Was Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan an influence?
Of course. His music I used to listen while I was growing up. I used to listen to my father. Those two singers influenced me a lot. Not only because of their singing, but also due to their selection of poetry. I used to really adore them, and look up to them. These are two people who if I could stay like that, I’d be very happy. You also add a bit of reggae to the qawwali feel of “Dilruba.” My music partners played me once Bob Marley, and that’s how I came to know what reggae is. When I was composing this song, these people started making it in a reggae funk, and it really worked and sounded wonderful. Do you listen to a lot of reggae now? I have a whole lot of collections. One of my friends lives in Auckland, and he used to play with the Wailers once upon a time. He keeps sending me collections of original Bob Marley music. He still plays with a reggae band in New Zealand. I listen to lots of reggae now. Did you have a Sufi influence growing up? I had a philosophical upbringing. My fa
