Q A U L - by Wajahat Hussain Khan Qawwal

The melodious voice of Wajahat Husain Khan Badauni

I had been looking for Wajahat Hussain Khan Badauni for a while. Always wondered how the descendants of one of the greatest voices in qawwali (Jafar Husain Khan Badauni) could just disappear from public view.  I tried to ask people of his whereabouts but had no success. For those of you who do not know of him, Wajahat is the grandnephew of the late Qawwali Ustad Jafar Hussain Khasaheb of Badaun. I even asked Yousuf Saeed in Delhi, a Khusrau enthusiast, thinking that he would surely know. Yousuf had been to Badaun many years back and met Jafar saheb, however did not have any further information about the next generation of qawwals.

Then quite by coincidence, and to my delight, I was recently contacted by his young nephew Nadeem Khan who is a classical singer based in Delhi (cousin of Ustad Rashid Khan) and sent me this lovely CD. Nadeem and Wajahat are both from the Rampur Sehaswan Gharana and Wajahat Hussain Khan is the grandson and disciple of legendary Ustad Nissar Hussain Khansahab.

Born in Badaun, Wajahat was associated with Jafar sahab at an early age due to his keen interest in Sufi music and started performing regularly ever since. An experienced qawwal of 45 now, Wajahat is recognized by most in the qawwali fraternity for his musical prowess and understanding of 'gayaki'. His wonderfully melodious style is quite similar to that of his granduncle. Enjoy the music!

I am hoping that from all the qawwali lover out there all over the world, some will take an interest in Wajahat Hussain Khan Qawwal party and will host the singer. In sab ki hosla afzai karna ham sab pe farz hai. achhay sunnein waaley kay bhi kuchh faraez hotay hein aakhir.

Daikh le Shakl Meri, Kiss ka Aayena Hoon Mein - by Molvi Haider Hassan

This is one of my favs. Therefore the repost:

"Yaar ki shakl hoon aur yaar mein fanaa hun mein, " kalaam of Hazrat Baydum Shah Warsi

Recital by Haider Hassan, the son of the great Maulvi Ahmed Hassan.

tumharey husn ko hasal ghuroor mera hai

sharab tum ho to os mein suroor mera hai

issi ko kehtey hain shayad, taaluq-e-khatir

safar pe tum ho, aur badan chur chur mera hai

Daikh le shakl meri, kiss ka aayena hoon mein

Yaar ki shakl hoon, aur Yaar mein fanaa hun mein

Apni har saans mein awaaz mein payee unki

Apni soorta mujhey soorat nazar ayee unki

Yaar ki shakl hoon, aur Yaar mein fanaa hun mein

Pehley apni shakl par, usne banaya hai mujhey

Phir meri soorat pe daikho, khudhi shaida ho gaya hai woh

Tu mujh mein baqaa hai, mein tujh mein fanaa hun

Tu mujh mein ayaan hai, mein tujh mein niha hun

Tu mujh mein khuda hai, mein teri anaa hun

Na tu hi juda hai na mein hi juda hoon

Yaar ki shakl hoon, aur Yaar mein fanaa hun mein

Pata lagaye koi, ya mere patey ka pata

Mere patey ka pata hai, hai keh lapata hoon mein

Aye jigar hai meri hasti ki haqeeqat itni

Tujh mein aabad hein sab, mein kahin abaad nahin

Mujhee ko daikhlein, bas tere daikhney waale

Tu ayina hai mera , tera aiyena hun mein

Mein mit gaya hoon to, phir kiss ka naam hai Bedam

Voh mil gaye hein to, phir kiss ko dhoondhta hoon mein

Ganj-e-Shakar Ke Laal Nizamuddin

From amongst the treasures left behind by Amir Khusrau, this is one kalam that is especially dear to my heart.

The following two renditions were added today to this older post:
1. By the full 11.09 min version Nizami brothers


2. A clip of the more classical rendition by Farid Ayaz from Sufi Eternal Vol 2.


this (full) version may be downloaded here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sufieternalvol2
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The following is a shorter recital from the mehfil in Ottawa which was hosted by our friends Dr. Arshad Saeed, Javed Somra & Mustafa Hamid.

Ganj-e-Shakar Key Laal Nijamuddin




If any of you would like to share anything to do with Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti, Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia, Hazrat Fariduddin Chishti or the Chishti order of sufis I'd be very interested to hear more.

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Sazad Barshan-e-to Alam Panahi
Nizamuddin Mehboob e Illahi

Ganj-e-Shakar Laal Nijamuddin
Chisht Nagar Mein Bhaag Rachayo

Khwaja Moinuddin, Khwaja Qutabuddin
Prem Ke Rung Ki Rain Chardhaiyo

Dhan Dhan Bhaag, Unkey Mori Sajni
Jin Aiyso Sundar Preetam Payo

Pir Nijamuddin, Chakar Khilardi
Bayyan Pakard Mora Ghungta Utthayo

Sees Mukhat Haatam Pichkari
Morey Aangan Hori khaelan Aayo

Khaelo re Chishti o Holi Khaelo
Khwaja Nijam ke Bhaes Mein Aayo

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Qawwali at The Noor Cultural Centre, Toronto - Farid Ayaz Ensemble - April 12, 2008

Clip of the finale: MAST QALANDAR


The qawwalis are still ringing in our ears today and what a wonderful time we had that evening at the Noor Centre.



I am sure that it was tremendously rewarding for all of you in Toronto to see people enjoying, feeling the warmth in the companionship with Pakistanis, Indians, Arabs and main stream Canadians listening to classical qawwali.

The qawwals were at their peak and were feeding off the great responsive audience. I must say that many of the listeners were of the zinda-dil variety and helped make the evening such a roaring success. The Noor Centre must be pleased with the outcome of the event as well. Kudos to them for taking on the event and the risk that came with it initially. It is sure to bring them goodwill and more positive feedback. Due to the work of Zahid Khan, Atique and the Noor team of friends you were able fill the hall. That always helps build confidence to arrange other such events in the future.

All around I think it was a real win-win situation for all involved. Bravo!

A big thanks to you all...Mast Qalandars.
AK

Khawaja-e-Khwajgan Moinuddin Chishty

Khawaja-e-Khwajgan Moinuddin, Kuchh Humara Bhi Dhyan hai Ke Nahin from Tasawwuf on Vimeo.

Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty ki tareef mein. kalam sung by Farid and Abu qawwal party

Khawaja-e-Khwajgan Moinuddin, Kuchh Humara Bhi Dhyan hai Ke Nahin
Aasmaan ke nahin, Zameen ke nahin
Tum se chhootey to phir kaheen ke nahin

.................


Samaa, bayaad Munshi Raziuddin - Karachi - July 2008

Next Generation of Qawwals from the Munshi Raziuddin Gharana

Sargam is superb!

" I actually liked Farid better than Nusrat because of his strong
classical element. His sargam is superb!" - Durga Bor, Cornell
University, Ithaca NY

The following extract from a recital in Tunis is a good example of what she especially liked about them. I too love the classical element that differentiates them from many other qawwals.

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).

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...

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:

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