MUMBAI: ‘Sanson Ki Mala’, the song that has been stealing hearts of sufi lovers for ages was popularised in the modern culture by musical maestro Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan who himself is a legendary vocalist with a voice as soothing as that of a feather’s feel. Now, ‘Sanson Ki Mala’ has been covered by the acclaimed vocalist and musician Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, who also happens to be Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s very own nephew. Rahat ji tributes the melodious track to his uncle, whom he considers his guru, father and his teacher. This rendition is being presented by Sufiscore, a rapidly growing UK based YouTube channel with over 2.3 million subscribers. The song releases on 6th November on the Sufiscore channel.

‘Sanson Ki Mala’ is a soulful track released in the year 1979 and was written by the 16th century Lord Krishna devotee and poet, Meera Bai. The song is also called a ‘Meera Bhajan’ and the title literally means – On the Garland Of Breath. Meera bai is a legendary Rajput princess and was also a Hindu mystic who sang the bhajan in devotion of Lord Krishna. The track was first played by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan on his 1979 visit to India. The song has now found immense popularity amidst Qawwali concerts, devotional occasions and Music Reality Shows where it is performed.

The video for the track was shot in Pakistan. Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was selected at birth by his uncle for tutoring in the art of qawwali music. A precocious child, Ustad Rahat ji was singing at the age of three with his uncle and his father Ustad Farroukh Fateh Ali Khan, another respected qawwali singer. The video also has glimpses of Rahat ji performing as a child next to Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Apart from the tribute, salutations are given by Rahat ji to Nusrat ji out of immense respect.

“Collaborating with Sufiscore has been wonderful as my first release with them is 'Sason Ki Mala', a Qawwali very close to my heart and this time its presented as a fusion track, conceptualized by Salman Ahmed. I dedicate the release of Sason Ki Mala to my mentor, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & my father Ustad Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan. The video of Sason Ki Mala is unique, with its locations and the entire feel of it is mesmerizing. This video is Produced by Mian Yousaf Sallahuddin & Sufi Score, Directed by Fahad Liaquat". Iook forward to more collaborations with Sufiscore,” says Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, on his experience making the track’s cover.

Talking about their collaboration with Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, the Sufiscore team says, “Working with Rahat ji was an absolute privilege for us. He is an icon of music and an inspiring figure, and this translated into his amazing tribute to Nusrat ji. We have been fans of him for a long time and are blessed to have collaborated on this project with him. The song is a tribute to Nusrat ji and the song, composition and video are testament to Rahat ji's talent. Rahat ji's singing reflects his classic style with a truly breathtaking second half of the song. The video itself introduces video direction (by Fahad Patel) that you wouldn't normally see with this song.”

The channel Sufiscore is a UK based company that focusses on South Asian music. The channel has over 2.3 million subscribers whose mission is to promote and revive the most wonderful genres of music. You will find a range of music from ‘Sufis’ to ‘Ghazals’ and the channel urges their audience to enjoy their journey on Sufiscore through musical poetry. The videos and music on this channel are collated by likeminded lovers of classical music and are proud of the artists showcased. Their goal is to bring together musicians and music lovers and embark on a rollercoaster ride appreciating, sharing and promoting the art of Sufis, Ghazals and traditional genres alike. The track is being distributed by Sufiscore’s digital partner, One Digital Entertainment.

The SufiScore team also mentions, “Sufiscore was born out of the adversity of 2020 by a group of friends with a passion for music. Intended to be an entertainment project during a time of isolation, Sufiscore arose into a platform that connected brilliant Ghazal and Sufi singers across the world with ardent music lovers.”