MUMBAI: Copyright infringement has been an ongoing issue in the Indian music industry, but now it seems to be rubbing many in Pakistan too. Music has always bridged the gap between India and Pakistan, thus, the issues of the singers of both nations too seem to be same.
The latest news is that the daughter of late Qawwal Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan has plans of taking legal action against those involved in the copyright infringement of the maestro’s songs. But she plans on keeping brother Rahat Fateh Ali Khan out of the legal matter.
“Rahat is my brother and I will not take any action against him,” said Nida.
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But, the question is if the Zaroori Tha singer will now have to take permission on using Nusrat Saab’s songs. “I’m the successor (Janasheen) and the adopted son of my Ustad and Uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Why would I need any permission? This has never been the scenario in history and legacy of our family which has a rich heritage of over 600 years in the field of qawwali and sufi music. When my father Ustad Farrekh Fateh Ali Khan and Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan recited qalams of my Dada Ustad Fateh Ali Khan and other members of our family, no permissions were seemed. We are a family and everything belongs to us as a family and we have never been divided,” replied Rahat Fateh Ali Khan with a grim smile.
On being questioned about keeping the legacy alive he stated, “I have kept my family tradition alive since 20 years. I was made the successor by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan then and I have taken the torch of my family tradition unconditionally, not seeing whether it is day or not, a flight or a journey of a day long and lot more including performing for days and weeks initially when both my father and my Ustad had passed away, I as Rahat Ali Khan was there to take my families name forward. I know how hard it has been.”
He further expressed, “If you see that I have taken my families name and performed at the Noble Peace Prize, in fact, I was the headline performer there, I have performed at the United Nations General Assembly, I have a music room named after me at the Oxford University Music faculty. Which name is attached to me apart from mine, it’s my families name and legacy which I’m carrying and as a tradition, tomorrow my brother and son will carry it as well.
The maestro ended by saying, “I hope this clarifies any ambiguities and the fact that I do not need any permission to sing what belongs to my family and me.”
