Passing on the mantle

Pride of Performance-winning duo Mehr and Sher Ali plans to open a music academy dedicated to training qawwals

FAISALABAD:

Mehr and Sher Ali have proven their music mettle purposefully, for which they have acquired the label of ‘Ustaads’ in the world of qawwali. The brothers from Faisalabad attained talent inherently. The world renowned qawwals belong from a family of musicians, with their father Ustaad Badar Kha’an guiding them on a journey to broaden the ideology of Sufism through qawwali.

Ustaad Badar arranged two separate music teachers for each of his sons, with Ustaad Muhammad Ali Farid, who is known as a ‘darbari qawwal’ of Baba Farid teaching the essence of melody to Mehr Ali. While, Sher Ali, who is four years junior to his brother, started learning music from Ustaad Bhakhshi.

“Our father was a classical singer in the court of  Maharaj Narpat Singh of  Patiala,” says Sher. “In 1958, we started singing qawwali and in 1960, we officially became a specialised qawwal group in Pakistan,” reveals Mehr.



In 1969, the brothers went to Lahore for Radio Pakistan’s music auditions and successfully impressed the authorities. At that time, the family of Ustaad Badar kha’an was settled in Multan. “It was not possible for us to travel from Multan to Lahore on a weekly basis and that’s why we were suggested to wait to sing for radio till a station built up in Multan,” recalls Sher. In 1970, when radio transmission started from Multan, Mehr and Sher, went on air for the first time, revealing their unique style of qawwali.

PTV got a hold of the talented qawwal group in 1975 and featured them on television programmes. “We did our first qawwali music cassette album in 1980 — that was the first time people recognised us on an international level,” says Sher Ali.

The qawwal duo showcased their talent on numerous international tours and performed globally, with their first tour in South Africa and England in 1988. “We have traveled around the globe for qawwali performances and participated in many international music platforms,” expresses Sher. The duo received a special invitation by the King of Morocco, in 1996 to perform in the region. ‘Kyun nahi aya ranjay bailay khair howay’, ‘Aja wey shama’an peya’an’ and ‘Main panjtani panjtani’, are some of their most celebrated works.

Wanting to impart the art of qawwali to the neo Pakistani generation, the duo wishes to set up an institution for the artistic cause. “We wish to open a qawwali academy in Pakistan for upcoming qawwals as there is no proper channel to bring out hidden talent of Pakistan in the genre of qawwali,” expresses Sher Ali. The musicians further add, “We want our government to facilitate us in this endeavour and focus on qawwali music.”

Mehr and Sher Ali have contributed to 40 qawwali music albums and have been honoured with several national and international awards.

Back in the era of General (retd) Pervez Musharaf, the duo was awarded with the ‘Pride of Performance’ award “I feel so proud that all major awards have been given to Faisalabadi qawwals in Punjab,” says Sher Ali. The duo is the only qawwal group in Pakistan who has received two ‘Pride of Performance’ awards.

Mehr and Sher Ali also achieved the ‘Ustaad Qawwali’ shield for making major contributions to the music of Pakistan. Both qawwali legends further revealed that whenever qawwal Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was asked about his preferred qawwal, he always replied, “I’d love to hear Mehr and Sher.”

Explaining their unique take on qawwali, the duo elucidate, “We never compiled a single qawwali without merging it with classical music. Dorah, kaafi, folk and thumris are expressions of music that we amalgamate in our qawwalis to make it more attractive.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March  31^st,  2015.

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