Two years after the groundbreaking
Shahen Shah
,
Nusrat
returned to
Peter Gabriel
's
Real World
studio to record this set of four powerhouse pieces. Canadian guitarist and producer
Michael Brook
had collaborated with
on the 1990 crossover project
Mustt Mustt
, which created a sensation in
's native Pakistan.
Brooke
returns here to preside over a straight traditional recording of
's party. The notes make the point that
's immense popularity stemmed from his ability to merge separate traditions -- secular and classical, Muslim and Hindu. This set of pieces all come out of Sufi philosophic and religious tradition. But from start to finish, this session has rock & roll intensity about it. The tempos are feverishly fast, and the vocal arrangements quickly rise to vivid emotional crescendos. The improvisational passages are extended and adventurous. The lead track,
"Beh Haadh Ramza Dhasdha,"
tells the story of a controversial Persian martyr of the tenth century, crucified for proclaiming, "I am the truth." This and the lengthy final piece revolve around a catchy refrain that anchors long, wandering forms. In contrast, the other two pieces unfold through successive permutations, ever striving into new spiritual territory.
can draw upon six centuries of musical tradition just within his own family. But here, on the qawwali star's most electrifying international release, it's clear even to the naive listener that he's stretching the boundaries of that tradition, embracing his own present even as he honors his ancestors' past. ~ Banning Eyre