By Shahnaz Parveen - The Daily Star - Bangladesh
Tuesday May 23, 2006
Sufi music is a unique style of music that transports listeners into spiritual ecstasy, and it originated sometime in the 14th century. It is the music of submission and surrender that bonds humans with spirituality and mysticism, transcending all religious boundaries. It connects with the heart.
Sufi music started in dargahs and mazaars years ago. In the beginning it was only performed in the shrines of the saints. Sufi saints used music as vehicles to send messages of peace, tolerance and love. In the Indian continent Sufi music arrived with the advent of Islam. With Sufism, saints from Persia and Arabia brought in Sufi music.
Today it has metamorphosed into a singing culture. Sufism exists in various forms with different music all over the world. From Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Morocco, and even in the US each Sufi sect has different music, styles and beliefs.
Its mass spread is attributed to Fakirs who travelled to different parts of the world and picked up local tones and styles giving birth to many new forms that still continues to mesmerise us.
The range of Sufi music in this continent includes the highly structured genre of qawwali, kafi and various regional genres of similar ethos. Hazrat Moinnudin Chishti, Hazrat Khwaja Bakhtiar Kaki, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Baba Farid and Amir Khusrau have all been great Sufi poets who spread their message through hymns and qawwalis.
Contemporary singers like the late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parveen from Pakistan, Indian Shubha Mudgal, Mohammed El-Sheikh Juma of Sudan, Rumi of Iran, the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey, Baul singers and Lalon enthusiasts from Bangladesh or even sufi-pop groups like Junoon or our very own Bangla have all contributed in re-vitalizing this unique religious singing. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a phenomenal success during his time. Abida Parveen and Shubha Mudgal succeeded in mesmerising many more with their husky yet appealing voices.
In Bangladesh Lalon's songs are accepted as the most spiritual form of music. Among the contemporary singers Farida Parveen creates sensation in every stage when she sings. Shamir Hossain, Chondona Majumdar or Mamun Nadia has admirers all over the country.
The most influential and pure form of sufi music can be found in the greater Sylhet area. Dargah of Shahjalal is the focal point in the area. Shah Nur, Radha Raman or Jalal Uddin Kha renowned among the old school of spiritual music. Alauddin, Shah Abdul Karim, Mostofa are more contemporary.
Nadia, Kushtia and Manikganje houses some other forms of sufi music like Maijbhandari. Baisnob songs also spreads spiritual message and falls under the category of music with spiritual essence.
Today the fusion of sufi and pop music is gaining huge popularity among the young listeners. Sufi pop is the most modern form of Sufi music. Thanks to fusion bands like Junoon or singers like Kailash Kher, Jawad Ahmad, sufi music is a rage these days. With their lyrics and sleek presentation, riding on fusion music and 'sufi-pop', Junoon went to the top of sub-continents charts and more importantly in to the heart of young people. Kailash Kher and his Allah ke Bande sells like hot cakes. Pakistani sufi pop artists Jawad Ahmad's “Ucheyan majajah wall” has sold over 1.2 million copies. When Rabbi Shergill sang Bulla ki jaana mein kaun, instantly he found his place under the sun, and captured the spotlight on Sufi music.
The message of Sufism even found acceptance all the way to Europe and America. In the west a fusion of Sufism is providing an alternate way to attain mental peace. These fusion is however, frequently criticised by contemporary purist sufi musicians. They refer it as being tainted with materialism and commercialism.
Tainted or not, the bottom line is after all these years the mystical sufi music is staging a resounding comeback and its here to blow away all the others and spellbound many souls.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
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Thursday, November 02, 2006
Mystical Sufi music staging a comeback
By Shahnaz Parveen - The Daily Star - Bangladesh
Tuesday May 23, 2006
Sufi music is a unique style of music that transports listeners into spiritual ecstasy, and it originated sometime in the 14th century. It is the music of submission and surrender that bonds humans with spirituality and mysticism, transcending all religious boundaries. It connects with the heart.
Sufi music started in dargahs and mazaars years ago. In the beginning it was only performed in the shrines of the saints. Sufi saints used music as vehicles to send messages of peace, tolerance and love. In the Indian continent Sufi music arrived with the advent of Islam. With Sufism, saints from Persia and Arabia brought in Sufi music.
Today it has metamorphosed into a singing culture. Sufism exists in various forms with different music all over the world. From Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Morocco, and even in the US each Sufi sect has different music, styles and beliefs.
Its mass spread is attributed to Fakirs who travelled to different parts of the world and picked up local tones and styles giving birth to many new forms that still continues to mesmerise us.
The range of Sufi music in this continent includes the highly structured genre of qawwali, kafi and various regional genres of similar ethos. Hazrat Moinnudin Chishti, Hazrat Khwaja Bakhtiar Kaki, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Baba Farid and Amir Khusrau have all been great Sufi poets who spread their message through hymns and qawwalis.
Contemporary singers like the late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parveen from Pakistan, Indian Shubha Mudgal, Mohammed El-Sheikh Juma of Sudan, Rumi of Iran, the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey, Baul singers and Lalon enthusiasts from Bangladesh or even sufi-pop groups like Junoon or our very own Bangla have all contributed in re-vitalizing this unique religious singing. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a phenomenal success during his time. Abida Parveen and Shubha Mudgal succeeded in mesmerising many more with their husky yet appealing voices.
