Died On This Date (August 16, 1997) Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan / World Famous Punjabi Singer
themusicsover Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
October 13, 1948 – August 16, 1997
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a popular Punjabi singer and musician who played a form of Islamic music. In 2006, Time magazine included him of a list of Asian heroes, while Spin called him one of 1998’s most influential musicians. Khan found an audience in the West thanks to his work with Peter Gabriel which began in the mid ’80s, and later with Eddie Vedder and Massive Attack. His 1997 Intoxicated Spirit received a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Folk album. Over the course of his 30+ year career, he recorded an astonishing 125 albums. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan died of cardiac arrest while awaiting a kidney transplant. He was 48 years old.
What You Should Own
Helno was the lead singer of French alternative world rock band, Les Negresses Vertes. Formed in 1987, the group members had never played their instruments prior to starting the band. But their skills and style soon evolved into an exciting mix of gypsy, punk, Mediterranean and South American, often augmented with the use of traditional instruments. By the early 90s the band was expanding their audience thanks in part to their dymanic performances at Peter Gabriel’s WOMAD Festival. Meanwhile, Helno was struggling with a heroin addiction, finally losing his life to an overdose at his parents’ house on January 22, 1993.