His Time Has Come

By Amanda Quraishi, *"Flowers of the Heart" Celebrates Spirit and Skill* - Illume - USA
Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Deeply rooted in his Sufi beliefs the songs on this album offer a small peek into the infinite depth and breadth of faith, love, and humanity inherent to the subcontinent.

A few years ago Ustad Ghulam Farid Nizami was honored to be able to perform traditional Pakistani classical music during one of President George W. Bush's visits to Pakistan.The former president was so inspired by the performance that he immediately extended an invitation for Nizami to come to America to share his gift.

This opportunity may have come as a surprise to some, but years earlier Nizami's shaykh and spiritual teacher predicted that he would leave Pakistan and take the message of his music to the west. His time has come.

Despite being unable to speak English, Nizami left his home and arrived in the U.S. on a Fullbright Scholarship to teach music at the University of Texas.

He quickly acquired a working knowledge of the language and became a favorite among his UT students. With a soft-spoken demeanor, a humble genius and an unearthly talent he shares his brilliant mastery of Classical Indian, Ghazal, Geet, Qawwali, Bhajan, Pakistani Folk and Sufi music with us as casually as if he were having a conversation with our hearts.

In fact, his latest album entitled "Flowers of the Heart" is the culmination of his spiritual teacher's admonition to become a "sweeper of hearts" in the west and to forward the message of world peace and harmony amongst humanity.

Deeply rooted in his Sufi beliefs the songs on this album offer a small peek into the infinite depth and breadth of faith, love, and humanity inherent to the subcontinent. Those interested in truly understanding the Pakistani soul can’t overlook the passion and meaning behind these centuries-old songs.

On "Flowers of the Heart" Nizami plays sitar, tabla, and harmonium and provides all vocal talent. The album contains seven highly diverse songs which show off his range of musical skill and knowledge. Traditional rags, Rajasthani folk songs, and even a track containing instructional tabla variations keep the disc constantly fresh and demanding attention from the listener.

The dual threat of Taliban rule and an influx of Bollywood-infused pop music has caused Pakistan’s rich classical music tradition to have to fight valiantly for its survival. Thanks to masters like Ustad Ghulam Farid Nizami and those who wish to see the music live on, future generations in Pakistan and around the world will be able to appreciate this great art.

Nizami is currently working to establish his own school of musical instruction. The Nizami School of Sufi Music in Austin, Texas offers private and group lessons for students of all ages.

Learn more about Ustad Ghulam Farid Nizami, find out where you can see him perform live, or book him for your event on his official website. Buy Flowers of the Heart at cdbaby or digstation.