grant from the British Council, will feature rare and unseen archive footage and contributions from Khan’s family, friends, collaborators, and fans.
Michael Brook, who produced the album, shared his thoughts on the significance of Chain of Light: “It touches you, it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Like the immanent light of the record’s title, these songs are transformative and transcendent in a way that crosses languages and cultures. Thank God, or whatever you believe in: the voice has returned.”
Chain of Light will be available on CD, standard LP, and limited edition LP, with pre-orders open now. Don’t miss this chance to experience the timeless and transcendent voice of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan once again.
