It's Fareed Ayaz’s birthday: Here are the qawwal’s finest performances

KARACHI: Fareed Ayaz is the poster boy of contemporary South Asian qawwali. Owing to his back to back successful stints at Coke Studio and exceptional knowledge of various genres of classical singing, Ayaz and his qawwal party have become a global sensation in the past decade.

Ayaz and his leading partner Abu Mohammad trace their lineage all the way back to Amir Khusrau’s Qawwal Bachon Ka Gharana. Khusrau, who is considered the finest thinker, poet and musician of South Asian history had trained a group children in the craft of qawwali and called them Qawwal Bachon Ka Gharana. Ayaz claims to represent the 25^th generation of Saamat bin Ibrahim, a physically impaired man who is said to have been the leader of the Gharana.

According to Facebook, the qawwal is celebrating his 68^th birthday today and there’s no better way to celebrate than listening to some of his finest live performances.

1. The family’s signature performance of Mere Banne Ki Baat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAk-Wg9UK0o&t=728s

2. A remarkable rendition of Siraj Aurangabadi’s Khabar-e-Tahayyur-e-Ishq Su

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb5XaLXZ2iM

3. Kanhaiya – Remembering Krishna

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHAMyHerv90

4. Kangana – When Rohail Hyatt and Gumby spun their magic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXmIpbBOSvI

5. Live at the shrine of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjJLQ8xoerU



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