Qawwali (music)
Qawwali is a vibrant form of Sufi devotional music primarily performed by Sufi Muslims to deepen their spiritual connection with Allah. Originating over ten centuries ago in South Asia, particularly India and Pakistan, Qawwali performances typically involve an ensemble of musicians and singers, traditionally all male but increasingly inclusive of women. The music features rhythmic handclapping, various percussion instruments like the tabla and dholak, and melodies played on the harmonium, creating a hypnotic and repetitive sound that can evoke deep emotional responses in listeners.
The lyrics often draw from rich poetic traditions, including Persian poetry, and performances can last from half an hour to several hours, building in intensity. Live performances are particularly revered, as audiences often experience profound states of ecstasy and connection, sometimes leading to physical expressions of spirituality. While rooted in religious tradition, Qawwali has gained international appeal, particularly through artists like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who blended traditional styles with contemporary influences, contributing to its presence in both Western music and film soundtracks. Overall, Qawwali serves as a powerful medium for spiritual expression and communal connection, transcending cultural boundaries.
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Qawwali (music)
Qawwali is a form of music performed by Sufi Muslims to enhance their spiritual connection with Allah (God). It is performed by an ensemble of professional musicians who use drums, handclapping, and other instruments to accompany their singing. The music is said to inspire religious fervor in those who perform it and those who hear it. Qawwali is most popular in India and Pakistan, where its repetitive beat and melodies, which can be planned or improvised, have been used in religious celebrations for more than ten centuries. In contemporary times, qawwali is also performed in concert settings and is often used as part of the soundtrack to movies.
Background
The word qawwali comes from the Arabic word qaul, meaning "utterance" or "to speak." The musical form is believed to have begun in the eleventh century. Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya, a Sufi of the Christi school who is now revered as a saint, favored qawwali music during religious ceremonies. Amir Khusro was a scholar and musician of the same era who helped shape qawwali when he integrated music from Persia, India, and Turkey to give qawwali some of its unique features.
Qawwali has, at times, been out of favor. In some instances, Christi Sufis voiced strong opposition to the policies of the established religious leaders and their political counterparts. More conservative Muslims responded to the Sufi liberal viewpoints by attempting to squelch qawwali, which was seen as inappropriate by conservatives. One of these more orthodox leaders was Aurangzeb, also known as Muhi al-Din Muhammad. Aurangzeb was the last Mughal emperor. Due to his dislike for the style of music, qawwali musicians found they had little to no support from the government for their performances. This prompted some of them to wrap their instruments as if they were corpses and hold a mock funeral procession. It is said Aurangzeb responded by saying he hoped that they would bury the instruments so deep that no music would be heard from them again.
Overview
Qawwali is performed by an ensemble of musicians and singers. Traditionally, the performers were all men, but modern-day qawwali is also performed by women. While the music can be listened to in recorded form, many fans believe the best experience comes from being part of a live performance. Some qawwali groups have been known to inspire such religious fervor in their listeners that the audience members reach a state of frenzy that can result in them throwing money on stage or rhythmically banging their heads in time to the music, even to the point of losing consciousness.
A qawwali ensemble generally sits cross-legged in a cluster that allows for easy communication when they improvise the music. The singers are called qawwal. They accompany their vocal performance with rhythmic handclapping and gestures. The melody is often played on a harmonium, a type of hand-pumped reed organ. The box-like instrument sits on the ground in front of the cross-legged musician who plays the keys with one hand and uses the other hand to move the back of the instrument in and out to work the bellows that provide the sound.
One or more drummers accompany this by playing one of several different percussion instruments. The tabla is a pair of connected drums; the wooden drum played by the right hand is known as a dayan, and the metal drum played by the left hand is the bayan. The drumheads of the tabla are treated with a special substance to give them a bell-like sound. The dholak is a double-headed barrel-shaped drum; one head is treated with a special coating to give it a deeper sound.
In addition to the drums, qawwali performances can be accompanied by a number of different stringed instruments, which are either plucked or played with bows, similar to members of the violin family. These include the rabab, the sarangi, and the saringda. In some instances, other traditional instruments may also be included.
The lyrics and musical forms of qawwali are based on poetry, often the epic Persian poetry that was popular in the 1400s. A qawwali performance includes spoken poetry as well as poetic lyrics. Both are set to music with a rhythmic, repetitive beat that builds in intensity over the song's duration. Qawwali musical pieces are longer than what most people think of as songs. They can take anywhere between half an hour to several days to play, with many taking about two hours from start to finish.
The accompanying music is often repetitive and played in a beat that has been described as hypnotic. Qawwali music is intended to help the listener and the musician reach an inner place where they can be closer to Allah. The droning sound of the harmonium and the constant repetitive beat of the drums and clapping hands have been known to induce a trance-like state in listeners, regardless of their religious affiliation.
Although qawwali is spiritual music, in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, it has become part of the broader musical world. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a Pakistani qawwal who increased the worldwide popularity of qawwali when he combined the traditional practices of the Middle Eastern form with more Western-style music. Qawwali music by Khan and other well-known qawwali singers has appeared on recordings of a number of Western musicians as well. These artists include Abida Parveen, Sanam Marvi, the Nooran Sisters (Jyoti Nooran and Sultana Nooran), and the Qutbi Brothers (Haji Mohammad Idris and Arshad Qutbi). The 1988 soundtrack for the film The Last Temptation of Christ included a performance by Khan. Other contemporary recording artists have also included qawwali music in their albums. Qawwali music is also a popular addition to the soundtracks of Hindu movies.
Bibliography
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