One of my most fruitful archeological endeavors was sparked by an observation by a friend that for all the hours upon hours of Qawwali recordings we’ve managed to collect, we still have only managed to unearth recordings by two (or very rarely three) generations of Qawwals. The recordings from older Qawwals have either disappeared under the sands of time, or their descendants haven’t adopted the hereditary profession of Qawwali. In the time that’s passed since that post, the generosity of friends and fellow Qawwali enthusiasts has enabled me to fill some of the gaps in my collection. There are now many Qawwal lineages that can be followed across three (and in one case, even four) generations. As an example, I will focus here on three patriarchs, who have blazed the trail for generations of Qawwals to come, and whose descendants have ably carried on their family tradition.
Ustad Muhammad Ali Faridi Qawwal
Ustad Muhammad Ali Faridi is a seminal figure in the history of 20th Century Qawwali, influencing everything from how it is performed to the position of the performers in a Qawwal party. Incorporating Classical Sufi texts with the tradtional Doaba ang of Punjabi gayeki, he created a potent style of Qawwali that proved popular both with the discerning listeners and the masses. Although his recordings date from the mid ’30s to the late ’60s, he strated performing much earlier. Accompanied on his latter recordings by his son Abdul Rahim Faridi, the Ustad displayed a unique and very malleable voice that was very expressive in the upper registers and displayed glimpses of his rather formidable classical training. His list of shagirds includes giants like Agha Rasheed Ahmed Faridi and Agha Bashir Ahmed Faridi along with his son Abdul Rahim Faridi, who in turn instructed modern practitioners like Faiz Ali Faiz Qawwal. The Ustad’s lineage continues through his grandson Moeen AliFaridi Qawwal.
Kallan Khan Qawwal Sikandarabadi
Kallan Khan Qawwal is a very important member of the so-called third wave of pre-partition Qawwali gayeki. Hailing from Sikandarabad and affiliated with the shrine of Hz Alauddin Ali Sabir (RA) of Kalyar Shareef, Kallan Khan was an innovator in that along with performing classical Sufi texts, he also wrote many new pieces. Most of his recorded oeuvre consists of his own poetry put to music. He had many shagirds but the most famous among these was his nephew Ghulam Fareed Sabri. In the latter half of Kallan Khan’s career, from the 40′s on to the late ’50s – the era most of his recordings are from – he is accompanied by Ghulam Fareed Sabri, who, if we observe the recordings chronologically, gradually takes over the duties of lead singer from his uncle, whose voice, though powerful, begins to pale in comparison to his nephew as time goes by. (Gosh that was a long sentence). Kallan Khan’s shagird in turn went on to become one of the greatest Qawwals of the latter half of the 20th Century and with his phenominally gifted brother Maqbool Ahmed Sabri, created the incomparable Sabri Brothers And Ensemble Qawwali Party. The third generation of the Sabri clan is represented by Amjad Farid Sabri Qawwal.
Baba Din Muhammad Jalandhri Qawwal
When I wrote the earlier post on the Qawwals of the earlier half of the 20th century, I added Din Muhammad Jalandhri almost as an afterthought, because I didn’t have any information about him that I could append to his rather wonderful recording. Over time however, I have come to learn a great deal about him and have come to realize his stature among the great Qawwals of the early 20th century. Apart from having an amazingly robust and vociferous andaz, Din Muhammad Qawwal, or Baba Deena Qawwal as the gentlemen over at Rehmat Gramophone House call him, is the forbear of not one but TWO illustrious Qawwali lineages. He was the uncle and ustad of arguably the greatest Qawwals of the 20th century, Fateh Ali – Mubarak Ali Qawwals (who are rightly called Ustadon ke ustad, which makes Din Muhammad Ustadon ke ustadon ka ustad). In turn, Fateh Ali-Mubarak Ali taught performers like the above mentioned Agha Rasheed Ahmad Faridi and Agha Bashir Faridi as well as Bakhshi Salamat Qawwal and of course, their successor Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. And in Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, we see the fourth generation of Baba Din Muhammad carrying the torch forward. His direct lineage too, is impressive to say the least. He was the father of the amazing Miandad Khan Qawwal. Miandad Khan Qawwal and his brother Hafiz Dad Qawwal were affiliated with the shrine of Hz Baba Farid (RA) at Pakpattan and performed till Miandad’s death, after which the mantle was taken over by his son, the supremely gifted Badar Miandad Khan Qawwal, who unfortunately like his father, died at a very young age. His younger brothers Sher Miandad Qawwal et al currently perform all over the world.
