Raag Hameer - Two tempting takes

Hameer is a particularly beautiful raag, one perfectly suited for devotional songs. Munshi Raziuddin and Party delivered a wonderful performance of the raag in 1992, using the bandish "lag lagin mori". Here it is:



Another lovely rendition comes from Mohammad Rafi. Listen to
it here.

Both versions are equally electrifying, though Munshi Razi's is more complex and Rafi's caters to the needs of the popular cinema.

Interestingly, in the crescendo at the end, Munshiji's version appears to incorporate the "Mridang baje titakitadhum ..." (the drum beats ...) lines which Rafi sings at 2:59 mins and later at 4:05. The Razi recording is unclear, but the similarities are striking.

Perhaps that evening in '92, the master classical qawwal wished to cover the master playback singer's all-time classic, as great musicians often do with one another's masterpieces. More likely, it's nothing more than a blogger's fleeting fantasy.

Beautiful Alaap to "Merey Baney Ki Baat Na Poonccho"

Sometimes the Alaap to a classical style qawwali is the most beautiful part even though it may not be the climax or be very intense. Here is an example that I really loved. "Merey Baney Ki Baat Na Poonccho" in the praise of Prophet Muhammad PBUH.

Please leave your comments about the kalam (poetry) or the andaaz (style).

Raag Shahana - Ameer Khusrau

A regal raag and a beautiful bandish fuse together as Munshi Raziuddin presents the raag shahana: the composition, the ghazal, and the taal, all three are Amir Khusrau's invention.

Listen here: Raag Shahana

The qawwali ends with a spontaneous transition into "Hajrat khaja sung khailiye dhamal", instantly changing the mood from melancholy to joy, a wonderful effect that will not be new to Munshi Raziuddin fans.

Qawali - Kabhee Abshaar Kabhee Phuaar

Attempts to do justice in words to an artistic performance are feeble at best, but I will attempt it regardless. This was the third time that I have been priveleged to listen to Farid Ayaz and Abu Mohammad Qawal and hamnawa in the last 1 year, and every time the experience has been more pleasureable than the last. I must commend the organizers at the Center for a superbly arranged event this time as well.

Farid Ayaz and Abu Mohammad have been able to combine great poetry with great singing to deliver a transportive experience to the listener. However, it is their obvious devotion to the art of Qawali itself, as well as to the poetry and the deeper meanings they are able to convey so simply and beautifully, that makes listening to them such a powerful experience. For a few hours, one is taken away to another place and time, where the realities of our prosaic existence do not intrude, and our minds are soothed by the glorious words flowing around us. And it ends all too soon and we go back to a daily existence that is made perhaps a little more bearable as we think back to the experience and the other places it took us...

I must end on a note of praise for the people of Toronto, who participated in a manner which would have made Khusrau proud...

Qawwali recital in 2007 - "Spirit of the Sufis"

Last year there was a similar Tour of Canada. The four hour event in Montreal was entitled "Spirit of the Sufis". A set of two CDs of this recording was produced with the help of Kabir Cultural Centre. Enjoy listening below:



Farid Ayaz Ensemble, Live in Concert at the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall, Montreal.

A high quality recording. The set of two CDs may be purchased for a price

of CA $20 plus shipping payable by draft or money order to:

Kabir Cultural Centre
472 Grosvenor Avenue
Westmount QC
H3Y 2S4
Canada

Shipping by Canada Post: $5 - Canada, $8 - USA,
Shipping by Mail : $10 - Worlwide

Naghma-e-Qudusi, Allah Hoo (Intense recital)

View pretty intense qawwali recital on video by Farid Ayaz and Abu Muhammad

: Allah Hoo

Saheb Mera Aik Hai

The following is in the true spirit of the sufi and the original qawwali of mystics and saints like Nizamuddin aulia.

Kabir's kalam is alive and flourishing around the world, but rare to be heard in qawwali form. Farid Ayaz has helped to bring it to life in this genre. I feel compelled to mention Munshi Raziuddin saheb as he was Farid Ayaz's ustad and father, without whom a lot of the verses we hear here would have been lost to our ears. Raziuddin saheb passed his love for Kabir to Farid, who continues to be fascinated by his philosophy.

This kalam is reflective of how Kabir's poetry transcends religious boundaries and unites humanity in the Sub-Continent.

I'd like to dedicate this to the late father of my friend Deepak Khatnani who lives in the Canary Islands, Spain and is a serious lover of traditional qawwali. Deepak intended to come to Canada to attend the qawwali recital "Sufi Eternal" but could not do so. Afsos key in key waalid kucch din pehley khuda ko pyarey ho gaye. We share a love for music and sufiana kalam.

We may be from different faiths but our spiritual quest is common, and I'd like to celebrate our friendship here as people do at various dargahs in India and Pakistan.

Listen online here: Saheb Mera Aik Hai

The best qawwali programme ever!! - April 3 - Ottawa

The best qawwali programme ever!!

This was overwhelmingly the comment from the audience who attended the function.The kalaam rendered that evening was scintillating and touched every one's heart. Farid's performance that evening was par excellence and showed that he was responding to the vibes coming from the crowd.The question being asked is "when are they coming back".

Thank you Arif for being part of this great cultural event.Hopefully we can do it on a much larger scale next time.

Javed Somra

Farid Ayaz - Qawwal friends in Ottawa, April 3, 2008

The honor was all ours to be the lucky ones to host our Qawwal friends in Ottawa once again this year. I’ll have to really search hard for any negative comments as the feedback by 99.99% of the audience was of the shock and awe of the most positive kind. They were asking if the group will be back in Ottawa next year. In fact there was someone who wanted a private mehfil at his home when they are here next time.

