The closest a voice can ever get to God. This below is my favourite video of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Saab rendering Nit Khair Manga.
The video is 14 mins , 14 seconds, and has been split up into two for upload on youtube.
Part 1
Part 2
The buildup,the wresting for the centre stage voice, the moments in which Ustad just forgets every other voice. The wary way in which the Chelas sing, and yet with so much elan and gusto. Such beauty and discipline in the chaos! It is a wonder everything and everyone fits together so well
I saw this in an engineering hostel room some ten years back, and I was stunned. Me and best mate had been fans of Khan saab for a while. But in here, it made me ache to see him live. To feel what he does to the air around him when he closes his eyes and sings!
That is one pain that I shall always feel. Not being able to attend a live concert of Khan Saab.
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Gonzo 
Wonderful post. You gave words to the pain most of us feel about never having the opportunity to hear the legend live in concert. I am a fan of the ustaad as well. My favourite is ‘Main Jaagi pi ke sang.’.
Priyanka, do download the link I have attached below. The album Pukaar in it has a beautiful version of your favourite one
This is beautiful music. Quwwali has an interesting tradition. They are an impressive group of singers to watch performing, especially Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Saab, as you describe. I’m from a different culture and I don’t understand their language but I can certainly appreciate the power of their music and their expressive singing. But I have read The Sufi Message of Hazrat Inayat Khan, Volume II, on the mysticism of sound, which adds to my appreciation of your “favourite video of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Saab rendering Nit Khair Manga.” Thanks for posting it.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Saab’s music transcends cultures and languages. Both Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers and Tim Robbins’ Dead Man Walking had music from the maestro in their respective OSTs.
If you want to explore more of Khan Saab’s music, go here
http://www.humyo.com/10254999/Nusrat%20Fateh%20Ali%20Khan%20Saab/?a=b0gswaOt3rE
I have uploaded this stash of some very rare recordings of Khan Saab. You need to do a basic registration and then you can download without a hitch.
Do give a listen to the album called Pukaar.
Happy listening!
I need to scratch one of them buts from my previous comment.
Thanks for supplying that link to the recordings of Khan Saab. I’ll definitely set time aside to access and listen. The video of Nit Khair Manga on your blog site is spellbinding, from beginning to end, both the music and the performers. I’d love to be involved a singing tradition like that. I play the guitar, and I sometimes play in open tuning, trying to sound like a sitar or a sarod. Yet voice is the ultimate instrument. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Saab had extraordinary command of his musical voice.
My favorite video of instrumental music is Ustad Amjad Ali Khan on sarod and Sukhavindar Singh Namdhari on tabla showing similar command and almost as spellbinding from beinging to end, both the music and the performers even though it’s over fourty five minutes long.
It’s on YouTube, wrapped in advertising, but it’s well worth the effort it takes to unwrap it.
I didn’t realize the video itself would be imported to your blog site. And without the advertising.