By Piyush Pushpak - IBNlive - CNN-IBN India
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Bihar: Qawwali, a form of music practiced by Sufis, is fast losing out to popular entertainment. So much so that the qawwals of Phoolwari Sharif today are struggling for their bread and butter.
Suvani Khan, a young qawwal picked up qawwali from his father and continued the family tradition. But despite being a good singer, he's struggling for his livelihood to the extent that he was forced to sell his father's medals to make ends meet.
"The situation is so bad that I have to even arrange for one square meal a day. I’ve had to sell the medal that my father received in 1978," says Suvani.
Once qawwali was a way of life in this village but now every qawwals is fighting for survival.
Gausi Khan, an elderly qawwals of Phoolwari Sharif, once performed only in mehfils (gatherings) but with times having changed, Gausi sings anywhere.
"Stage programmes are a rage now and there's a trend for movies. There are less people interested in listening to Farsi," Gausi Khan says.
Learning from experience, families of qawwals don't want their children to carry on the tradition, as there are few takers today: "We will not teach our children to be qawwals but provide them with good education. Nobody values qawwali these days," Afreen Khatun, daughter of Gausi Khan says.
Sufiana Kalam is one of the most popular art forms of ancient India. Though the art is again gaining popularity on glamorous platforms, it is surely dying a slow death at places from where it came into being.
With no patrons around and even the government not contributing its loyal students are giving up the art to find other means of livelihood.
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