December 19, 2015 |
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Spiritual connect Fariduddin Ayaaz and Abu Mohammad PHOTO: KVS Giri
For a change the Qutb Shahi Tombs, the royal necropolis, turned into an open air auditorium with the Pakistani qawwals and their humnava (group) casting a spell. The audience had a mystical experience as the mehfil-e-sama organised by the Agha Khan Trust for Culture progressed.
It was not the archetypal Bollywood qawwali but the one performed at sufi shrines and dargahs. The Pakistani qawwals started off with preamble verses and switched on to Man Kunto Maula , the legendary Manqabat qawwali composed by the iconic sufi poet, Hazrath Amir Khusrau. They gradually raised the tempo and passion leaving the audience asking for more. There was not one in the assemblage who was not caught in the hypnotic spell. With every number, the qawwals took the audience to a spiritual high. As is the norm, love and longing for the divine was the central theme of the songs. What added to the appeal was the perfect blend of the fundamental features of qawwali such as takrar, gireh and rhythm of tarana .
The Pakistani duo sang from the depths of heart and raised the pitch with this popular song of Amjad Hyderabadi:
Maayus sael ne jab ghar ki rahi li
Aankhon main ansoon they jholi thi khali
Itne main rahmat ye jhunjla ke boli
Aa aa idhar aa tu phir mang phir mang
The qawwals established an instant connect with the audience by belting out poems of Hyderabadi poets. They had the audience swaying to Waqar Hyderabadi's song ‘ Aaya Banna aya Haryala Banna aya .’ Another song by the same poet ‘ Hare jhande ke shazade .’ was simply captivating. Many in the audience couldn't control themselves and offered nazrana to the qawwals as token of their appreciation.
As the night wore on the ecstasy only increased. There was a feeling of one being close and in accord with God.
Can anyone ask for more?
J.S.Ifthekhar,
Hyderabad based journalist.
Article published in The Hindu
Dated December 19,2015
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