Mustt Mustt (Lost in His Work)

Mustt Mustt (Lost in His Work) is a qawwali composition performed by Pakistani vocalist Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The track serves as the opening piece on the album Mustt Mustt, released on 1990 under the Real World label. The recording spans 5 minutes and 18 seconds and appears as the first track on the standard CD format of the album.

The album Mustt Mustt marked a collaboration between Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Canadian musician Michael Brook, who produced the record. Brook integrated electronic elements and ambient textures with Khan’s traditional qawwali vocals, creating a fusion that expanded the genre’s global reach. The title track Mustt Mustt (Lost in His Work) exemplifies this blend, featuring Khan’s improvisational singing style over layered instrumental arrangements.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan composed the lyrics in Punjabi and Urdu, drawing from Sufi poetic traditions. The song’s themes center on spiritual devotion and the transcendental experience of divine love, consistent with the qawwali tradition. The album’s production took place in studios in Pakistan and England, with additional mixing and mastering conducted at Real World Studios in Box, Wiltshire.

Mustt Mustt received international acclaim for its innovative approach to qawwali and contributed to Khan’s growing reputation outside South Asia. The track Mustt Mustt (Lost in His Work) became one of the album’s most recognized pieces, later sampled or covered by various artists across genres. The original release included nine tracks, with the title composition often highlighted in live performances by Khan during the early 1990s.

The album’s artwork and liner notes reflect the cross-cultural nature of the project, featuring photography and design elements that merge South Asian and Western aesthetic influences. While specific sales figures remain undocumented, Mustt Mustt is frequently cited as a pivotal work in world music fusion. No official music videos were produced for the track, but live recordings of Khan performing the song circulate in archival concert footage.