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Shaandaar’شاندار  - Complete

The final piece ready and complete to watch here below, I hope you enjoy!

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Overview, The hand In

Looking back on where I began I’ve realised that I missed out a core influence for my documentary one that I have mentioned in my reflective essay but not once here. I took notes regarding this documentary at the beginning of forming an idea and so I want to end/ wrap up my blog with a brief break down of this documentary and how it allowed me to work on my own.

I had originally planned to link my dissertation topic to my final major project as they both went hand in hand – dissertation would have focused on ‘The Manner in which Pakistan is represented throughout British Media’ and then the ten-minute documentary would have focused on BBP’s British Born Pakistani’s opinion on their Motherland- particularly British Pakistani’s who have never visited back home. Having said this, the research I did into these topics enhanced my process in understanding how even the music throughout your childhood can affect your knowledge/ understanding of culture… which brings me to a core influence for my documentary “I’m British But…” by the brilliant Gurinder Chadha who is of Kenyan and Southern Asian descent.

“I’m British But…” a 1989 documentary made by the first 2nd generation British Asian. Following four young British Asians- from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – exploring how they identify themselves. Also exploring British Asian identity through the birth of Bhangra music and the cultural influences British Asians have contributed to the U.K” – (Bend It Networks, 2015)

What I found absolutely brilliant about this documentary, was as you watch and listen to the stories of each individual the one common link shared between them is what kept you wanting to watch on. For this documentary that was Bhangra. Within the first ten minutes of the documentary, we’re informed and aware of each individual and their link to South Asian culture. 

We then have one participant who avidly discusses his opinion on Bhangra giving his thanks to the originators but then quickly moving on to discuss that it is a genre that needs modification and adaptation to keep up with the west. Quite ironic, that Bhangra was originally like Qawwali of a community/ folk base. Having started in the late 1800’s it was once performed for specific events i.e. during harvest but now much like Qawwali is a performance you’d see live once in a while. Bhangra is a genre and form that is and continues to evolve by all pursuers of the form- whereas Qawwali is one that many do not want to breach. And it makes me question, is it because of the religious aspect? 

The whole documentary after re-watching a few nights ago reminded me of some of the ideas I had wanted to implement throughout this documentary in relation to identity, culture and politics. The position/ representation of South Asia but I guess I forgot on the way.

These are some serious topics that I wish I had kept in mind/ reflected on throughout and maybe I would have a different end product. I guess this is a learning curve, and considering how much I had on throughout this production my mind at times was indeed elsewhere. Hopefully next time, I am able to thoroughly analyse, reflect and apply on my next projects.

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Post-Production - Colour Grading & Title Sequence

Rather than breaking down basic sound/ layout I’ll be looking into the two major editing techniques I was not used to. Those being colour grading and the creation of a title sequence/ ending credits. 

Originally I had finished the structure and format of the documentary and so I was happy with how it was but the more I watched it the more it looked odd. I couldn’t put my finger on what was wrong. Once I had shared the piece with my tutor he put light on the issue which was that I needed some form of colour grading as the lighting of each shot is substantially different from moody lighting to pale. Once I had gone through with the changes and adjusted the colours it looked a little something like this:

before

after

This was my first time attempting colour grading, and although it was done through iMovie I must say it did make a major difference. It made the piece look a lot more put together than without.

The process for my title screen took place via adobe after effects, I was able to use my brother's computer for this process I documented the whole process of this, originally I had decided to go with the title ‘Shaandaar’ but in Urdu as shown below; but then realised, I would lose a certain target audience if I stuck to just Urdu and so I decided to add on the addition of English.

A subtle difference between the first text is that I decided to add a light sweep across the whole of the text, to give the title frame a bit more character. I was inspired by Classic Hollywood title frames like so I very much appreciate the simplicity these fonts have alongside how bold they are on their own.

The font I used I found via ‘dafont’ entitled ‘marbre sans’ the use of Gold was simply because amongst all the other colours it stood out and allowed the title to shine in its glory just as it’s very meaning - magnificent, elegant and beautiful.

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Post-Production - Structure

For the past 2 weeks I’ve been editing my documentary and so this blog post will look into the manner in which I went about it/ how it came to life and what I did in order to gain such a structure.

To begin with, as I’ve been ridiculously ill on and off I had decided to work from home which if I why the editing software I used was, in fact, iMovie- I could have essentially brought premiere pro but as my bank account was not in the greatest state I decided to do the best that I could with the tools I had.  

In regards to the structure, I found it quite difficult to make a ‘story’ to edit it in a manner in which the audience would be engaged and left wanting more. It started off with no editing at all as I was honestly scared - for reasons that make no sense yet as I thought and thought it through I decided I had to start otherwise I’d get no-where. 

As I edited, I shared the piece as I went along with peers, family members and even random individuals within University. Below are a few notes I received once I had shown the edit above. My first draft.

