the.com/qawwali
Sufi devotion turned to a sonic riot, clapping and chanting God into a frenzy.
means A form of devotional Sufi music, performed by a group of singers and instrumentalists, built on repetitive verses, hand-clapping, and harmonium that builds toward ecstatic intensity.
from From the Arabic 'qawl,' meaning an utterance or saying — particularly the sayings of the Prophet. A 'qawwal' is one who speaks or sings such utterances, and 'qawwali' is what they perform. The word traveled with Sufism into South Asia, where it took its now-famous shape in the courts and shrines of the subcontinent, often credited to the poet-musician Amir Khusrau, though the tradition grew across many hands and centuries.
- age
- Over 700 years old, born in 13th-century India
- the spark
- Designed to induce mystical trance through repetition
- royalty
- Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan made it globally famous
- the format
- Lead singer, chorus, handclaps, harmonium, tabla
- endurance
- Single songs can stretch beyond an hour
nusrat fateh ali khan — pakistani qawwali master who performed for 30+ years and sold millions of albums worldwide
ajmer sharif dargah — sufi shrine in ajmer, india where qawwali has been performed for over 800 years
sabri brothers — pakistani qawwali duo from karachi who performed at the 1985 womad festival and worldwide