Customer Reviews

Star Rise

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I know this album catches a lot of flack from Nusrat devotees and purists. I have been listening to Nusrat for over a decade, well before he became "hip" over here in the west, and I stand by this album.

First of all, contradictory to popular myth, this album was not a vain effort to cash in on the singer's recent demise. The album was made and almost fully completed when he was alive, the liner notes on the cd cover explain this.

Secondly, Nusrat himself was experimenting with mixing and fusing different sounds. If you want proof of this, listen to "Swan Song" which is a 2-cd recording of his final concert prior to his demise. The concert was held in his homeland in Pakistan, and even then, the album is filled with various western instruments, guitars, horns, even an electronic piano.

Some may dispute the blendings that have occured with Nusrat's works, but if the esteemed singer himself was experimenting with it then who are they to critique him. Nusrat understood that the Qawalli tradition had to be made as universal as possible and was willing to do the neccessary to make it so.

Finally, these musicians who took and remixed Nurat's works are not some hippie-type John McLaughlin-loving (nothing wrong with John, just making a point) DJ's. These are South Asian musicians who grew up on Nusrat and to a great extend were inspired by him.

It is fascinating to see what groups like Asian Dub Foundation (who are considered to be the "Rage Against the Machine" of South Asians) do with Nusrat's work, bringing the raw passion to surface with heavy beats. The heavy percussion accompaniments to "Nothing Without You" are so mesmerizing and beat-laden you'll want to dance.

Nusrat purists remind me of the old-school radio-station DJ's with their mullet haircuts, shaded glasses and satin tour jackets who still go on about Credence Clearwater Revival and so on (nothing wrong with Credence, but come on...) They refuse to evolve, and to let music grow. They stagnate in their own pools of anachronistic music.

This CD is outstanding, take that from a Nusrat purist who's not afraid of change!

I personally love this CD, because I love a touch of electro. music in everything. I think Michael Brooks did a good job, as did the rest of the artists involved in compiling this collection. I only regret that I can't understand the words. But, music is universal, and NFAK talent was certainly universal. So, I say this CD is a great tribute to the Artist and it is a great item to have in your collection. But, don't forget listening to the original NFAK, too. He is well-worth it!

Star Rise takes the late great Ustad's music to new heights, making it accessible to young South Asians in the UK and North America (like yours truly). This album will turn qawwali fans on to the Asian Underground, and Asian Underground fans on to qawwali. The first 3 trax are instantly appealing; Joi's get-up-and-dance basslines, TSingh's beautiful, superb electric hypnosis, and Asian Dub Foundation's wild, subversive punk remix, with tablas racing at jungle speed. Others, such as SOB and Nitin Sawnhey, will grow on you, trust me. It's all about preserving and modernising the culture, and breaking down stereotypes at the same time. A great intro to the Asian Underground. The comments by the remixers are a nice touch.

The Khans have been singing traditional Q'awwali music for centuries but only now has the music of this century's most legendary Khan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, been made accessible to younger Western audiences.

Released on Peter Gabriel's Real World Records, this compilation includes mixes of Ali Khan's recordings that range from sublime to dizzy to mundane.

Some tracks, such as Talvin Singh's remix of My Heart, My Life, seem to draw from inspiration not unlike Ali Khan's, incorporating a vast radiation of Sufi soul with low-key beats.

This collection, on the whole, is better suited for background play than anything else. Its tone is fairly consistent, with the glaring and abject exception of Nitin Sawhney's Tracery Remix, whose narration is beyond sophomoric. Don't let that hinder you, however, from both enjoying what else this recording has to offer and becoming more familiar with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's other recordings on Real World Records. Khan himself toured with WOMAD for several years prior to his death in 1997 and was the foremost emmissary of Q'awwali music in the West. This last, and posthumous, contribution, compliments of some of the UK's biggest Asian dj's, is a sound that stands on its own as well as being a doorway into the Q'awwali tradition of devotional song and poetry. As for STAR RISE, consider it either an intro to Ali Khan for electronica heads or for Q'awwali fans, an intro to the major Asian-British djs. Either way, it works.