I then went on to create a more defined structure one I was truly happy with and thus began defining the edit in a more defined way i.e. sound, colour grading and title screen/ credits. 

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Qawwali and Pop

As I further my research on Qawwali as a whole and reflect on the genre through the audience’s opinion- I myself have begun keeping an ear on pop music that uses Qawwali instruments throughout their music. What’s interesting is that in an interview from the Qawwali night with a student called Arooj she discusses her opinion on both Qawwali and Pakistani pop music.

View below:

As I shuffle through my songs, I come across a very old song that I completely forgot uses Qawwali throughout the song: Selena Gomez - Come & Get It

The song/ music video itself opens with 3/4 men within a sandy dessert dressed appropriately with a tabla each. First off, usually it only ever takes one person to play the tabla. Two drums per person and with the basic beat overheard throughout that’s definitely a one-man job. Not only do we hear the tabla but with Urdu lyrics those that sounded very familiar and rightly so. The voice many would assume is of a male artist, but they couldn’t be more wrong. 

The song features a sample from the infamous ‘Masuma Anwar’ she’s a Pakistani pediatric doctor, singer-songwriter and musician the sample used is from her cover of the great Baba Bulleh poem ‘Ni Main Kamli Aan’ which can be heard below:

Hearing/ focusing on Selena’s song makes me think how small the world really is. That an American pop artist like herself could take on a song (sample or not) with such profound lyrics then link to her own song which basically discusses Selena’s desire to rekindle a former romance, claiming she is ready when he's willing to "come and get it." Whereas the lyrics sampled are from a poem as follows- keep in mind the core form of Qawwali originated from poets such as Baba Bulleh.

Overall I wonder what Arooj’s opinion would be on this song ‘Come and Get It’ although it isn’t a direct modernisation from the Qawwal artist themselves but rather so a pop artist using qawwali.

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Ally Adnan, Part 2 - Seminar Overview

The practice of Qawwali in its various forms gained popularity in south Asia due to musicians ascetics, clerics, mystics, philosophers, scholars continue to move to the region of Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and others. 

As mentioned in my previous post, Muslims used Qawwali to attract lower caste Hindus to Islam. The art form of Qawwali for a long time been undoubtedly linked to Islam and Sufism. A link exists between it and the religion but Qawwali predates Islam and its core is and has never been, religion.

“The one and only topic of Qawwali is love. All other topics are derivatives of love.”

The Varan or Varna caste system which was created in 3/5 AD was a system used to divide Hindus into six categories:

1. Brahmins - Priests

2. Kshartriyas - Ruler(s), Administrator(s), Warriors.

3. Vaishyas - Artisans, Merchants, Tradesmen, Farmers.

4. Shudras - Laborers

5. Dalits - Untouchables

6. Lower Caste

Lower caste Hindus were prohibited from reading or studying Hindu scriptures. The arts, books, music, dance were all off-limits to for them. Qawwali was that form/ opportunity for them to indulge in all things that were once forbidden. Qawwali, therefore became popular within the Laborers (Shudras) and the Dalit (Untouchables) who in the end converted to Islam is very large numbers. This being said, Qawwali had then for that reason including, accepting and educating all became so popular/ big. 

Qawwali is and not always is about God, same with religion. It is though in fact always about love. The love of God, a deity, one’s beloved a teacher etc.

Throughout the thirteenth century core aspects of Qawwali the rules and requirements of it developed by Hazrat Amir Khusrau. A 13th century poet, musician, statesmen and philosopher. Developing a rhythmic cycle of eight beats, qawwali taal and several raags - melodic modes.

This tradition has been established by Khusrau having been preserved for more than eight hundred years and is the only one practiced today. Having been known as Khusravi Qawwali. In order to confirm that Khusravi qawwali was understood well by students, practitioners and listeners of the art form, Khusrau trained a group of twelve young musicians to illustrate the form of qawwali he had created. 

These twelve disciples then became known as the ‘Qawwal Bachay’ ‘Qawwali’ is a term used to describe a qawwali artist and bachay loosely translates to babies. So the Qawwal babies. Shortly after forming the group they quickly gained popularity all over the region for their music, poetry and khusravi qawwali. 

“Khusravi qawwali is always performed in adherence to the rules of raag and taal (rhythmic time-cycle), and observes all tenets of Hindustani Sangeet, the music of Pakistan and North India.”

Delhi Ke Qawwal Bachon Ka Gharana - A school of Music was thus established. Having preserved the tradition of the school of music for over eight centuries and continue to practice the art form in Pakistan and India.

“Qawwali can be defined both in terms of poetry and Music”

Khusravi qawwali is always performed in correlation to the rules of raag and taal (rhythmic time-cycle) and observes all tenets of Hidustani Sangeet - the music of Pakistan and North India. 

Bibliography

Internet -

En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Varna (Hinduism). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varna_(Hinduism)#Etymology_and_origins [Accessed 19 Apr. 2018].

