About Qawwali - Songs of Praise

Qawwali is music with a message – the Sufi message of love and peace – and has been sung to catchy melodies dating back as far as the thirteenth century. The term “qawwali” refers both to the genre and its performance. Groups of qawwals – singers and musicians – can consist of any number of people, but always include a lead-singer, one or two secondary singers (who also play the harmonium), and at least one percussionist. Every member of the group joins in the singing, and chorus members also clap rhythmically. Under the guidance of a leader, these groups of trained musicians present a vast treasure of poems in song, articulating and evoking a mystical experience for the spiritual benefit of their audience.

Qawwali has three components: the melodic line, sung by one or more singers, the rhythm which is articulated on the drum (primarily the Tabla), and the pitch outline of the melody, which is constantly reinforced on the harmonium. The usual style of delivery consists of singing poetic verses punctuated with a chorus refrain and instrumental phrases. Improvisation is a key element in Qawwali music, for it is the essence of the improvisation, which emphasizes the structure of the raag of the qawwal and helps the listener to embed oneself into the melody, message, and essence of the poetic journey.

While musicologists wrote about the use of music to achieve a trance-like state to gain spiritual insight as early as the ninth century, qawwali in its present form is thought to have originated with Amir Khusrau (1253 – 1325), an exceptionally talented Sufi poet and composer. He is also credited with the invention of the sitar and tabla and was the favorite disciple of the great Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi. His poems and melodies form the core of the qawwali repertoire. Following Khusrau, the Sufi communities of the Indian subcontinent have sustained the musical tradition of Mahfil-e-Sama (Assembly for Listening), which remains the central ritual of Sufism.

Qawwali is sung in many languages but its original repertoire is composed of verses in Persian (Farsi) and an old form of Hindi known as Braj Bhasha. On a broader range, qawwali lyrics are typically in a mixture of Punjabi, Urdu and Farsi, often in various dialects, which may cause the audience to not understand all the lyrics. The test of a good qawwali party is that they can weave a spell over an audience regardless of language.

“To each his own courage. It is the power of flight – some fly up but remain in the garden, others go beyond the stars.”
Amir Khusrau