Podcast | Qawwali

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Omar, Yasmine and Shahroze discuss the history, evolution and spiritual significance of qawwali. Qawwali incorporates music, poetry and story-telling in to a celebration of Love. The singing of qawwali in Sufi shrines and mausoleums is a practice of samaa, a devotional practice that involves singing, dancing, playing musical instruments, praying, reciting poetry and participating in rituals in order to achieve a higher spiritual state.

What We Talk About In This Episode

• Transformation of the ghazal from Arabia, to Iran to the Indian subcontinent

• The use of music in the spread of Islam in the subcontinent

• Borrowed traditions of music and poetry in qawwali

• Qawwali as a means of bridging cultural and spirituals gaps

• World music and performing qawwali for a global audience

• The blending of South Asian folk knowledge and traditions in qawwali

• Performance principles and structures of qawwali

• Haal, kefiyat and trancendence

• Shahbaz Qalandar’s shrine in Sehwan and dhamaal as a form of dhikr

• Commercialisation of qawwali; Coke Studio, qawwali concerts, and events

• Difference between qawwali and sufiana kalam

Things/People Mentioned In This Episode

• Intro qawwali: Bahauddin Qutbuddin Qawwal – Khyal Ang Qawwali

• ‘How the ghazal traveled from 6th-century Arabia to Persia, India and the English-speaking world’

• Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s performance at the 1985 World Music Festival – Allah Hoo

• Shemeem Burney Abbas, The Female Voice in Sufi Ritual

• Regula Qureshi: Sufi Music of India and Pakistan: Sound, Context and Meaning in Qawwali

• Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – Iss Karam Ka Karun

• Reshma – Lal Meri Pat

• Lostwithpurpose post on dhamaal

View this post on Instagram

The dance of a Qalandar does not know any form, an uncle told me one dark Lahori night, it can adopt any form. He was speaking of Qalandari dhamal, a South Asian Sufi dance where people enter trance states by swirling and moving to the beat of drums. Dance is a word used loosely. Frenetic spinning, stamping feet, shaking heads, flailing limbs, jumping up and down, all are part of a dhamal dance. Watching dhamal has been one of my favorite experiences in Pakistan. I love watching people completely let loose and as music guides their souls to higher levels. The primal nature of a gathering in the dark of night set to drums and raised voices. Every Thursday night, these rituals take place in shrines all across Pakistan. Lahore is a great place to see one, though you have to know where to look. I’ve put together a blog post with a list of places in Lahore where you can catch dhamal on Thursdays. Check the link in my bio if you want to know more!

See also

Sasha Patel

Gujarat’s Forgotten Islamic History

A post shared by Alex Reynolds | Travel (@lostwithpurpose) on Jan 15, 2019 at 6:11am PST

• Abida Perveen – Balaghal Ula Be Kamaal

• Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – Lajpaal Nabi Mere Dardaan Di Dawa

• Abida Perveen – Tere Ishq Nachaya

• Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – Man Kunto Maula

Further Reading & Resources

Ally Adnan’s Lecture on The History, Art and Practice of Qawwali

Anuradha Bhattacharjee & Shadab Alam, “The Origin and Journey of Qawwali: From Sacred Ritual to Entertainment?” (2012). Journal of Creative Communications.

James R Newell, “Unseen Power: Aesthetic Dimensions of Symbolic Healing in Qawwali.” (2007). The Muslim World.

Scott Kugle, “Qawwali: Between Written Poem and Sung Lyric.” (2007). The Muslim World.

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