Insight, C., Adnan, A., Arts, C., Style, L., INFO, I., English, I. and Urdu, I. (2018). Khusravi Qawwali - Daily Times. [online] Daily Times. Available at: https://dailytimes.com.pk/187111/khusravi-qawwali/ [Accessed 19 Apr. 2018].

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Ally Adnan, Part 1 - Seminar Overview

As mentioned in my previous email I was able to gain an interview with Ally Adnan a day before his seminar on Qawwali which he had also forwarded on to me so that I could look through prior to the session. The seminar was from seven pm till eleven.

The questions I had noted down to ask Ally were as so:

1) Introduce yourself, who you are/ what you do?

2) Why do you think Qawwali is still so prominent today?

3) It says you are a man of many talents, you’re an engineer, graphic artist, fabric/ jewellery designer- a writer? But which of these do you prefer the most, and how did your interest in Qawwali peak?

4) What’s your opinion on the manner in which some musicians attempt to modernise Qawwali? Would you say it affects the experience of the practice/ lyrics? i.e coke studio (a prime and current example of how Qawwali has been modernised for today’s ‘youth’) 

The History, art & Practice of Qawwali  

Ally Adnan, gives his credit to the Qawwali legend that is Ustad Ghulam Fariduddin Ayaz Al-Hussaini. A prestigious and Pakistani Qawwali who entrusted and encouraged Adnan to spread the word of Qawwali. What it is, what it means and how it is practised by him and many other Artists.

Above is a poster for the event that took place on the 12th of April in which Ally Adnan broke down the beginning, adaptation and current form that is Qawwali.

The manner in which he broke down Qawwali was through explaining that Qawwali itself is a celebration of love and without it (love) it would not be Qawwali. Yes most times it follows the story of religion/ God but even when artists do sing about their lord it is always to express the love they have for their creator. In awe of everything he does, has done and will continue to do.

Screenshot 1

Screenshot 2

“Qawwali can be but is not always about God. It can be but is not always about religion: It is, however, always about love.”

What I found most interesting about his use of explaining Qawwali through love was that he particularly chose the Urdu translation for love. The reason for Urdu is because Qawwali gained its popularity within South Asia specifically Pakistan and India and was used as a means to attract non-Muslims to Islam.

Screenshot - 3 

Ishq - عشق

عشق, within the Urdu language is used as one form of explaining ‘Love’ love can also be translated as محبت, Mohabbat which is the core form of ‘Love’ Ishq is an infatuation of another. When you ‘mohabbat’ someone you miss them, you long for them- however, once you’ve fallen in ‘ishq’ you think of no-one else but that person, being, creator. You need them always, your only thought is of them.

Screenshot 4

Qawwali has existed in many forms and has been around for almost thirty-two thousand years. The oldest oral tradition being Vedic chants followed by other forms such as zikr and Samaa. 

Zikr or (dhikr) is a devotional manner in which the believer recites the names and attributes repeatedly and in rhythm, to achieve a state of trance. Zikr, through Islam, as taught to me has always been a form for my family and I to praise Allah through short phrases/ prayers which are repeated and recited either vocally or mentally and usually counted with Tasbih (prayer beads) similar to that of Catholic tradition. 

Tasbih

Samaa is another form of devotional practice which involves singing, the playing of musical instruments, dancing, praying and recitation of poetry/ several other rituals. Used to achieve a higher spiritual state.

Vedic Chants - the tradition of Vedic Mantars, the srauta is the oldest forms of oral tradition in existence. Having begun during the Vedic period as the Mahabharata and the Ramayana took place during this period in which these two poems were only spoken (repeatedly)

The Mahabharata is an epic poem that follows the narrative of the Kurukshetra War and its fates of the Kurawa and Pandava Princes; as well as containing philosophical and devotional material such the discussion of the ‘four goals of life’ or commonly known as ‘Purusartha’ - meaning the object of human pursuit.

The Ramayana also an ancient Indian epic poem which narrates the struggle of divine prince Rama who is on a journey to rescue his wife Sita from the demon king ‘Ravana’ Prince Rama is exiled to the forest by order of his Father, the king.

iTunes/ Apple 

I personally have not read either of these texts but from the context and understanding of what they discuss they remind me of the actual lyrics from Qawwali - in which the artists will sing the praises of their lord in regards to how merciful and wondrous they are. That their end goal is to be with him and please only their lord. That the virtues of this life, mean nothing if it doesn’t equate to their creator.

An example of this can be shown below, I’ve added the translation of the lyrics below.