I initially thought I’d write about and share recordings of only these three phenominal qawwals in this post but considering that my holidays are at an end and I won’t be able to write for another month or so, I figured I might as well share some more of my favorite recordings. Some of these recordings have been uploaded by an angel in human shape on a youtube channel called “dogslum23“, a channel I wholeheartedly recommend to every Qawwali fan. Here then are selections from some of my favorite recordings uploaded on the abovementioned channel. Most of the qawwals are known to me, but a couple are complete unknowns and I hope that like Baba Din Muhammad, I will one day be able to uncover more of their recordings and more about their lives.
Kallan Khan Qawwal Meerthi
Prefaced by an amazing Sitar baaj, Kallan Khan Qawwal Meerthi (not to be confused with Kallan Khan Sikandarabadi) sings a seminal classical kalam of Maulana Jami (RA) Hasan Multani that is sadly very rarely sung by modern Qawwals.
Professor Miran Baksh Qawwal Of Peshawar
From the age of the recordings, along with the photos and the dates of birth and death provided by the uploader, Miran Baksh Qawwal appears to be a contemporary of the 2nd generation of pre-partition Qawwals. From his phenomenal performance, his title of ‘Professor’ and the wealth of medals pinned on his chest, he appears to have been an amazing and highly respected Qawwal. Here he sings one of my favorite Kalams of Hz Amir Khusrau (RA).
Hafiz Atta Muhammad Qawwal
This recording begins with a very melodious Doha, whose final line is pregnant with longing and love for the Prophet (SAW); ‘Kyun Madni deri’yaan lai’yaan?’. Performed in the style of a traditional Punjabi folk tune with a healthy number of taans thrown in and a ‘gharra’ playing in the background, this is a wonderful performance.
Kaloo Qawwal Of Calcutta
One of the first Qawwals to be recorded in India, Kaloo Qawwal performed without the traditional handclap accompaniment and traditional instruments, presenting instead a more westernized approach. Here he sings a famous Arabic Naat, giving it a full studio treatment.
Azim Prem Ragi Qawwal
A very important pre-partition Qawwal in that he successfully met the requirements of the audience at Sufi shrines as well as the gramophone buying public, Azim Prem Ragi performed well into the ’50s. The following recording appears to be post 1947 because of the use of the phrase ‘Pak aur Hind’, and like most of his recorded output, was penned by Prem Ragi himself.
And finally, one recording each by the three stalwarts mentioned in the first part of the post.
Ustad Muhammad Ali Faridi Qawwal
Kallan Khan Qawwal Sikandarabadi
Baba Din Muhammad Jalandhri Qawwal
N.B Any further information about, or recordings by the Qawwals mentioned above would be very gratefully received, so will any comments and corrections.
So actually i was all concerned about the worlds most famous singer and zillion times grammy winner Sheraz Upal not making anymore music.. and I was all concerned on top of my career, job, life, money matters because Sheraz Upal meant so much to me… then I saw http://scaleofuniverse.com/ and all of a sudden a fuckin singer reverting to religion… all these relious matters of IF this than That seemed so meaningless.
The world is way vaste than you ever imagined, Sheraz Upal, debates on whether hes right or wrong and stuff like that, all of this, including you and me is passively small as compared to each and every problem that you face or get worried about.
Seriously ! get over insane stuff. Whether you believe in God / Allah / mother nature / any super natural force governing the world, or Not, he/she has more things to worry about whether you stopped singing or not. The mentality of God can’t be this small where he puts you in heaven or hell just on basis of you giving up singing or I just said dil dil Pakistan in my washroom for fun.
Note To GodHere’s me singing one of my favorite songs. I like the one by Jojo. And it’s after nearly a year that i’ve uploaded a song. The sketch is made by me Foegive me, i’m not good with softwares so the sound quality sucks. Feel free to critique Filed under: Music IS ME, My [...]
Three different people from different continents have problems that relate to South Asian culture and the subsequent misinterpretations of Islam in Pakistan’s society.
Two brothers who are singers, Mansoor (Shaan) and Sarmad (Fawad), become two of the best singers in Lahore. Sarmad becomes influenced by an Islamic activist. He begins to practice the extremist interpretation of Islam, grows a beard and goes against music, putting pressure on his free-spirited family to comply. Those parties interpret certain verses of the Quran and Hadith (Islamic religious texts) to call for a ban on music and pictures.
If I had a penny for every time someone’s asked me variations on the following sequence of questions, I’d be a millionaire by now. The questions being…
“Where are you going ?”
“Data Darbar”
“Why?”
Rumors run rife among my friends and family as to what can my reasons be for frequenting Sufi shrines and Mazaars so often. According to some, I’m a hardcore dope-fiend who goes there to score. Others think I’m one of those multitudes who can be found ‘maatha-taiking’ and ‘mannat maaning’ at the graves of the Saints. Still others have the eerily accurate idea that a hardcore foodie like me goes there to sample the delights of the ‘langar’.
