Resounding chorus: Audience sways to mystic tunes

Faiz Ali and his qawwals enliven the atmosphere with their high-pitched voices.

ISLAMABAD:

Devotional sentiment soared high as a group of musicians rendered glorious mystic tunes at a local hotel on Thursday evening. The event attracted a sizable audience.

Virtuoso Faiz Ali Qawwal, who is considered a successor to the late maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and his accompanying group of qawwals and instrument players enlivened the atmosphere with their high-pitched voices punctuated by rapturous clapping and intense notes of tabla and harmonium.

The ensemble of young men clad in bright orange kurtas took turns or worked in unison, each bringing out unique elements of proper inflection to support the soloist Faiz who emanated the aura of a seasoned maestro.

Trained with Ustad Ghulam Shabbir Khan and Ustad Ghulam Farid Qawwal of Sham Churasi Gharana and qawwali stylists Muhammad Ali Faridi and Abdur Rahim Faridi Qawwal, Faiz started his own group in 1978 following the doaba style from east Punjab. He has so far performed in over 145 concerts all over Europe, North Africa, South East and Far East Asia.

In verbal salutation to God, the qawwals opened the show with “Qaul Hamd”, praising His all-encompassing qualities and traits. Starting off at a slow pace, the rhythm picked up gradually and reached a crescendo with a resounding chorus.

The heartening kaafi, narrating the folk romance of Heer-Ranjha, where Heer sings at her wedding, “Ranhey yar vallon, Mukh kivain morran”(how can I turn away from my friend, Ranjha?) was depressing yet powerful in its tone and meaning. The loss of love, the pain of departure and the longing to stay rooted came full circle with the piece taken from the poetry of Bulleh Shah.

“Mera piya ghar aya” (my love has come home) was an electrifying, emotional celebration of reunion with the beloved, with many in the audience singing along or rocking to the beat.

Nusrat’s composition of the love song “Ankhiyan udeekdian dil wajan marda” - My eyes are seeking in my beloved, my heart is crying out - was a nostalgic trip down memory lane, reminiscent of the legend’s glowing career.

The night ended with back-to-back performances of “Manqabat,” a poem eugolising the glory of Hazrat Ali (RA) and “Dam Mast Qalandar Mast Mast,” was another lively tribute to Nusrat.

The audience responded with near palpable cheer, resonating with the rhythm. “The tabla was amazing,” said Adil Farooq, an audience-member at the end of the performance. “He (Faiz) was good and he has a good ensemble, with the choice of songs he did not go too deep into the performance as he could have. He kept it skin-deep so it was an overall enjoyable,” he added.

The musical evening was organised by the Asian Study Group.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2014.