Coke Studio

“Parh parh ilm te faazil hoya You read to become all knowledgable

Te kaday apnay aap nu parhya ee na But you never read yourself

Bhaj bhaj warna ay mandir maseeti You run to enter your mosques and temples)

Te kaday mann apnay wich warya ee na But you never entered your own heart

Larna ay roz shaitaan de naal Everyday you fight Satan

Te kadi nafs apnay naal larya ee na But you never fight your own Ego

Bulleh Shah asmaani ud-deya pharonda ay Bulleh Shah you try grabbing that which is in the sky

Te jera ghar betha unoon pharya ee na But you never get hold of what sits inside yourself

Bas kareen o yaar Stop it all my friend

Ilm-oun bas kareen o yaar stop seeking all this knowledge my friend

Ik Alif teray darkaar Only an Alif is what you need

Bas kareen o yaar stop it all my friend

Ilm-oun bas kareen o yaar… Stop seeking all this knowledge my friend

Allah Sayyaan Allah Sayyaan God is Greatness, God is All

Nee main jaanaa Jogi de naal I shall follow the Jogi {ascetic/Sufi}

Jo naa jaane, Haqq ki taaqat those who deny the strength of Truth

Rab naa devey us ko Himmat God does not give them courage

Hum Mann ke darya mein doobey We have drowned in the river of Self

Kaisi nayya? Kya manjhdhaar… the boat and the flowing waters do not matter

Bas kareen o yaar stop it all my friend

Ilm-oun bas kareen o yaar stop seeking all this knowledge my friend

Allah Sayyaan Allah Sayyaan God is Greatness, God is All”

- Word, M. - Aik Alif, Baba Bulleh.

As well as this, this is a prime example of how Qawwali as a form has adapted to attract the youth of today as well as a few years back. This clip has been taken from the live music sessions of ‘Coke Studio’ in which they take classical artists such as Saieen Zahoor Ahmad, a leading Sufi musician originating from Pakistan who has spent most of his life within/ amongst Sufi shrines who was then paired with the Pakistani rock band that is Noori to create this rendition of the classic ‘Aik Alif’ a poem written by the Punjabi Islamic philosopher and Sufi poet Baba Bulleh Shah himself. 

I feel as though renditions like these are a really useful/ powerful reminder to the youth of Pakistan in relation to their roots. As I watch clips like these I tend to refer back to the interviews I’ve taken especially with lecturers like Ally Adnan who with ease discusses why he believes Qawwali should not be modernised other than through recording techniques. See below:

Bibliography:

Online:

En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Dhikr. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhikr [Accessed 21 Apr. 2018].

World, M., World, M. and profile, V. (2018). Aik Alif. [online] Ilovesunrise.blogspot.co.uk. Available at: http://ilovesunrise.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/aik-alif.html [Accessed 21 Apr. 2018].

Videography:

KhanAcademy (2017). The Vedic Period. [video] Available at: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/world-history-beginnings/ancient-india/v/introduction-to-the-vedic-period [Accessed 19 Apr. 2018].

Coke Studio (2009). Aik Alif - Noori & Saieen Zahoor. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra5nTlty6CM [Accessed 21 Apr. 2018].

Images:

The History, art & Practice of Qawwali Image (2018). [image] Available at: Offline/ PDF File. [Accessed 18 Apr. 2018].

Screenshot 1 (2018). [image] Available at: Offline/ PDF File. [Accessed 18 Apr. 2018].

Screenshot 2 (2018). [image] Available at: Offline/ PDF File. [Accessed 18 Apr. 2018].

Screenshot 3 (2018). [image] Available at: Offline/ PDF File. [Accessed 18 Apr. 2018].

Screenshot 4 (2018). [image] Available at: Offline/ PDF File. [Accessed 18 Apr. 2018].

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Pre-Production Thoughts

As I’ve been filming, I’ve been looking into possibly changing the direction of my documentary in the regard of focusing the documentary more so on ‘The Music Room’ and its founder ‘Rahmat’ rather than looking into Qawwali itself – as my limit for this documentary is ten minutes and so gaining information/ possible interviewees who focus specifically on Qawwali within London has been difficult. Not to say I haven’t gained content on Qawwali itself but more so regarding classical Indian music.

I was able to gain an interview with a man who is on a personal mission to educate the youth and everyone else on the art that is Qawwali what it is/ how it began where it is now. I was fortunate enough to sit in on his seminar that took place at SOAS University on the 12th April. Just before I had given myself a deadline to complete filming, the shots I gained, unfortunately (my mistake) were slanted even though I had my tri-pod. Though the set-up of the seminar was with odd lighting thus regardless of how I had set up my camera the shots would have most probably been slacking visually. Fortunately, I had my microphone and was able to gain audio of the whole seminar which I hope will essentially give my documentary more of a factual vibe to it. 

The man himself that is on this mission? Ally Adnan. 

https://www.facebook.com/BBCAsianNetwork/videos/10160343758475381/

I found out about Ally through the brilliant Junaid (the young tabla player) who informed me of this seminar taking place but in Manchester & Birmingham – I was willing to travel out to these locations but researched into the seminar itself to find out that there would be a session here in Central London and so purchased my ticket and emailed the organisers ‘Mehfil Arts’ to confirm that I could film. The response was quick, but information slacked. I had fully explained why I would like to cover the evening and if it would be possible to gain an interview with both Ally Adnan and the featured artists – to which they responded they would discuss with Ally himself then confirm with me. Which made sense but then coming up to four days till the event they had not emailed any confirmation or response which was odd, so I decided to reach out myself in which the response was pathetic. That they assumed I was no longer interested, quite rude really as they had both my email and mobile number they could have easily gotten in contact confirmed that I was indeed still eagerly waiting for their response but no.

