Kailash Kher - "Dilruba"

I have to thank this discovery to Morning Becomes Eclectic on KCRW. Every time I get too jaded with Morning Becomes Eclectic thinking that I'm too hip/knowledgeable to be impressed by their content, there's a song that comes on leaving me itching to find out the name, and humbling me from backseat DJ back to average listener.
As soon as I heard the first strains of "Dilruba," I was convinced it was Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan song remixed. I turned up the volume and realized that there was no electronic production, and no fancy tricks with the instrumentals; merely playful syncopation, and an undulating rhythm that sounded so fresh I wondered if Nusrat hadn't collaborated with some hip producer towards the end of his life and career.
So it was to my great surprise when I found out that this gem was by Kailash Kher, a succesful Indian pop and Sufi singer today, who is actually a judge for Indian Idol (which is exactly what it sounds like.) True to his sound and his genre, Kailash claims Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan as a great inspiration, which warmed my heart. While I know nothing about Sufi music, I do remember one of the songs that initially got me interested in world music (and remains one of my favorite songs of all time to this day), found on a mixtape given to my parents by a groundbreaking DJ who would later become my boss and mentor.
The song was Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's "Mustt a Mustt," which grabbed me with the perfectly restrained raw power of Nusrat's vocals, as well as the meditative chanting and a rhythm that I now know sounds a bit like reggae. It's so beautifully calming, I think that when trip-hop legends Massive Attack remixed the original, it was partially out of jealousy for not having recreated the chilled out vibe electronically, despite being chillout masters.
All the elements of a Nusrat tune are there in "Dilruba" - the gently lulling rhythm, tranquil backing chorus and tightly controlled quivering vocals. Yet Kailash's voice is younger, more polished, with a distinctly pop finish, and his instrumental section is fuller and richer. In this case, newer isn't necessarily better than - rather, "Dilruba" is a perfect example of a evolved touches on a traditional genre with a respectful acknowledgment of its master.

Sidenote: I've listened to this at least twenty times today, and each time I listen, I love this song a little more because of its devotional aspect. I find it fascinating that a devotional singer can reach such a level of popularity, especially one so integrated with even the secular side of a culture. While part of me wants to look up the meaning of the lyrics, another part of me (the part of me that will win) doesn't care. There's something primal (and dare I say mystical) about not analyzing and being able to listen to music from another religion (especially one at such odds with my own) and allowing myself only to appreciate its beauty and be moved by whatever parts of it I do understand.

Listen.