Rahat to hold worldwide concerts to pay tribute to Nusrat

LAHORE

To promote the message of peace and love and to pay befitting tribute to the legendary world renowned singer Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, his brilliant protégé Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has announced ‘The Tribute Tour 2017’ to hold 48 tribute concerts worldwide, starting from Faisalabad, the native city of the legendary Ustad Nusrat, in the beginning of 2017 and end in London.

In a crowded press conference in a local hotel on Wednesday, living legend in the world of singing Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, with renowned film star Shan, his international event manager Aamir Hassan and Salman Ahmad by his side, announced that they had been planning for this tribute to the great legend Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for the last three years and now they had decided to hold 48 music concerts allover the world to pay him a befitting tribute on his 20th death anniversary.

To a query about the delay of 20 years in organising such tribute to the late singer, Rahat replied that they did not have such an idea popped up in their minds earlier. But, he said, they got this idea some three years back and since then they had been working on it.

To another query about the present situation between Pakistan and India and holding a concert in India in connection with this tour, Rahat maintained that to him Pakistan was first and he was standing with Pakistan in what come may. He added that if Pakistan’s prestige did not allow them to hold their scheduled concert in New Delhi, India, they would not go there.

Rahat informed that this tour was an open offer to all the Pakistani singers to participate in it and he had already had a discussion with great Pakistani singers like Abida Parveen, Atif Aslam and many others.

Rahat said that they would soon start a music academy in Lahore which would be named after Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to further promote the Sufi and peace music as a part of the mission of the great Ustad Nusrat Fathe Ali Khan.

Speaking on the occasion, Shan Shahid, another brilliant son of the soil, emphasised need to promote the mission of Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan which was of peace, love and teachings of the Sufis.

He said that the media groups should also promote Pakistani music, especially the music of peace and love, not only to show the real peaceful image of the country to the world but also to educate the younger generation of the country about rich cultural heritage of Pakistan.