And so very last minute I was offered an hour interview with All Adnan himself on the 11th of April (day before his seminar) who was absolutely lovely and not only answered all questions with passion and information but also offered me unused footage of himself speaking in depth regarding Qawwali as a practice.

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TMR - Shoot 2 (Shoot Review)

The shoot with Vishal Vaid and co went extremely well in regard to the night and the number of shots taken throughout I was able to gain angles from both right, left and centre as well as short interviews with the accompanying musicians (Guitar and Harmonium player) 

As shown below you are able to see the manner in which I’ve broken down the shots/ clips that I filmed throughout the evening as well as from this shoot but from previous days too. Creating a log form making it easier for me once I begin editing.

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TMR - Shoot 2, The Artists

Every session at TMR begins at 19:30 until 21:00 where refreshments are provided, then after a fifteen-minute break the audience is asked to return back to the area for part two of the evening which usually consists of a solo performance by one of the musicians. The time in which this finish varies, and all dependent on the Musicians. If they feel comfortable enough to continue on they are welcome to as said by Rahmat. 

(From left to right: Ustad Shahbaz Hussain, Vishal Vaid, Siddarth Singh and Sher Nikzad)

In this case for Vishal Vaid, was accompanied by Ustad Shahbaz Hussain who was on Tabla, Siddarth Singh (on guitar) and Sher Nikzad who also played the harmonium.  The opening consisted of a collective performance by all five, but after 21:00 begun Sher Nikzad's solo harmonium performance. In which Vishal was most excited for. 

Ustad Shahbaz Hussain on the Tabla

Ustad Shahbaz Hussain is considered one of the most promising and versatile tabla players of his generation. Having received a number of praises for his captivating performances i.e. "Son of Lahore" from the Government of Pakistan in 2008. Having begun his relationship with the tabla at age five alongside his Father the late Ustad Mumtaz Hussain (a prestigious vocalist) Hussain went on to study the tabla with other fellow musicians such as the late Ustad Shaukat Hussain Khan and Ustad Allah Rakha Khan.

Fun fact - Ustad Shahbaz Hussain is also Junaid's teacher! (the aspiring tabla player featured in my earlier posts) 

Siddarth Singh is one of the musicians I was quite interested in as he was the only musician performing who was not playing a traditional Indian instrument. Luckily I was able to capture a short interview with Siddarth, in which we discussed just that.

Sher Nikzad on the other hand based in Switzerland originally begun by playing the tabla - but due to an incident involving neighbours lost confidence and stopped playing but then shortly encouraged by his Father to continue on pursuing Music but through the harmonium. 

I was able to capture a short interview with both Nikzad and Singh, in which they further discuss their passion for this style of music.

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TMR - Shoot 2 (Friday - Preparation)

This Friday back with popular demand is the Farsi and Urdu Ghazal prodigy Vishal Vaid having trained in the traditional art of ghazal since he was three years old. Vaid’s performances fuse Eastern and Western with ancient and contemporary to create magical music. Having performed across the world from New York, London, India, and Morocco. This is not Vaid’s first performance at The Music Room either, having performed last December in 2016 and sold out. 

Vishal Vaid on left, right unknown

I'm interested in hearing how Vishal has successfully been able to combine both eastern and western styles of music together without making it sound overly Western - as most reviews of him have been positive. Not to say that there are no other artists who follow a similar suit, but what’s interesting about this night is that he will, in fact, be doing so but with ‘Ghazals’ (a poem fixed with a number of verses and a repeated rhyme - typically on the theme of love) 

As this is Vishal’s second performance at TMR, I’m looking forward to filming!

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The Music Room - Shoot 1 (Saturday)

After researching into ‘The Music Room’ I took it upon myself to get into contact with TMR in regards to filming a possible event in which I could get more shots of the location and an understanding of how intimate the events were. Rahmat Simab, Founder of The Music Room was an absolute pleasure to speak to on phone and was very eager to be involved in the production which I was very happy to hear. Rahmat also allowed my cinematographer and I to attend the shoot free of charge, when he usually charges £20-35 per ticket which I was very grateful for. 

insert flyer

The event I attended consisted of two artists performing together; Ustad Kamal Sabri and Pandit Sanju Sahai who both play traditional classical instruments - Sabri who plays the Sarangi and Sahai with the Tabla. As well as this, accompanying them on the second sarangi is Ustad Kamal Sabri disciple Gurpreet Singh.

