Ek Shaam Qawwali Ke Naam!

by Priya Raman

It was an instinctive decision to make a Sunday evening leisurely and laid out watching a Qawwali concert. As most instincts prove wrong, this one did too, for the programme built in so much of energy as to wash away any idea of leisure and sulking in the Monday morning blues!

Qawwal Warsi Brothers of Hyderabad

Nazeer Ali Khan Warsi and Naseer Ali Khan Warsi, along with the entire Warsi family, created vibrance in the rather calm interior locales of the Dr. Marri Channa Reddy Human Resource Development Institute (MCR HRD). The concert was organized by India’s best known youth movement SPIC MACAY, in a hurried fashion as a tribute to late Jagjit Singh, the father of Ghazal singing in India. But the concert did not have the slightest traces of hurry neither in the organization nor in the way the artistes conducted the show.

The entire student community at the apex Administrative Training Institute showed up in full attendance and in bustling spirits enjoying every single anecdote sung by the artistes.

As a first time watcher, I only gazed at the entourage of the music ensemble with two dholaks, a tabla and four side singers, the devotion of an entire family towards the art, their playing and clapping of the hands throughout the performance. For no moment did the enthusiasm of any of them slip here or there.

The brothers, known for their mastery over the evergreen compositions of Amir Khusrow let out one verse after another which even before the crescendo received huge applause. I cannot help but share a few of the gems!

Aakhoon ne katl kar diya
Mere katl se pehle tumkho Sochna hoga
Mein Jaan de doonga
Mere baad kya hoga...

Achi Surat ko sawarne ki zarorat kya hai
Saadgi mein bhi qayamat ki ada hoti hai...

or even the one liner -
Keshuaon ke saaye mein chaand chup haya hoga did the magic!

This piece was followed by the ones in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi, as if pearls on the stage, and it seemed that the team did not need anything and anyone than their own involvement and joyous singing, coupled with their ability and intention to educate the audience with hand gestures. Some of the high notes they touched was just overwhelming!

Finally the feather in the cap was the ever popular Dama dam mast kalandar, ali dam dam de andar.. Dama dam mast kalandar, ali da pehla number... to which the audience had to control dancing away and stick to the seats.

Nazeer Ali Khan Warsi

Naseer Ali Khan Warsi

Though Qawwalis are known for their elaborate and deep singing, this concert was far away from that and more of an entertaining routine. But all is well when it is taken well. Mr Chandrashekhar, the Joint Director General of the Institute, felicitated the artistes, and I must mention we were offered sumptuous dinner to digest all that was taken in for two hours.

Hail SPIC MACAY! Hail student power! Hail our teachers for giving the sensibilities to appreciate the arts!

The Parva Picks
Photos: Santosh Srinivas

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