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Rahat has an ability to breathe life into any song. At Rohail Hyatt's pet colossal music project that was Coke Studio, Rahat Fateh Ali was one of the high point… in fact the highest point. Whether it is a classical raag or giving a new spin to Ali Azmat's 'Garaj Baras', Rahat made that night his own.





He sang as Gumby drummed up a storm and Zeeshan Parwez turned tables, Omran Shafique and Kamran Zafar flirted with electric and bass guitars. And Rahat flew out in shining colours. He sang 'Garaj Baras' with Ali Azmat and made it his own and sang numbers that one didn't need to know lyrics of to enjoy. Rahat can put one in a trance. But underneath that fabulous voice is a man who has it in him to make us proud.

Singers come and go but Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is a voice that gets embedded in one's heart forever. Out with a new video, Rahat is continuously making waves and making us proud. The latest single, 'Tere Bina' is certainly not the nicest videos we've seen but the saving grace of this song is Rahat and that inimitable voice of his. This song is no 'Jiya Dhadak Dhadak Jaaye' but it is one that grows on you and has that haunting quality to it that is now synonymous with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

Even when he ventures out to Bollywood, he leaves his mark. The films may flop but the songs he has sung like 'Bol Na Halke Halke' for Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, or 'O Re Piya' for Aaja Nachle or that breakthrough number 'Mann Ki Lagan' for Paap has led to him making a niche for himself in Bollywood. And when he works in Hollywood, that too, is inspiring. James Horner and his team up on the soundtrack of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto is just one more sign of how far this man can go.
Ali Azmat considers Rahat as one of the nicest voices and an even nicer guy in the business and Omran Shafique enjoys playing with him.

Rohail Hyatt, who has co-produced Rahat Fateh's first proper studio album, says that "Charkha is Rahat's first stepping stone and I hope he realizes it. Rahat can be the next Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan." And we agree with Rohail one hundred per cent. So this week Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is Instep's Hotstepper of the week, not just for the beautiful song that is 'Tere Bin' but for his ability to weave magic as he did at Coke Studio. There was only one Nusrat and there is only one Rahat