Pandit Sanju Sahai, on the Tabla

Pandit Sanju Sahai, had always been known as the child prodigy having given his first tabla solo performance at a major festival at the age of nine. Considered one of the finest and most sought-after tabla players of his generation. He gained his Bachelor of Music at the age of thirteen and Master of Music at eighteen years of age. 

What’s interesting about Sahai is that he is the 6th generation of Tabla players belonging to the Benares Gharana (lineage, which started from the 1780′s) and with every performance, he leaves his audience dumbfounded with his mesmerising and captivating passion when he plays. 

If you had to define Qawwali, as an instrument the first would be the pump organ otherwise known as a harmonium. The second instrument linked to Qawwali would be the tabla. It seems to me, that the tabla is the perfect accompaniment to any other instrument as I witnessed last weekend it truly is a mesmerising instrument and it’s player a master.

From left to right: Pandit Sanju Sahai, Ustad Kamal Sabri, and Gurpreet Singh

Ustad Kamal Sabri, on the Sarangi

Ustad Kamal Sabri was first introduced to music by his Father and trainer from the tender age of five. Considered a child prodigy, he soon made an impact on the music world with his talent. Representing the seventh generation of respected Sarangi advocates. Sabri the son of Sarangi legend Ustad Sabri Khan Sahab has taken on from his lessons and re-invented the art of the instrument in his own way whilst maintaining the legacy of his Gharana. 

Gharana derives from the Hindi word ‘Ghar’ which originated from Sanskrit for ‘Griha’ which means ‘house’ - Gharana typically refers to the place where the musical ideology originated i.e. Sabri’s father - Ustad Sabri Khan Shahab.

Sabri has been responsible for popularising Sarangi on a global scale and redefining it for the masses- having demonstrated profound versatility in playing the sarangi and has introduced innovations like adding a cello string to his instrument; the sarangi.

The sarangi is considered as a Qawwali instrument and this type of reformation of a classical instrument is an example of how much the genre has progressed. Sabri himself took the idea of adding a cello string to his instrument, and for some, it is considered disrespectful whereas others find it liberating. This is just one example of how artists attempt to rekindle and modernise a single instrument to the needs of the youth or in this case for himself. 

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Practical Work - Qawwali Night @ The Hilton Hotel

                                       Afreen, Qawali Night

Prior to falling ill, I had booked myself and my cinematographer tickets to a University-led Qawwali night in which the group ‘Chand Ali Khan Group’ performed - and so I thought it’d be a perfect place to film and gain opinions on Qawwali as a genre and practice. 

As I was unable to make the event, I asked a very close friend of mine who has directed/ produced a number of shorts if she could attend in my absence and she agreed. Luckily, my cinematographer and friend had met so knew each-other personally. 

The evening started off quite smoothly with a boat ride to (and from the event) however, once my team had reached the event hall there seemed to be some confusion with the event hosts. With them stating that they were un-informed that I'd be filming tonight- however I had sent out an email to them months ago. Although the issues were resolved quickly, the manner in which the Pakistani Society dealt with it left me quite aggravated. My director friend, had rung me there and then so I could speak to the president/ team in which they attempted to discuss me and my crew 'secretly' only forgetting I was on the line hearing everything they said.

Within the email, I broke down what I planned on filming, who and the questions I would like to ask not only the performers but the attendees of the event. To gain an understanding of what/ why they follow this genre why it appeals to them. The questions were as followed:

1. How did you first get introduced to Qawwali? 

2. Why (or not) do you have an interest in Qawwali? 

3. How (if applicable) has it affected your upbringing and or current view on Qawwali/ Pakistan? 

4. What's your opinion- if any on the manner in which Qawwali as a genre & music form is evolving? i.e. the additional instruments: guitar, bass, violin etc. 

5. Why Qawwali (again if applicable) and not generic Pakistani pop music? 

6. Do you think, today's Qawwali has been modified in any way to adjust to the current "youth" of Pakistan? Whether based there or not. 

7. Do you have a favourite Qawwali artist? 8. Using one word define/ explain Qawwali!

As I was unable to attend it was annoying for me as I truly wanted to be apart and present for my first shoot however due to my illness there was nothing I could do and so sent my crew a production schedule, brief shot-list, and call-sheet. In which I attempted to explain what I wanted/ layout as best as I could- but I trusted my team.

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UPDATE/ CATCH-UP

                                         I’ve been ill, I’m sorry!

Still taken from The Music Room Shoot, 10th March 2018

Before, I carry on with posts which may not connect or be disconnected to one another I’d like to explain the reason why that is. Throughout the month of February and late January I was busy campaigning for a position within my University and so found myself putting more time and effort into that than my research- therefore my posts have been lack-of and rare. 

I would like to say that as soon as it finished I tried my utmost to focus on my research, however, was unable to because as soon as it was over I fell ill. I was bed-bound for over two weeks - one would think I could work on my blog throughout those weeks but this illness was like one I’d never experienced. 

My body fell completely weak, so much so that even when I woke up I could barely leave my bed. It was difficult to even walk to the bathroom, downstairs, to the kitchen. 

