The Dream Journey – Discovering Musicians Across Pakistan

dreamjourneyfilm@gmail.com

Contributions may be made at:
PayPal: goo.gl/4VXB0D

Ustad Abdullah Niazi & Waqas Niazi

What began as a whimsical idea quickly took shape with the infectious enthusiasm of participants and was recorded by Mahera Omar as a labor of love. The Dream Journey is an audiovisual project celebrating an exhilarating series of journeys across Pakistan's musical landscape. It has so far recorded 24 musicians in nine different cities mostly in their living environments. 

The sessions of vocal music were recorded and filmed using high quality DSLRs. They cover several musical forms in the Indo Pakistani tradition; Thumri, Kaafi, Ghazal, Qawwali and Khyaal. The kalaams that the musicians drew from ranged the whole spectrum of great poets: Khusrau, Jalal ud din Rumi, Kabir, Baba Bulleh Shah, Waris Shah, Iqbal, Faiz and numerous mystic poets of India and Pakistan. The performances evoked memories of the verdant lushness of the Punjab, the haunting mysticism of the Great Rajputana and Sind Deserts, the vibrancy of Hazrat Nizamuddin’s Delhi, the great aura of Ajmer, the majestic beauty of the Indo-Gangetic plain.

Ustad Farid Ayaz &
Ustad Abu Muhammad

Some of the musicians are established and famous, others are amongst the brilliant budding talent that adorns Pakistan’s musical scene. Each of the mehfils has a distinct atmosphere and mood, but there is a common thread. We asked each of the musicians to stay close to their respective inherited musical traditions, allowing the singers an opportunity to present some pieces that are rarely heard today. 

We are inspired to present the brilliance of this contemporary Pakistani vocal music to a wider audience in musical sessions followed by a documentary film of the journey and a series of HD audio/video releases of each Mehfil. 

Subhan Ahmed Nizami 

The individuals involved in this venture have spent a sizable amount of their personal funds on this project and seek your help to cover future costs of editing, production and publishing of these 
recordings. Please give generously. 




Jointly Produced by:

Taj Muhammad & Shad Muhammad Niazi

Vaqar Ahmed
Asif Hasain

Mian Shaukat Hussain
Arif Ali Khan

Saad Alvi

Mushtaq Ahmed

Musab Bin Noor

Mahera Omar

with assistance from viewers like you.



Contributions may be made via PayPal: goo.gl/4VXB0D

Featuring:

Ahmad Raza, Taj Muhammad & Shad Muhammad Niazi, Subhan Ahmed Nizami, Ustad Abdullah Niazi & Waqas Niazi, Ustad Ameer Ali Khan & Ejaz Ali Khan, Ustad Farid Ayaz & Ustad Abu Muhammad, Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan, Mehfooz Khokhar, Ustad Shoukat Manzoor Ali Khan, Zohaib Hasan, Akbar Ali, Habib Ahmed Qawwal, Shafi M. Faqir, Gulab Afridi, Maulvi Haider Hasan, Qurban Niazi, Salman Adil  

Aye Yaar-e-Naazneen Dil-o-Jaanam Fida-e-Tou - Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

Janam fidaye payat ay jane zindagani

Kon ba yak neghah-e sad umr-e-jawedani

O Life of my life, sacrifice I my life at thy feet

Immortality give to me by looking but once

Towards me

Aye yar-e-naazneen dil-o-jaanam fida-e-tou 

Gar dil mara deegarna nasheenad baja-e-tou

O Beloved, my life I give up for you

If no other rests beside me besides you

Az tegh-o-teer-e-ishq baya khun-e-man bareez

Chun qas ba zindagee na shavad aashna-e-tou

Let my blood flow from the barbs and spears of love

 by living can one be aware of Thee

Ba daulat-e-visal barabar nami kunad

Ba Khusarvi-e-mulk-e-sulaiman  gada-e-tou

The treasure of union does not equalize
The Khosrow like reign of Sulaiman, a begger at Thy door

Yek jo nasha na mang day  hastee Qutabuddin

Fani shud as khud ashke bay bad laqaee tu

Qutbuddins soul  seek not that one intoxication

Into oblivion he went in tears, in search of his union with Thee

~ Hz. Khwaja Qutubuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki R.A
~ Qawwal Subhan Nizami
~ Trans: Farrokh Namazi

Khwaja-e-mun, Qibla-e-mun, Deen-e-mun, Iiman-e-mun

At a recent event in Karachi at T2F Qawwal Subhan Nizami and party recite
"Khwaja-e-mun, Qibla-e-mun, Deen-e-mun, Iiman-e-mun".

Subhan Nizami hails from the Qawwal Bache Dehli Gharana of Karachi, Pakistan and
is the grandson of Ustad Iftekhar Ahmed Nizami.

Video credit: Madiha Aijaz

Dee Shab ke mi Raftii Butaan - Amir Khusrau

Poetry: Hazrat Amir Khusrau
Recital: Subhan Nizami Qawwal

Dee shab ke mi raftii butaan ru karda az maa yak taraf,
Afgunda kaakul yak taraf, zulf-e-chaleepaa yak taraf

Sultan-e-khooban mi ravad, har su hujoom-e-aashiqan,

Chaabuk sawaran yak taraf, miskeen gadayan yak taraf.

Nosheen sharab-e-laal-oo, shud majlis-e-ma bekhabar,

Jaam-o-surahi yak taraf, mastaan-e-ruswaa yak taraf.

Taa bar rukh-e-zebaa-e-to, uftada zaahid ra nazar,

Tasbeeh-e-zohdash yak taraf, Baada musallaa yak taraf.

Bechara Khusrau khasta raa, khoon reekh tan farmooda ast,

Khalqe be minnat yak taraf, aan shokh tanhaa yak taraf

~ Amir Khusrau

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Eng trans:

Last night as I approached you, the idols from me were cast aside

Cast was the cap on one side, and the tangled tresses on the other

Wherever the beloved Sultan goes, the crowd of lovers follow,

Riders on one side, and beggars on the other

Having drunk of His red wine, oblivious of myself I became,

Goblet and pitcher were thrown aside, the drunk and disgraced thrown aside

When on your beauteous face fell the eyes of the Zaahid,

His tasbeeh of abstinence cast aside, the cup and prayer mat cast aside

Poor and weary Khusrau, has been asked to shed his blood,

All humanity on one side, the lone enthusiast on the other

Translation: Farrokh Namazi & Arif Ali Khan