Having said the above, I am amongst one of those who thought that we should have had at least one more hour of Qawwalis. Next time we will think of starting early…say at 6 pm.

FYI, we have reliable information that Mustafa was seen doing dhammal at work next day. Perhaps he was still under their magical spell.



Rgds,

Arshad

Listen online: Nagri Wassey Shala

Kabir Cultural Centre presented "Sufi Eternal" - Farid Ayaz Qawwal Ensemble - April 5, 2008

Indeed it reminds me of the verses my "Urdu teacher" in Lahore
often used to sing, now nearly half a century ago:

"Sheikh-ji berahaman sey kiun aap jhigartey hain,
Gar Khuda Qaawey mey rahen to but-khaney mey koun?"

Having lived through two terrible ethno-religious conflicts in my life and
suffered losses in the immdiate family on both occasions, I feel more than
ever that we all need to absorb in our lives the universalist philosophies
of our Indian sages, be they sufis, be they rhishis, be they Hindus,

Muslims or just plain agnostics. Tagore, in a supremely beautiful poem
once compared India's peoples to a vast ocean and said:

"Here Arayans, non-Aryans, Dravidians, the Chinese
The Sakas, the Huns, Pathans and Moghuls have all
Incarnated into the same body".
("Hethay aarjo, hetha onaarjo, hethay drabir chin,
Shok hun dol pathan moghol, eek dehe holo lin")

I think this particular event brought to us the essence of that truth with
the intensity of divine music. Kiran and Arif and all the others who
worked to make this happen deserve not only our thanks but out deepest
appreciation.

Vive le sage Kabir, Jai-Kabir-Zindabad!

Twareque
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S. Twareque Ali, Professor
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Concordia University
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No words to describe last night's Mehfil-e-Samaa. An evening of pure ecstasy. Hard to descend from "that" high.

May your home be blessed with many more Mehfils

Cheers.
Harji Family
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kamaal kar diya. Dil khol kar hum logon ki khatir ki. Bahut bahut Shukriya. Sushma and I will like to thank Kiran Bahan and you again for a very memorable and beautiful evening. The music was superb and so as your hospitality

Biren

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It was a fabulous event last evening, followed by a most unlikely double-first today, the first time ever that Farid Ayaz Ensemble has sung in a Hindu temple and the first time that the Hindu Temple in West Island has ever had a Pakistani group (and devout Muslims) singing on their premises.

This later event was even more remarkable for the great appreciation from the audience at the temple, the money showered on the artists and the great fraternity displayed by the Sufi artists in all their singing and communication to the audience. Special thanks go to Arif Bhai and Kiran Behan for bringing the artists from Pakistan and bearing the brunt of all the logistics.

Please find an announcement for our next event on KCC website. It is a fascinating and tragi-comic film and seeing it will be time well-spent. I do hope I shall be in town to see it on big screen.

Raghu
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Looking at these images is sending chills up my spine. Can't wait to see the videos.

Deepak Khatnani, Canary Islands, Spain

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Page from the Program Brochure:

Mera ey Charkha Naulakha - Bulleh Shah

Singer: Sain Muhammad Ali
Kalaam: Baba Bulleh Shah
Credits - kullifaqirdi on youtube.com
Translation by lahoriali

1. Maira aye charKha naoN laKha kuRey
"My existence is priceless" (Here charKha - a yarn spinning wheel - is used as a symbol of life and one's experience through life)

2. NeuN katdi katdi pakka kuRey
Matured and nurtured by my (selfless) love

3. MeiN tey mang RanjheN di hoi aN
I've given myself to my Ranjha

4. Mera babul karda aye dhakka kurey
But people force me to abandon my beloved

5. "LokaN bhaNey chaak mahiN da"
For others, Ranjha is only a meager servant

6. "Mairey paa da Makkah kurey"
For me he is my Mecca

7. "LokaN bhaNey ishq soKhala"
People think to love is easy

8. "Aye ishq nahiN chaDda phakka kuRey"
Love destroys everything and leaves nothing behind

9. "Bulleh Shah naiN sach kar jata"
Bulleh Shah realized the truth

10. "Maira Shah Anayet guru pakka kuRey"
Shah Anayet is indeed my true spiritual leader (murshid)

Farid Ayaz Qawwal's 2008 Tour of Canada

Farid Ayaz qawwal, Abu Muhammad and ensemble will be performing in Canada during April 2008. Here are their tour dates and schedule:

Tour of Canada - April 2008

April 3 - 7.00 pm
Orleans Theatre, 255 Centrum Bould., Ottawa
Admission: $30 : Information: 613-692-3017, 613-692-6790

April 5 - 7.00 pm
Oscar Peterson Concert Hall, Loyola Campus, Concordia University
7141 Sherbrook St. W.
Parking: On Loyola campus
Admission: $20 (Seniors/Students), $25, $50 Tickets at www.admission.com Tel: (514) 790-1245
Information: (514) 586-3148, (514) 695-3264

April 7 - 8.00 pm - Farshi Mehfil at Brossard.
Information: (514) 586-3148

April 11 - 8.00 pm
Private Mehfil in the Toronto area.

April 12 - 7.00 pm
Noor Cultural Centre, 123 Wynford Drive,

Toronto, Ontario, M3C 1K1 , Phone: (416) 444-7148

April 13 - 8.00 pm
Private Mehfil in the Toronto area.

In order to book your own event on any of the free days between April 6 to April 10 please contact: (514) 586-3148