Long story short, the lack of posts were due to me falling ill, but I am better now! And passionate as ever and so excited to share with you all what I’ve been up to. Having partaken in two shoots, both consisting of live music. 

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Discovery: The Music Room

                          The Music Room @ Friends Hearth

Throughout the production/ research of this project I met with ‘Junaid’ a young tabla player who informed me of the above location entitled ‘The Music Room’ I thought nothing of it but knew I wanted to look into the location and I’m very glad I did. 

The Music Room at Friends Hearth is a haven space for all lovers of classical Indian Music. Having opened up during the late 2000′s TMR has always been considered and originated as a safe space for lovers of classical Indian Music. The reason being, the owner, and founder; Rahmat Simab originates from Afghanistan and migrated in his teens during the 1980′s as the mujaheddin and later the Taliban came into power music was strangled, instruments smashed and musicians/ artists publicly humiliated. 

Rahmat was inspired by the Mogul Emperor Shahjahan’s monument of love, the Taj Mahal, which was built for his beloved Mumtaz. Although no way in comparison to the Taj Mahal - the passion and love that Simab put into the TMR is evident in the amount of effort put towards the artists who perform and the number of events held within a year. 

Below, are a few posters from current and previous events hosted by TMR.

The Music Room has so far had the honour of hosting many distinguished artists, such as Ustad Wajahat Khan, Smt. Swati Natekar, Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan to name a few.

“TMR is a well-developed and fully-equipped musical studio and function room for live shows as well as audio-visual recordings. The facility can accommodate around 90 persons, with half being floor seated, suitable for Afghan traditional music as well as Indian ghazal and classical performances. The stage can accommodate up to 7 performers at any one time and is fitted with spotlighting, a professional in-house sound system for audio recordings and high definition videography. TMR is also equipped with a ceiling-mounted projector and a supersized 3x2m screen for educational video and slideshows, as well as art-related documentaries. It also has the facility to live stream concerts and shows worldwide.”

What I’m planning on doing next:

Gaining a point of contact with TMR

Seeking out Rahmat Simab (Founder/ Creator)

Hopefully gaining some footage with both the founder and the location

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Research: Sufi Poet; Siraj Aurangabadi

                                                       سراج اورنگ آبادی‬‎ 

A mystic poet, from Aurangabad Maharashtra India known for his many ghazals (a poem fixed with a number of verses and a repeated rhyme - typically on the theme of love) as well as being known for his ghazals Siraj also gained popularity due to his masnavi. Masnavi being, a series of six books of poetry rounded up to an amount of 25,000 verses or 50,000 lines. It’s considered a spiritual text which teaches Sufis how to reach the goal of truly being in love with God.

Siraj was influenced by many Persian poets like Hafiz. Siraj gave ghazal a new feeling/ mystical experience. His ghazals have two layers- mystical and metaphysical (a form of philosophy) and the other layer being secular and physical. Siraj lived a life of isolation, but was in constant presence of ‘students’ younger poets and admirers who gathered at his home for poetic instruction and religious improvement. Being one of the two front ranking poets who actually led a life of mystic and Sufism. 

One of his most popular works is “Khabar E Tahayyur E Ishq Sun” been sung by many famous qawwali artists such as Abida Parveen, Ustad Farid Ayaz and Ustad Abu Muhammad.

View Below:

The poem’s title is translated to: “News of loves bewilderment” and it’s lyrics can be roughly translated as such:

“Hear news of love's bewilderment: no beauty remains, no feverish madness

no you remains, no I remains - all that remains is unselfconsciousness

A wind blew in from the unseen world, scorching the garden of appearances

On pain's bare branch, just one bud - call it the heart - remains in greenness

Just now, the king of oblivion has bestowed upon me nakedness's royal robe

No stitch of discernment's propriety remains, no veil-rending insanity's lewdness

With what tongue can I express complaint against my beloved's negligent gaze?

Take from my heart's wine-vat a hundred cups - it remains brimming in fullness

Your beauty's power stirs up bewildering tumult here to such extent that the mirror reflects no charred devotee, no idol - its face remains imageless.”

The lyrics as translated above, though could never do the original justice are a rough translation of what is being sung in the above video of Ustad Farid Ayaz and Ustad Abu Muhammad performing the Siraj ghazal ‘Khabar E Tahayyur E Ishq Sun’

As the poem is sung, you can see the emphasis on certain lines/ phrases sung by Ustad Farid Ayaz there is a constant repetition of certain lines/ words this being to enhance its meaning and importance to not only Siraj’s students but the current audience that Ayaz is singing to. 

i.e. “With what tongue can I express complaint against my beloved's negligent gaze?”

