Rehmat-e-Nusrat performance at Royal Opera House, Mumbai. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Sometimes tribute bands and impersonators have their own followers. Their success lies in their ability to keep alive the memory and flavor of the original. Same is the case with Rehmat-e-Nusrat, a group hailing from the Kumaon hills in Uttarakhand, which specializes in the songs of Pakistani legend Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
In their first public show, which took place at a sold-out Royal Opera House in Mumbai last month, the group showcased their natural talent for Sufiyana Kalam. The first song lasted 25 minutes, yet the audience remained attentive. Many were familiar with the popular Sufi composition ‘Allah Hu’ by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. He enjoyed the way Rehmat-e-Nusrat presented it – the soaring vocals, energetic chorus, melodious harmonium and powerful tabla accompaniment and rhythmic handclaps.
Although the duration was two hours, Sarvjeet and his team (Sanjay Kumar on tabla, and Rohit Saxena, Shubham Mathpal, Anubhav Singh and Deepak Kumar on backing vocals and clapping) performed without interruption for three and a half hours, with most of the audience leaving at the end. Stayed till. After ‘Allah Hu’ came the famous ‘Ae Ri Sakhi’ and the Nirguni bhajan ‘Bhala Hua Mori Ghaghri Footi’ written by the great mystic Amir Khusro. When the group presented the devotional ‘Sans ki Mala’, it was greeted with thunderous applause. ‘Yeh Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hai’ lasted for 30 minutes but the enthusiasm never diminished. Rehmat-e-Nusrat concludes with Khusro’s classic ‘Chhaap Tilak’.
Signed by Delhi-based Amarras Records, the group has performed regularly in Delhi and Bengaluru, apart from the Jaipur Literature Festival and Ziro Festival of Music in Arunachal Pradesh.
Interestingly, the same group sings Kumaoni folk tunes under the name Himalimau.
Sarvjeet and his team also sing Kumaoni folk tunes under the name ‘Himalimau’. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Sarvjeet hails from Almora, north of Nainital in Uttarakhand, and was quite familiar with Kumaoni and Nepali music. His father was a government teacher who played harmonium as a hobby. The youngster started singing early and won many school competitions. The turning point came when he heard Nusrat’s recording of ‘Sanu Ek Pal Chain Na Aawe’. He recalls, “I must have been 14 or 15 years old then and my first inspiration was to watch Nusrat ji perform live. When I came to know that he passed away in 1997, I was shocked.
Sarvjeet spent a few years learning the qawwalis of Nusrat and the Wadali Brothers. He says he realized the importance of absorbing the nuances of poetry and diction and familiarizing oneself with ragas. He further added, “You need to know the meaning of the words and express them with the right emotion.”
His father wanted him to become an aeronautical engineer, but at the age of 16 the young singer decided to leave home and teach music and art in Pantnagar. Later, he traveled to meet singer Puran Chand Wadali and Manganiyar artist Fakira Khan. He formed Rehmat-e-Nusrat in 2014 by selecting talented and passionate youth, but it took six years for him to get recognition.
When Ashutosh Sharma of Amarras Records met Sarvjeet, he thought the group would only do folk music. He was surprised that his main focus was Qawwali. Apart from the show, he is associated with Amarras Musical Tours.
Unlike the sheer energy of Rehmat-e-Nusrat, Himalimau’s music is more restrained. In this, it is known as Kumaoni Pahari Geet. bag (song for the working classes), Neoli (songs of separation) and chapelle (dance tunes). Harmonium and a variety of wooden flutes provide melodious accompaniment, and dholak and hudka hand drums provide rhythm accompanied by handclaps.
Be it Qawwali or folk music, Sarvjeet believes in maintaining the purity of tradition.
published – September 30, 2024 03:28 PM IST