My reasons are varied and even I’m not fully aware of them, but a few are very obvious. The places radiate peace and calm, there is an overpowering spiritual energy to them, they are perfect for contemplation and what people in my line of work call ‘zeroing the bubble’, and yes, the ‘langar’ food is brilliant. Another important reason is of course, the music. Almost invariably, the shrines that I’ve visited have had a tradition of regular musical performances that are carried out by a small, hereditary group of ‘darbari’ musicians. They vary from accomplished to inept, from crude to highly polished, but they share one common bond, the bond of devotion to their Dargaah and their ‘Peer’, and this devotion shines through in their performance, whether Qawwali, Kafi singing, Noha-khvaani or simple instrumental musical performances. Below is a selection of some of the many musical performances, both regularly held and impromptu, that I’ve come across in my travels around the various Sufi Shrines of Pakistan.
One of the first places I visited on my ‘Great Roadtrip’ across South Punjab was the Shah Rukne Alam (RA) shrine in Multan. One of the most easily identifiable landmarks of Pakistan, the beautiful shrine is normally a quiet, peaceful place. Music is generally not an important part of the ‘Suhravardia’ silsila’s devotional practices, so it was a bit of a surprise for me when, sitting in the courtyard of the shrine, I heard a number of voices joined in a rather unusual chant. I immediately whipped out my cellphone and started recording. I found out later that it was a group of villagers from interior Sindh who regularly make the pilgrimage to the Saint’s shrine to pray for bountiful crops, successful marriages and the birth of children.
Villagers chanting in prayer at the shrine of Shah Rukne Alam (RA)
Ucch Shareef is one of the most historically and culturally significant places in Pakistan, with Pre-Mughal tombs littering the landscape, nestled among scores of Sufi shrines, each with a unique history and a devoted flock of ‘mureeds’. The birthplace of the great ‘Pathanay Khan’, the town also has a longstanding musical legacy. One of the many shrines in Ucch Shareef is the one belonging to the Naqshbandi saint Hz Mehboob-e-Subhani (RA), which was one of the noisiest, most interestingly populated places I’ve been to. There were children playing and crying, elders snoozing and eating, women knitting and chattering, and a group of seminary students reciting the Quran.In this astounding cacaphony were mingled the sounds of two local minstrels, a pair of wandering ‘Noha-khvaans’ who were singing a Seraiki ‘Noha’ or lament for the Shuhada of Karbala. An unusual style and beautiful language mixed with a unique ‘takrar’ based style make them two of the most unique performers I’ve heard.
Two wandering minstrels performing a ‘Noha’ at the ‘Mehboob-e-Subhani’ shrine at Ucch Shareef
Around six months ago, a friend received a rather anguished email from a Qawwal in which he lamented the ‘disastrous decline of Qawwali’ in Pakistan. I informed my friend that the reports of Qawwali’s decline were greatly exaggerated and the genre was in fact, pretty healthy and more or less chugging along smoothly. The reason was that there’s still a large number of ‘Darbaari’ qawwals who regularly perform at shrines all over Pakistan to undiminished audiences and who are still carrying out the task of propagating and transferring the wealth of devotional and musical treasures that Qawwali encompasses. Case in point is the following video. On a trip to Qasur, I made a detour to the hilltop shrine of Hz Kamal Chishti (RA). One has to climb at least two hundred steps to get to the shrine which overlooks the city of Qasur, a fact that ensures that the crowd of devotees is often very thin. On the day I went there, there was a small party of Qawwals performing there. They weren’t musically very talented, the instruments were in a state of disrepair and there wasn’t a soul in sight for them to perform for, yet they were singing away like nobody’s business. And when I asked them if they knew anything in Farsi, they readily obliged …
Qawwals at the shrine of Hz Kamal Chishti in Qasur
While on the subject of Qawwali, I’ve been lucky enough to have attended a fair number of mehfils, both private and in a Khanqahi setting. Each has its own pleasures, but I’ve always been partial to the Sufi kalam that’s performed in a Khanqah. And of all the places I’ve been to, the one place that has proven to be an almost textbook example of what a Qawwali mehfil in a Khanqah should be is the daily Qawwali that takes place at the afternoon majlis at the shrine of Hz Pir Mher Ali Shah Sb (RA) in Golra Shareef. In a tradition that goes back to Hazrat Sb’s own time, a daily Qawwali mehfil takes place at the shrine just before mid-day. The late, great Haji Mahboob Ali Sb (RA) performed in these mehfils for around forty years, and after his death the tradition was continued by his brother (and accompanist) Haji Mushtaq Qawwal. The current darbaari qawwal at the shrine is Billa Qawwal, who makes up in choice of kalaam and use of ‘tazmeen’ and ‘gireh-bandi’ what he lacks in classical musical training. All the requisites of khanqahi Qawwali are adhered to; the mehfil takes place in the presence of a Shaykh, in this case, Pir Mehr Ali Shah (RA)’s grandson, Hz Shah Abdul Haq Gilani, the attendees are respectful and discerning, the ‘nazar’ to the qawwals is given through the hands of one of the many important spiritual personages who attend, and the atmosphere is one of a spiritual “wa’az” or instruction.
