Originally performed at Sufi shrines throughout what is now India and Pakistan, it has also gained mainstream popularity. Qawwali music received international exposure through the work of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan of Pakistan, who was picked up by the Real World label and also collaborated with many non-Sufi musicians in crossover efforts.Origin of Qawwali
Qawwali has its root back to 8th century Persia, however Amir Khusrau created the form of today in the late 13th century in India. He fused the Persian and South Asian musical traditions to create Qawwali. In Central Asia and Turkey, it is known as Sama and even in India and Pakistan, Mehfil-e-Sama is the formal term used for Qawwali. The Qawwali songs are mostly heard in Urdu and Punjabi, but they are also available in Persian, Brajbhasha and Siraiki. The fascination of Qawwali can be enjoyed in some regional languages also but the sound of it is quite different from the conventional counterpart. For example, Chhote Babu Qawwal sings in Bengali whose tune is much like Baul music than the Qawwali of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
In the Indian subcontinent four major Sufi Tariqas (orders) have formed a strong base, these are: Chistiya, Qadiriya, Suhrawardiyya and Naqshbandiya. Amongst these four, the Chistiya order has contributed the most to the patronisation and proliferation of qawwali in the subcontinent. As Sufism spread through this region imbibing its local flavours, languages, customs and cultural practices, qawwali too has undergone several changes. One can find Marathi, Dakhini and Bangla qawwali adding to the already existing repertoire of Indic qawwali performances.
Lyrics of Qawwali
The songs, which constitute the qawwali range, are mostly in Urdu and Punjabi, though there are several songs in Persian, Brajbhasha and Siraiki. The central themes of qawwali are love, devotion and longing (of man for the Divine).
Lyrics of Qawwalis are classified by their content into several categories, they are Hamd or praise of allah, Naat or praise of Muhammad, Manaqib or praise of either Imam Ali or one of the Sufi saints, Marsiya or lamentation for a dead person, Ghazal or love song, Kafi or Punjabi poems, Munajaat or conversation in the night or a form of prayer.
Features of Qawwali Songs
Songs in Qawwali are usually between 15 to 30 minutes long. However, the longest commercially released Qawwali runs slightly over 115 minutes. The qawwali maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan has at least two songs that are more than 60 minutes long. Qawwalis tend to begin gently and build steadily to a very high energy level in order to induce hypnotic states both among the musicians and within the audience.
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