"Star Rise" is a decent compilation featuring the great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan remixed by several of the well known Asian Underground movement artists. It offers a good blend of classical Paskitani vocals fused with electronica. I don't think this is exactly dance music, but it serves as effective background music.

Talvin Singh lives up to my expectations, and the Asian Dub Foundation surprised me. Not surprisingly enough though. ADF, along with Cornershop, was one of the front-runners in the Asian Underground movement in England. Another noteworthy performer featured on this CD is Black Star Liner. Look for their new single "Superfly and Bindi."

Overall, this album has good quality performers who have made marks for themselves before this album even came out. I recommend this album to anyone who wants a sampling of some of the established Underground artists. Also, check out Talvin Singh's "Anokha" for another excellent compilation.

I must confess, this is probably my favorite music of NFAK. Obviously, I'm not a purist. I love NFAK; his voice lifts my spirits and makes me happy. I love electronic/techno music (especially asian). So this is the perfect wedding. I also enjoy his more traditional stuff, but I get tired of that particular instrument they play all the time that sounds like an accordian. I'm not too fond of accordian playing.

This is a great CD to put on and just groove to - in the car, at work, etc. It's all great but the Talvin Singh remix of "My Heart, My Life" is a highlight, and Asian Dub Foundation's "Taa Deem" can transport me to a state of exstacy.

I'm not a fn of Techno/disco music. But I have to say that some of this album sounds exciting. NFAK's best work is truly the pure Qawali that is available elsewhere. I wish he had lived longer, because he would have met his match in musicians in due course and I'm sure better things could have come out of the east-west mix. I am thinking Shankar/Glass as an example of a perfect match or even Cooder/Ali Farka Toure. But this album is very enjoyable. I recomend it for the song Taa Deem remix. Powerful stuff.

Definite must have for any fan of Nusrat

The combination of the late Sufi singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Canadian experimentalist Michael Brook, was an example of perfect combination between the oriental misticysm and occidental urbanism. When Khan died, he never knew how honored he could be with this excellent remixes. This is one of the best remix albums made ever, wich make rise not one, but all the stars of the entire Universe. This album is one of those rare albums that you do not have to hear to buy it, unless, of course, you like the Spice Girls. This is a must-have. Buy it now! You won't regret it!

First i would like to start by mentioning that everyone who thinks this is an insult to Nusrat could not be more wrong. Nusrat..just before he died had started to expand his wings and had started work with many wetern prodeucers( one of them being Michale Brook)...why?...because he was trying to gain wider acceptance and listners from around the world. He even let the likes of bally sagoo remix his stuff. After his untimely death( may God bless his soul) who better to carry on his legacy than the mucisians who actually have proudly accepted their ethnicity in a foreign land and are making excillent music that is carrying sounds form their countries to new levels of international appeal. If Nusrat were alive today he would have done the same thing. So this CD..according to me is no insult but quiet the contrary...a fantastic tribute to one of the greatest musicians of our generation. Now...back to the CD...its a fantastic CD!...every track is carefuly and masterfully mixed with excillent samples from the lagend himself and the result is pure sonic electronic majic. Hands down my favourit track on the cd is the track by Nitin Swhaney. That track has it all...Gazal, Nustar chanting haunting notes and an excillent bassline with great samples. The track by earthtibe is another track worthy of special mention. Its the only track that is more trip hop and less jungel/D&B. The track by black star liner has superb tabla samples and a funkey toe tapping beat. And ofcourse asian dub foundation has mixed a masterpiece. This track is also on their community music CD. This track bring strong guitar work and elements of punk ot the CD and of course Talvin Singh, State of Bengal, JOI and Aki Nawaz keep the standerds of the CD extreamly high. The only track i dont care for much on the CD is the very last one. Its a good concept but lacks good production and is seems kinda out of place. Bottom line....the is a fantastic cd no asian undergound collection is complete without it. I am infact thankful that there are so many young artists that actually respect Nusrat's work and are so openly willin to take his music into the future thereby by preventin it form dying out as the tastes of every generation differ grately from the previous one. Nusrat, we love you and miss you where ever you may be and your music and memories will always remain in our hearts for a long time to come.