GAJENDRA PURI GOSWAMI
QAWWALI : The sound of the Sufis
Qawwali is the musical expression of Sufi poetry , a form of devotion that conveys mystical songs in a manner that is intended to make listeners more receptive to understanding the message of songs . Originally performed as a traditional spiritual genre , it now allows its presentation in a secular , concert genre as well as popular , commercial genre .
The art of singing Qawwal is inextricably linked to the Sufi tradition . Reciting and performing Sufi poetry or Qawwali are often prescribed mediums of the divine union which non-Sufis argue can only be achieved after death . Qawwali , as a musical expression , is said to have emanated from the Chishti Sufi order . It ’ s leader Nizamuddin Auliya had asked the great poet and ‘ Parakeet of India ’ - Hazrat Amir Khusro- who was a great erudite of music himself , to prepare a few Qawwals . In those days the genre was strictly spiritual and meant to stir the heart of people to seek god . Traditional Qawwali performances were conducted at shrines on occasions of Sufi anniversaries or other days of remembrance . Hence , a spiritual director pir was always present during the performance . The pirs used to sit at the head of a Sufi gathering , while the performers sat at the opposite end and after former readings of the Quran , singers sang mystical songs which helped listeners to achieve a state of spiritual arousal . Gradually , this spiritual genre transformed itself into a secular , concert , film , and popular music genre . These later evolved genres contain essential elements of the spiritual genre as well .
A traditional Qawwali ensemble consists of a male singer , soloists , and a chorus of male singers supported by musicians playing percussion instruments . In addition to normal instrumentation , hand clapping serves to emphasise the rhythmic structure and engage the audience . The Qawwal is guided by the general rules regarding the sequence of song types . Some of these are ; praises of god hamd , Muhammad na ’ t , and then saints manqabat . Although , the sequence rules may not be deferred when the performance is secularised or presented in a concert or film and the manner of performance is governed entirely by the performer himself . In a traditional Qawwali performance the spiritual texts are emphasised and repeated to evoke religious sentiments , although the sequence of the verses may not carry a fixed order . In contrast , at a secular presentation of Qawwali , the Qawwal relies more on the artistic expression rather than the mystical meaning of the text . An important feature of the Qawwali performance lies in the interaction between the audience and performers . The Qawwal gauges the mood , background , and cultural association of his audience , and accommodates his style to the setting as to uplift the audience . The performer is often rewarded by monetary offerings by the audience for inducing this spiritual ecstasy .
Apart from the Sufi texts , that encompass the religious poetry , couplets , and ghazals , a Qawwali performance relies on music . The genre borrows its melodic and rhythmic framework from Hindustani classical music . It draws its melodies from the same pool of framework ( ragas ) and metric patterns ( talas ) that is observed in classical music . Few notable illustrations of these rags and talas are conspicuous in Tajdar-e-Haram , rendered in Raag Bhairavi ; Punjabi Qawwali by Bulle Shah iterated in Ragas like Tilang and Khamaj ; and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ’ s Traditional Sufi Qawwalis performed at the Kufa Gallery , London in various ragas like Raga Bhairavi , Bilawal , Bhopali , Yaman Kalyan , Bahar , and Mishra Khamaj . A Qawwali also features the formal structure similar to that of the Khayal song genre ; like Khayal , Qawwali performances feature a mixture of evenly paced metric refrains and rhythmically flexible solo vocal improvisations . The open-ended improvisational structure , during the fast-paced passages called Taranas , serve the ever-changing needs of an individual listener via response in call .
Qawwali ’ s religious affiliation , that once restricted its realm , later enhanced its popularity . Since , all-inclusiveness and myriad embodiments of god are accepted as the fundamental principles of Sufi philosophy ; it has reflected in its artistic representation too . Qawwali is an exemplar of such representation , which has surpassed its religious constraints to become part of a much larger global music phenomena .
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