Nasima – Billa Qawwal And Party at the Golra Sharif Shrine
The next video was recorded at what I can safely call the greatest day of my life. It wasn’t the day I graduated, or the day I got accepted into Med school, or the day I got engaged (apologies to the future missus). It was the final day of my Great Roadtrip, when after having visited Multan, Bahawalpur, Ucch Shareef, Derawar and Dera Ghazi Khan, I made my way to the town of Mithankot to pay my respects at the shrine of one of the greatest of Sufi poets, Khwaja Ghulam Fareed (RA). Pathanay Khan and Zahida Parveen were playing in the car on my way there, and a large number of Khwaja Sb’s Kaafis were written on the walls of the shrine. The obvious step after payng my respects was to ask around for anyone who might sing one of Khwaja Sb’s immortal kaafis for me. Somebody directed me to a group of Fakirs sitting in a corner of the shrine courtyard, one of whom was the current Khalifa of the shrine. I introduced myself and expressed my desire to listen to some of Khwaja Sb’s kalam and the Khalifa Sb graciously consented to sing some for me, albeit making excuses for his voice. As I brought out my cellphone camera and he started singing, goosebumpy silence was quickly followed by a sudden gush of emotion as tears came to my eyes. I looked around and realised that I wasn’t alone, very soon the entire circle of Fakirs was gently sobbing (some of which can be heard on the recording). This in itself would’ve been enough to make this an unforgettable experience, but somehow I plucked up the the courage to ask the gathered audience if I could sing something too. they graciously consented and there, right next to Khwaja Sb’s resting place, in the company of a group of Fakirs, I sang one of my favorite (and my parents’ and grandparents’ favorite) kaafi. When I ended, the teary-eyed assemblage very kindly appreciated me and we prayed together for a while before I took my leave. Nothing, and I mean nothing has come close to the sheer spiritual and psychological elation I felt that day.
Kafi Khwaja Ghulam Fareed (RA) sung by Khwaja Sb’s Khalifa
So there you have it. The secret’s out and now whenever you see me heading out for another Sufi shrine, you’ll know why I’m going there. I’m going there for spiritual solace, I’m going there out of curiosity and respect for the personage buried there, I’m going there because I’ve heard their langar is good. But I’m also going there in search of music, especially when it mixes with the rarefied atmosphere of a Dargah and produces moments of absolute joy like this one ….
There is a famous Punjabi saying that says, “Potter faced the anger when lord fell from the donkey”. Our politics seems to be the same lord that drops all his anger and frustration on poor potter when the real culprit is donkey. There are many issues need urgent solution but authorities are busy in moulding non issues to be issue, ultimately potter like nation suffers. This Afternoon, Punjab Assembly passed a resolution to seek ban on the concerts causing ‘problem’.
Apparently, the donkey in this case is the stampede that caused some major loss recently at a concert. Again name of religion been used to support the argument, re-pledging the aim to be the guardian of the “culture” is core of this resolution, or calling it sugar coating might be the better word. However, is this a Wiseman’s way to put ban in order to deal with the problem, if there is any?
In case the musical concerts are creating “evil” and have no “positive contribution” to the society, than what about the fuss on the theatre in the name of “poetry of body parts” and “culture of Punjab”. The bigger evil should be controlled first in order to redirect all the affairs. The kind of culture of theatres in Punjab showing is beyond wisdom, as a Punjabi (honestly I am not trying to sound nationalist or something) and culture of Punjab cannot be as shameless as the theatre has been showing since past many years. If a ban was required to save the “Islamic” and cultural values of the country than the ban should have been imposed on the “culture” that stage dramas are showing.
In a society that is in deep bog of gloom and frustration there are hardly any real modes of recreation and entertainment left that people can enjoy coming up with such legislation is pure folly.
I am not in favour of freedom that can cross limits anytime, but still banning something just with one flick of a pen is not the solution. Youth is considered to be rebel; there are many under the hood options that youth can follow, when they are pushed to the wall.
It has been said many times that real issue of Pakistan is education, and realisation that help in setting the priority. If there is something bad than there should proper education and information be given to streamline the issues, imposing ban is nothing but counter-productive. Sanity should be prevailed and right to access the entertainment must not be violated. Gone are the days when there used to be lords and donkey was a common ride, but still today poor potter faces the infuriation.