In Bangladesh Lalon's songs are accepted as the most spiritual form of music. Among the contemporary singers Farida Parveen creates sensation in every stage when she sings. Shamir Hossain, Chondona Majumdar or Mamun Nadia has admirers all over the country.
The most influential and pure form of sufi music can be found in the greater Sylhet area. Dargah of Shahjalal is the focal point in the area. Shah Nur, Radha Raman or Jalal Uddin Kha renowned among the old school of spiritual music. Alauddin, Shah Abdul Karim, Mostofa are more contemporary.
Nadia, Kushtia and Manikganje houses some other forms of sufi music like Maijbhandari. Baisnob songs also spreads spiritual message and falls under the category of music with spiritual essence.
Today the fusion of sufi and pop music is gaining huge popularity among the young listeners. Sufi pop is the most modern form of Sufi music. Thanks to fusion bands like Junoon or singers like Kailash Kher, Jawad Ahmad, sufi music is a rage these days. With their lyrics and sleek presentation, riding on fusion music and 'sufi-pop', Junoon went to the top of sub-continents charts and more importantly in to the heart of young people. Kailash Kher and his Allah ke Bande sells like hot cakes. Pakistani sufi pop artists Jawad Ahmad's “Ucheyan majajah wall” has sold over 1.2 million copies. When Rabbi Shergill sang Bulla ki jaana mein kaun, instantly he found his place under the sun, and captured the spotlight on Sufi music.
The message of Sufism even found acceptance all the way to Europe and America. In the west a fusion of Sufism is providing an alternate way to attain mental peace. These fusion is however, frequently criticised by contemporary purist sufi musicians. They refer it as being tainted with materialism and commercialism.
Tainted or not, the bottom line is after all these years the mystical sufi music is staging a resounding comeback and its here to blow away all the others and spellbound many souls.
Tuesday May 23, 2006
Sufi music is a unique style of music that transports listeners into spiritual ecstasy, and it originated sometime in the 14th century. It is the music of submission and surrender that bonds humans with spirituality and mysticism, transcending all religious boundaries. It connects with the heart.
Sufi music started in dargahs and mazaars years ago. In the beginning it was only performed in the shrines of the saints. Sufi saints used music as vehicles to send messages of peace, tolerance and love. In the Indian continent Sufi music arrived with the advent of Islam. With Sufism, saints from Persia and Arabia brought in Sufi music.
Today it has metamorphosed into a singing culture. Sufism exists in various forms with different music all over the world. From Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Morocco, and even in the US each Sufi sect has different music, styles and beliefs.
Its mass spread is attributed to Fakirs who travelled to different parts of the world and picked up local tones and styles giving birth to many new forms that still continues to mesmerise us.
The range of Sufi music in this continent includes the highly structured genre of qawwali, kafi and various regional genres of similar ethos. Hazrat Moinnudin Chishti, Hazrat Khwaja Bakhtiar Kaki, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, Baba Farid and Amir Khusrau have all been great Sufi poets who spread their message through hymns and qawwalis.
Contemporary singers like the late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parveen from Pakistan, Indian Shubha Mudgal, Mohammed El-Sheikh Juma of Sudan, Rumi of Iran, the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey, Baul singers and Lalon enthusiasts from Bangladesh or even sufi-pop groups like Junoon or our very own Bangla have all contributed in re-vitalizing this unique religious singing. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a phenomenal success during his time. Abida Parveen and Shubha Mudgal succeeded in mesmerising many more with their husky yet appealing voices.
In Bangladesh Lalon's songs are accepted as the most spiritual form of music. Among the contemporary singers Farida Parveen creates sensation in every stage when she sings. Shamir Hossain, Chondona Majumdar or Mamun Nadia has admirers all over the country.
The most influential and pure form of sufi music can be found in the greater Sylhet area. Dargah of Shahjalal is the focal point in the area. Shah Nur, Radha Raman or Jalal Uddin Kha renowned among the old school of spiritual music. Alauddin, Shah Abdul Karim, Mostofa are more contemporary.
Nadia, Kushtia and Manikganje houses some other forms of sufi music like Maijbhandari. Baisnob songs also spreads spiritual message and falls under the category of music with spiritual essence.
Today the fusion of sufi and pop music is gaining huge popularity among the young listeners. Sufi pop is the most modern form of Sufi music. Thanks to fusion bands like Junoon or singers like Kailash Kher, Jawad Ahmad, sufi music is a rage these days. With their lyrics and sleek presentation, riding on fusion music and 'sufi-pop', Junoon went to the top of sub-continents charts and more importantly in to the heart of young people. Kailash Kher and his Allah ke Bande sells like hot cakes. Pakistani sufi pop artists Jawad Ahmad's “Ucheyan majajah wall” has sold over 1.2 million copies. When Rabbi Shergill sang Bulla ki jaana mein kaun, instantly he found his place under the sun, and captured the spotlight on Sufi music.
The message of Sufism even found acceptance all the way to Europe and America. In the west a fusion of Sufism is providing an alternate way to attain mental peace. These fusion is however, frequently criticised by contemporary purist sufi musicians. They refer it as being tainted with materialism and commercialism.
Tainted or not, the bottom line is after all these years the mystical sufi music is staging a resounding comeback and its here to blow away all the others and spellbound many souls.
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