One of the core principles of Islam has always been that Allah, the most just is final. His decisions are ones that we cannot fathom to understand. So as someone who a fellow Muslim my first thought of what this lyric could mean is Sarij exclaiming his love for Allah, for how wonderful he is. That he is unable to question one thing of his creation, as he is the almighty. Proclaiming that his opinion of the work of the almighty is unworthy as he refers to his voice as a ‘tongue’

The lyrics are crucial for devotional listeners/ followers of Sufism- understanding the lyrics or the poem is a dimension of learning, much like how Siraj would break down his learning of religion and his love for God for his fellow students. As Qawwali derives from written poetry, Siraj’s ‘Khabar E Tahayyur E Ishq Sun’ is a perfect example of how an artist has taken teachings from the holy book, in this case, the Qur’an and drawn metaphors from sources such as such, hadith and other Sufi literature. 

Bibliography:

Articles:

1. Kugle, S. 2007, "Qawwali Between Written Poem and Sung Lyric, Or . . . How a Ghazal Lives", The Muslim World, vol. 97, no. 4, pp. 571-610.

Internet:

1. En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Siraj Aurangabadi. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siraj_Aurangabadi [Accessed 2 Mar. 2018].

2. Hartford Seminar. (2018). The Muslim World Journal. [online] Available at: https://www.hartsem.edu/macdonald-center/the-muslim-world-journal/ [Accessed 2 Mar. 2018].

Books: 

1. Google Books. (2018). When Sun Meets Moon. [online] Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=KMo3CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA32&dq=Hear+news+of+love%27s+bewilderment:+no+beauty+remains,+no+feverish+madness&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwit6K2B0svZAhVBB8AKHUbMCeEQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=Hear%20news%20of%20love's%20bewilderment%3A%20no%20beauty%20remains%2C%20no%20feverish%20madness&f=false [Accessed 2 Mar. 2018].

Video: 

1. YouTube. (2016). Qawwali - Khabar e Tahayyur e Ishq Sun - Ghazal by Siraj Aurangabadi. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb5XaLXZ2iM [Accessed 2 Mar. 2018].

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Research: Coke Studio

Coke Studio is a Pakistani music television series, which showcases live studio-recorded music performances by a variety of artists. Covering a variety of genres such as eastern classical, folk, bhangra, Qawwali, Sufi (both forms of devotional music) and contemporary hip-hop, rock and pop music. So far the show has been running since 2008, present with a total of 10 seasons; currently working on their 11th. If I could compare the show, it would be similar to weekly uploads of Radio 1’s live lounge. Yet they have a mixture of artists come in and collaborate with a live band always present.

My first encounter with this beautiful programme was during the late summer of 2012, I had traveled back to Pakistan with family for our Uncles wedding as we sat reminiscing about old memories. My aunt decided to play some music, and at first, I assumed it would be generic Bollywood- but I was so wrong. What awaited me were a number of classics remastered and interpreted by present artists and past as shown below is the original and under the cover.

The original song, sung by The Sabri Brothers a Pakistani Sufi Qawwali (devotional) band. The Sabri Brothers are still to this day considered as the first exponents of qawwali music to the West when they performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 1975.

The cover is sung by Atif Aslam during his appearance of Coke Studio Season 8 (last year) still followed the Qawwali genre with lyrics still intact- yet incorporating his own unique style to it with vocals that any Pakistani could guess. It’s quite interesting now that I think about it though, that the manner in which Pakistan is reaching out to its target audience is through covers of classics. In a way reuniting children with their parents. Giving them a topic of discussion. As for me personally,  it was refreshing liberating to see my countries music being played and sung by musicians who my parents had listened to throughout their teenage years and me as a little girl. What amazed me the most, was to see artists that I loved covering the same artists that my parents love. It was another form for us to bond over/ sing together.

The Sabri Brothers, led by Haji Ghulam Farid Sabri and his younger brother, Haji Maqbool Ahmed Sabri, were known for their range of Urdu Sufi poems. They had complete control and understanding of what they sang thus allowing them to have full control over their audience and their reaction.  

“It is the listener who is the central figure of the devotional act of singing qawwali. It is the listener to whom the singers direct the messages of the songs. It is the listener with whom the singers interact and who helps determine what verses are sung” - Sakata, Hiromi Lorraine

It’s a first that I’ve seen the argument of qawwali being performed and listened to live in comparison to listening to a studio recorded version. I have to say, to some extent I agree. Listening and being connected with the artist as he reinforces each sentence/ phrase by repeating it three to four times and having the audience react with exclaims/ praise really gives the song, lyrics, artist and audience a new meaning. One that they feed off one another.

Bibliography

1. The Sabri Brothers - Tajdar-e-Haram. (2011). [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFMLmCs19Gk [Accessed 18 Feb. 2018].

2.  Atif Aslam, Tajdar-e-Haram, Coke Studio Season 8, Episode 1. (2015). [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a18py61_F_w [Accessed 18 Feb. 2018].

3. Sakata, Hiromi Lorraine. “Asian Music.” Asian Music, vol. 29, no. 2, 1998, pp. 149–151. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/834372. [Accessed 18 Feb. 2018].