WOMAD

Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali

From Pakistan

The twin soaring voices of Nusrat's nephews
There are intense performers and then there's Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali. Fronted by the two Mujahid Ali Khan brothers Rizwan and Muazzam, their deeply emotional performances will be familiar to WOMAD regulars following the pair's debut on our stages as teenagers in the late '90s. We're almost contractually obliged to mention that they're the nephews of the greatest qawwali singer of them all, the mighty Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, but haven't let their uncle's legacy swamp them. They're their own men, as shown by their willingness to build on Nusrat's expansionist plans for qawwali: Exhibit A being the brilliant People's Colony No1 album made with dubwise duo Temple Of Sound. Accompanied by five handclapping backing singers energetically responding to the brothers' calls, plus two harmoniums and a tabla player, Rizwan and Muzzam's soaring voices top a truly mesmeric swirl of sound. It's an invitation to the higher ground that even the most ardent non-believer would have trouble resisting.

(Biography written by Nige Tassell 2010)

Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali on