But there were a few hiccups before things began rolling and everything eventually settling down. First the air conditioning gave way due to generator failure and then the guest of honour arrived late. By the time the programme started, which was after a good two hours, the guests were hot, tired and hungry through no fault of the organisers. But no one seemed to be in a hurry to leave knowing that Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was going to perform.
And as the cliché goes that nothing is for free, the long speeches came to an end and the lights were switched off in the hall. To the surprise of the guests the stage lit up with iridescent lights and a UK-based dance and juggling group, Feeding the Fish, held an unusual and breathtaking performance. Claire Billin, one of the dancers, explained that the play of colour was due to the buttons they pressed on the bowling pin-like objects they used in the act. “Honestly speaking, our friends and family discouraged us to come here but it's so different from what we had heard,” she said.
Towards the end of the dinner, Rahat Fateh Ali made his appearance. Though still in the shadows of his late uncle Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, he has through the years made a niche for himself. Born in Faisalabad in 1974 in a family of traditional musicians, Rahat received his classical music and qawwali training from Nusrat Fateh Ali from a young age, and at the age of 10 gave his first public performance in England with him in 1985.
Through the years he also began singing ghazals and songs and made his debut in Bollywood by singing Mann ki Lagan for the film Paap in 2004. He has also worked with American composer James Horner on the soundtrack of Four Feathers and Derek Trucks Band song Maki Madni, some years back. He has also recently performed on the soundtrack of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto.
Feeling the pulse of the audience, he sang his hit songs and the popular qawwalis of Nusrat Fateh Ali, a formula that never fails. Setting the pace for the evening he began with alaap and the qawwali Mun Kuntum Maula, followed by Aj din Charea, Surili Aankhion Wali, Diltay Bacha Hai interspersed by Nusrat Fateh Ali's qawwalis such as Yeh jo Halka Halka suroor hai and Jiya Dharak Dharak. What sets Rahat apart is the absolute control over his voice. But he needs to work on the shrill and high-pitched tone that he is fond of slipping into now and then in his renderings, which he successfully controls in his songs across the border. For most present it was worth the long wait. The programme was arranged by Byco Petroleum Pakistan.
