Rahat Fateh Ali sings to raise funds for flood victims

LONDON: Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has delivered a mesmerising performance to a sold-out crowd at London’s O2 Arena, where he made an appeal for funds to help the flood victims of Pakistan.

It was Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s third performance at the iconic London venue since he started performing globally nearly ten years ago after signing up exclusively with Salman Ahmed, a producer and global promoter. The classical singer called on Pakistan’s showbiz community to urgently come together and start raising funds for the flood victims, who have been left with nothing.

He appealed: “Pakistan is surrounded by a natural calamity that Pakistan had never experienced before so I appeal to the showbiz community to help those who have been left with poverty and helplessness and they indeed need support.”

Nearly 20,000 music lovers attended the show on a day when famous Indian singer Neha Kakar was performing in London just a few miles away at the Wembley Arena. Most of those who attended Rahat’s show were Indians, followed by Pakistanis and Bangladeshis.

Salman Ahmed, Rahat Fateh Ali’s producer and global promoter, whose company PME manages the maestro, said he was thrilled that a milestone of ten years has been achieved, bringing glory to Pakistan and one of its biggest talent, who has made a huge market from South Asia to the international stage.

He said the people keep coming to listen to Rahat Fateh Ali Khan because of the constant variations, innovations and fusions that are produced in every tour. “We have all evolved and our relationship has grown within our team and with the audience. Look at the fusion that we add to every show for at least half of the duration that has brought a whole new segment to our events because Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali does it so brilliantly.”

The promoter said the South Asian Diaspora waits for Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s tours and keeps asking for more, saying that the Qawwalis are popular in all sections of the Asians, including Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and others to attain spiritual satisfaction and this genre is an essential element of Rahat’s shows.

He recalled how it has been a great journey working with the singer for over ten years, adding “We did our first concert with Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in Wembley Arena in 2012 and since then we have been selling in the UK and across the world non-stop. It’s been a phenomenal journey. A lot of hard work and team efforts go into the work of managing and delivering for a global audience with global standards. We have been successful because we work professionally and we are all on the same page.”

Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan also introduced his son Shah Zaman Ali Khan at the O2 Arena to the audience as his new band member. Salman Ahmed said: “Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali is following the old tradition of Pakistani Qawwals. His brother Wajahat Ali Khan and now his son Shah Zaman Ali Khan also perform with him at all concerts.”

To make the journey memorable, Salman Ahmed said he was planning to launch a global tour in 2024, where Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan would set a new record by playing with a 100-piece symphony orchestra. “That requires a lot of devotion and hard work, and we have already started working on that project. We will make new history and will set new precedents for South Asian music.”

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was introduced to Bollywood in Mahesh Bhatt’s movie Paap and performed on the stage for the first time in 1998 at a benefit concert in Los Angeles, and like they say, the rest is history. Rahat has now captured millions of hearts worldwide and continued mesmerising audiences with his melodious voice and Sufi music. He has had award-winning hits with films such as ‘Dabaang,’ ‘My name is Khan,’ ‘Son of Sardar’ and many more.