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treat on his birthday for nusrat saab fans and what should we expect from rahat fateh ali khan
Peter walked out of the stage for a couple of minutes. On coming back he brings a simple wooden chair that he places in the centre of the stage. Out again only to come back in another minute guiding a huge man that I had never seen in person before and that surely made an impression. The man is none other that Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. «This song is totally improvised» announces Peter, «except for the base of the track that was written for The Last Temptation Of Christ - and for this reason we cast our faith to the wind». Incidentally, as I found out later on from a print out of the setlist, the title of the song for that night was Islamic Offbeat. Now, this is really something that I find hard to describe in words.
Being wise after the event is easy, and since on the HRN Tour (which started one week later at London's Wembley Stadium) he actually performed it again, though in an abbreviated form, the real title can be unveiled as Of These Hope. But if you keep reading you will find out that that was not all. The slow chord sequence at the beginning immediately built an amazing mood. Keyboards and violin merging and then leaving it up to Peter's and Youssou's vocals - clear and cutting as ice. Slowly, really slowly, Nusrat started joining in. I find myself wondering what he might be thinking: after all, though he's played in front of Western audiences before, this must indeed be his very first "rock" performance ever...
Slowly, really slowly, Nusrat gains confidence and enter"s the riff's mood. Both Peter and Youssou at this point simply shut up in awe, and only assent to each other and to Nusrat, inviting him to just go ahead on his own. An thus the song gets to its climax. In the space of a couple of seconds that Nusrat stops singing and the music apparently fades slowly out, the whole crowd jumps up as one for the most incredible and heartfelt standing ovation I have ever witnessed. Nusrat, just like the audience, is probably fooled into believing that would be the end of the song: he stands up as well and repeatedly bows in thanks. Nonetheless, Islamic Offbeat is everything but finished.
I don't know wether it was intended that way - with the middle pause - or wether it was just on the spur of the moment, but Peter starts signalling Daryl Jones to keep pumping that bass, so that the rhythm gets tighter and tighter and the song takes up again (again, with the wisdom of the here and now, this time they shift from Of These Hope to the chords and riffs of the actual "Passion" track: amazing!). Another sign from Peter and the rest of the band get back into the beginning riff with double the strenght and a series of sudden bursts of chopped piano that just go to show how much Peter himself is getting carried away by it all. Nusrat turns to look at Peter, then sits down again and once again he begins transporting all of us on higher level of conscience.
He accompanies/guides himself with little gestures of his hands, just like directing the full orchestra that lies within his own voice. Peter, Youssou and Shankar join back in the chant, and I really believe that you can forget all that three tenors crap and hype: here were three of the best singers ever, together on the same stage, not showing off their ability but giving vent to such a wall of feeling that it's enough to bringshock! me to tears. I wish - I believe as everybody else - that such a moment could go on forever. But, alas!, it is not so. Once again, more from the audiences scream than for the musicians real intentions, the sound is covered by another standing ovation. Peter announces Nusrat's name and the crowd covers the fading notes once and for all. All in all, it lasted 9 minutes and a handful of seconds. 9 minutes that were some of the best in my whole life.