Until some point in time roughly equivalent to the occasion of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s first trip to the West, qawwali, South Asian Islam’s ecstatic and transcendental form of musical worship was unfamiliar to all but a very thin layer of music enthusiasts and sub-continentophiles.
Today, if not exactly mainstreamed, qawwali is not only a big category in the world section of disc shops but a huge draw at world music festivals from Adelaide to Tromso. Although many qawwali parties also contributed to this transformation of qawwali from subcontinental secret to global gem, most of our gratitude must be laid at the feet of the grand Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Rarely, has one person accomplished so much to popularise a single art form.
The impact of his work did not die with him. His life opened a way for a whole generation of Pakistani (and to a lesser extent, Indian) qawwals to survive and thrive as artists who perform all across the world today. And his collaboration with western musicians of many stripes sparked new creative energies in European artists that moved them to explore fresh musical avenues.
Let’s share some time with several groups that have put qawwali and South Asian Sufi music at the core of their work.
Riyaaz Qawwali
Man Kunto Maula
Riyaaz Qawwali is an American desi ensemble drawn from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and India who have made it their mission to spread the word of qawwali to fresh ears while at the same time drawing upon other spiritual traditions of the subcontinent. Hence, their concerts mix Carnatic elements along with Hindu bhajans, kirtans, sufi kafi as well as traditional qawwali.
Transglobal Underground (featuring Natacha Atlas and Musafir)
Ali Mullah
TGU’s collaboration with Rajasthan’s Manganiyar group Musafir and Egyptian chanteuse Natacha Atlas is a prime example of how qawwali’s spirit and inherent musicality can fit seamlessly with other genres, in this case, Middle Eastern maqam and contemporary European club-electronica.
Fun Da Mental (Feat. Nawazish Ali Khan)
Ja Sha Taan
Described as a British-based multi-ethnic hip-hop–ethno-techno–world fusion band, Fun Da Mental have been making politically and musically edgy music for more than 20 years. Actively promoting not just the political and cultural rights and heritage of Britain’s Muslim and Afro-Caribbean communities Fun Da Mental have made musical connections with north Africans, Bollywood and Siberian artists.
In this live track from British TV that open’s with a bluesy sample that conjures a Billy Holiday rendition, Pakistani qawwal Nawazish Ali Khan keeps that most famous of Sufi chants, dam mast qalander/ mast mast going while the lads swirl, pick, beat and extricate all manner of sounds around him. The result is a musical texture that very much suits the gritty urban reality of Bradford and Karachi. Should this be called House Qawwali? Or Industrial Qawwali?
Ya Mustafa
Fanna Fi Allah
Don’t let the dreadlocks and gora chehra tempt you to believe this American collective is a novelty act. Serious students of qawwali and South Asian music, Fanna Fi Allah have performed all across the States and Europe but more significantly in Pakistan at the urs of many noble Sufis, including Data Ganj Baksh in Lahore. Several of the group are past or current students of major south Asian musicians, including Ustad Dildar Khan (tabliya of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan), the Gundecha Brothers and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Boasting a formidable female percussionist/tabliya and lead vocals by Tahir Faridi Qawwal, this rendition of Ya Mustafa is exciting and thoroughly entertaining.
Faiz Ali Faiz, Chicuelo, Duqende and Miguel Poveda
Allah Hu
We close with a stunning collaboration between Pakistani qawwal Faiz Ali Faiz and a high trio of flamenco: cantadors Duqende and Miguel Poveda and guitarist Chicuelo. Allah Hu! Subhanallah!
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Today, if not exactly mainstreamed, qawwali is not only a big category in the world section of disc shops but a huge draw at world music festivals from Adelaide to Tromso. Although many qawwali parties also contributed to this transformation of qawwali from subcontinental secret to global gem, most of our gratitude must be laid at the feet of the grand Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Rarely, has one person accomplished so much to popularise a single art form.
The impact of his work did not die with him. His life opened a way for a whole generation of Pakistani (and to a lesser extent, Indian) qawwals to survive and thrive as artists who perform all across the world today. And his collaboration with western musicians of many stripes sparked new creative energies in European artists that moved them to explore fresh musical avenues.
Let’s share some time with several groups that have put qawwali and South Asian Sufi music at the core of their work.
Riyaaz Qawwali
Man Kunto Maula
Riyaaz Qawwali is an American desi ensemble drawn from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and India who have made it their mission to spread the word of qawwali to fresh ears while at the same time drawing upon other spiritual traditions of the subcontinent. Hence, their concerts mix Carnatic elements along with Hindu bhajans, kirtans, sufi kafi as well as traditional qawwali.
Transglobal Underground (featuring Natacha Atlas and Musafir)
Ali Mullah
TGU’s collaboration with Rajasthan’s Manganiyar group Musafir and Egyptian chanteuse Natacha Atlas is a prime example of how qawwali’s spirit and inherent musicality can fit seamlessly with other genres, in this case, Middle Eastern maqam and contemporary European club-electronica.
Fun Da Mental (Feat. Nawazish Ali Khan)
Ja Sha Taan
Described as a British-based multi-ethnic hip-hop–ethno-techno–world fusion band, Fun Da Mental have been making politically and musically edgy music for more than 20 years. Actively promoting not just the political and cultural rights and heritage of Britain’s Muslim and Afro-Caribbean communities Fun Da Mental have made musical connections with north Africans, Bollywood and Siberian artists.
In this live track from British TV that open’s with a bluesy sample that conjures a Billy Holiday rendition, Pakistani qawwal Nawazish Ali Khan keeps that most famous of Sufi chants, dam mast qalander/ mast mast going while the lads swirl, pick, beat and extricate all manner of sounds around him. The result is a musical texture that very much suits the gritty urban reality of Bradford and Karachi. Should this be called House Qawwali? Or Industrial Qawwali?
Ya Mustafa
Fanna Fi Allah
Don’t let the dreadlocks and gora chehra tempt you to believe this American collective is a novelty act. Serious students of qawwali and South Asian music, Fanna Fi Allah have performed all across the States and Europe but more significantly in Pakistan at the urs of many noble Sufis, including Data Ganj Baksh in Lahore. Several of the group are past or current students of major south Asian musicians, including Ustad Dildar Khan (tabliya of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan), the Gundecha Brothers and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Boasting a formidable female percussionist/tabliya and lead vocals by Tahir Faridi Qawwal, this rendition of Ya Mustafa is exciting and thoroughly entertaining.
Faiz Ali Faiz, Chicuelo, Duqende and Miguel Poveda
Allah Hu
We close with a stunning collaboration between Pakistani qawwal Faiz Ali Faiz and a high trio of flamenco: cantadors Duqende and Miguel Poveda and guitarist Chicuelo. Allah Hu! Subhanallah!