A ‘Sumystical’ night of Qawwali music

Event titled Mee Raqsam features Hamza Akram Qawwal and brothers.

KARACHI:

Music enthusiasts were treated to an exhilarating music performance by Hamza Akram and his troupe at the The Second Floor (T2F) on Saturday. The event titled ‘Mee Raqsam ‘featured Hamza Akram, Taimoor Akram Qawwal & brothers. The group represents the 26th generation of the legendary Qawwal Bachon Ka Gharana of Delhi.

While elaborating on his playlist, Akram said that he was asked to play “something new” but rather than doing that, he chose to perform songs that were seemingly unheard of because they had been forgotten. Starting off with a Masnavi by Rumi, he moved on to more famous compositions, such as Mee Raqsam, Khereyaan De Naal and the famous Punjabi folk poem Tere Ishq Nachaya by Bulleh Shah. The kalaam was a tremendous hit with the audience.



Ali Ahsan, who had also listened to the groups’ previous performances, said that the vocalist had “come into his own as a Qawwal.” He added, “I was in the audience when he performed two years ago at T2F but today’s performance was something really different. He seems to have grown as a musician and has come into his own as a Qawwal. His improvement was evident in the song Tere Ishq Nachaya,”

Akram, who was sung in different languages, ranging from Urdu to Purbi, kept on translating and elaborating on the lyrics in order to keep the audience engaged.

He also spoke about the importance of T2F for him. “One of my first performances was at T2F. That time many people had come to listen to me because of my illustrious background but I hope that this time and from now onwards people will come to listen me.”

Hamza thanked the people who have been involved in his journey so far.”I am grateful to my teachers Ustad Fareed Ayaz Qawwal and Ustad Naseeruddin Saami for helping me reach where I am today. All that I have achieved until now is because of my parent’s prayers, especially my father Ghulam Akram Khan Sahab who has supported me a lot,” Hamza said.



The singer, who is the grandson of Ustad Munshi Raziuddin Ahmed Khan and Ustad Qawwal Bahauddin, has already made a name for himself, as recently, one of his collaborations with DJ Damian Lazarus was ranked number 30 on the BBC’s Most Essential Tunes list.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, he mentioned his upcoming projects, which includes his work on a new sound known as ‘Sumystical’. “It would combine the styles of Sufi and mystical music”. He also revealed a collaboration with renowned musicians like the former Coke Studio bassist Mannu and legendary guitarist Amir Zaki in a live performance, where he intends to showcase the ‘sumystical’ sound in front of a live audience. “Although the sound would primarily be fusion but the essence and structure of Qawwali would remain the same and would not be altered.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th,  2015.

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