By Nirmika Singh,"Keep the Faith" - Express India - IndiaSaturday, August 16, 2008
Sukoon brings alive forgotten songs of Sufi saints
One band is defiantly holding on to the sounds of the past. Sukoon, the month-old Sufi band, is celebrating the growing love for Sufi sounds.
The band moves beyond the usual Abida Parveen and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan numbers, and is going deep into the spiritual rhythms.
“We perform songs by lesser known Sufi writers like Hazrat Mir Dard and Shamsh Tab Rez Baba, apart from Amir Khusrau and the great Baba Bulle Shah,” says Amjad Khan, 31, percussionist of the six-member band.
His brother Kashif Ahmed plays the sarangi while Arshad Khan does wonders with the esraj, one of India’s many dying instruments.
The band is already teaming up with foreign musicians. They have just returned from a tour of Sweden, Austria and Italy, and have their bags packed for more shows abroad.
“It is sad that we do not receive the kind of response in our own country that we get abroad. Here, even mediocre bands that are packaged well are more popular,” laments Siraj Khan as he plucks an Egyptian tune on his mandolin.
It is a treat to watch Sukoon members, with the melancholic sarangi competing with the upbeat darbuka, a Turkish percussion instrument, or the resounding double bass to reach an uplifting crescendo before retreating to a softer and milder plane.
“Our father and teacher, esraj maestro Ustad Allauddin Khan, was doubtful when we wanted to experiment with world music. But he was reassured after watching one of our performances,” says Kashif.
They remain positive. “We will be cutting our album next year and have many concerts booked till then. The future of Sufi music looks very bright,” smiles Amjad.
[Picture: A Man Playing Sarangi. Etching by François Balthazar Solvyns. Photo from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarangi].
Sukoon brings alive forgotten songs of Sufi saints
One band is defiantly holding on to the sounds of the past. Sukoon, the month-old Sufi band, is celebrating the growing love for Sufi sounds.
The band moves beyond the usual Abida Parveen and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan numbers, and is going deep into the spiritual rhythms.
“We perform songs by lesser known Sufi writers like Hazrat Mir Dard and Shamsh Tab Rez Baba, apart from Amir Khusrau and the great Baba Bulle Shah,” says Amjad Khan, 31, percussionist of the six-member band.
His brother Kashif Ahmed plays the sarangi while Arshad Khan does wonders with the esraj, one of India’s many dying instruments.
The band is already teaming up with foreign musicians. They have just returned from a tour of Sweden, Austria and Italy, and have their bags packed for more shows abroad.
“It is sad that we do not receive the kind of response in our own country that we get abroad. Here, even mediocre bands that are packaged well are more popular,” laments Siraj Khan as he plucks an Egyptian tune on his mandolin.
It is a treat to watch Sukoon members, with the melancholic sarangi competing with the upbeat darbuka, a Turkish percussion instrument, or the resounding double bass to reach an uplifting crescendo before retreating to a softer and milder plane.
“Our father and teacher, esraj maestro Ustad Allauddin Khan, was doubtful when we wanted to experiment with world music. But he was reassured after watching one of our performances,” says Kashif.
They remain positive. “We will be cutting our album next year and have many concerts booked till then. The future of Sufi music looks very bright,” smiles Amjad.
[Picture: A Man Playing Sarangi. Etching by François Balthazar Solvyns. Photo from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarangi].
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment