Bangla Qaawali
Qaawali and
its Arrival in Bengal
For ages people in
their search for peace or to look for a way out from troubles have sought
shelter in the philosophical teachings and sayings of religious leaders,
saints, and minstrels. In doing this they have travelled from one
village to another. In this journey of the subaltern communities
their songs too have travelled along with them expanding their
geographical spread. This has added new elements to
history. The downtrodden people living a deprived life eulogize the
saints and sages as messiahs, singing paeans on their names. This changes
the names, the contexts and the singing styles. However, the basic structure of
the tune and rhythm remain same. This dynamics have influenced the
music and songs of the Sufis and Qawwals of East and West
Bengal. Though it was difficult to preserve the authenticity
of the songs, it is surprising that they have retained
their essential originality. Such is the force of their
originality that neither trendy tunes nor new melodies
could alter the original philosophy of the songs.
From conquering
rulers, shrewd businessmen, to the saints and vagabonds, the Sufi
songs were introduced to India
through diverse sources and once here it took its own path. Qawwali is a
song through which the Sufi practitioners seek to be one with the
divine. Originating in Greater Persia-Iran, Kherson
and Baghdad,
these songs are sung all over
the Khankas, Dargas and Majars of South
Asia. These spiritual songs reached India in
the 9th century through Herat, Nishapur,
Kabul, Baluchistan, Kandahar,
Samarkand, Bukhara,
and Tajikistan. Much
before the globalization Sufi songs were truly an international
phenomenon. Though originating in Middle East
the songs spread roots in the countries of Asia- Europe-
Africa. The Muslim rulers and the Sufi Saints entered undivided Bengal from the West in the 12th century. First
among the saints was Jalaluddin Tabria. Though the Sufis
of Chisti Orders are much ahead in influence and numbers in Bengal, the first to set foot here was those of
the Surabardi Order. Jalaluddin came during the reign
of Lakshman Sen, the time which was few years before the
conquest of Bengal by the Turks. His
working area was Malda, now in West Bengal. The
Sufi saints who came to Bengal in the later period includes Moinuddin Chisti, Kutubuddin Bhaktiar Kati, Fariduddin Gajan-I-Sakar, Nijamuddin Auliya, Sarafuddin Ali
Shah Kalandar, Badiuddin Shah Madar et al. After the Chistia order,
came the Kalandar and Madaria orders. Chattagram,
Gaur, Pandua, Bardhamaan, Kalna, Mangalkot, Rongpur, Srihatta, Bikrampur, Rajsahi, Pabna, Bagura, Maimansingha,
Dhaka, Faridpur, Sonargaon, Bakhargunj were the seat of
Sufi philosophy in undivided Bengal. Sama songs
of Sufis were regularly practiced in the Dargas and Khankas of
these places. The influence of Jalaluddinand
Shah Jalal has reference in the writings of
the contemporary historians. Folk cultural traditions, influence of
Buddhism and Baisnab religions of Bengal have
paved the way for Sufism in the state. Both the tradition and school
of thoughts got amalgamated here, thereby further strengthening
the influence of Sufism in India. The
songs of both traditions got intermingled and in that blend they
found each other’s faith.
There are two main
reasons for the popularity of Sufi songs in Bengal.
One is the affinity with its philosophy of being one with the divine and the
other is its different way of arrival removed from the
power wielding approach of Islam and Christianity. The Sufi
saints upheld the kindness and greatness of Allah other than the image of
a punishing master as is advocated by Islam.
The
advent of ‘Pir’ in Islam happened from the beginning of the
Middle Age of Bengal’s history. The Sufi songs sung by
the ‘Pirs’ speak of loving the divine one and to be one with him
through love. This philosophy of love and harmony delineated
through the simplicity of Bangla Qawaali songs
easily got accepted and appreciated in Bengal. The ‘Pirs’ took
up music as their medium of worship and used to set up musical sessions as
a part of their worship, which were open to all class of
people. The Qawwali songs sang here to elucidate and
interpret religion among the common people travelled with them far and
wide. It is a known fact that the orthodox Hindu and Muslim were enraged
at this.
The tyrant Muslim
rulers failed to gain trust and faith from the people they ruled. Such was the
situation when the Sufi Saints with their message of love and tolerance
won the hearts of the common mass. The Sama songs got mixed with Baisnab Kirtaan, Sahajia Doha
and Baul Sufi songs to produce a new genre of Qawwali. The
tradition of Sufi prosperity was in vogue in Bengal and Bihar
in the 14th and 15th century though the
historians mark the period as 12thto 15th century. Sufism
was then replete with imprints of change. The influence
of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti and Nijamuddin Aulia is irrefutable
in the propagation and popularity of Sufi songs in India. It was during the
lifetime of Nijamuddin that Qawwali reached the grass root
level and saw its golden era. Nijamuddin fought against the
doctrine of the Islamic fundamentalists who banned the practice
of Sama. He reintroduced the practice of Sama in India. The Chisti Order
came in India with Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti who
accompanied Mohammad Ghori to the country. The world famous
pilgrimage at Ajmer Sarif was founded
by Khwaja Moinuddin who strengthened the foundation of
Sufism in India. Next
to him was Nijamuddin Aulia whose songs made him highly popular
and he was consecrated as a leader. He was dedicated in his efforts
to continue the practice of Sufism against the staunch opposition of
the fundamentalists. The Nijamuddin Darga named after him
is a prime seat of Qawwali practice in India. Thousands of people
visit the Darga ever year to pay tribute to the great saint.
The tradition of
Sufism in India
was most full of life in the 15th century. Initially the
songs of the Dargas of Nijamuddin and
Ajmer Sarif had resemblance to Hindu Kirtan, Vedanta
thoughts, and other historic and mythological anecdotes. The singing and
dancing tradition of the Baisnavs found its parallel in the dervish
dance of the Sufi. The Vedic philosophy on the other hand highly
influenced the Sufi thinkers. In Bengal
the Sufi practitioners bridged the gap between the Muslim and the Hindu rulers.
They also liberated the poor farmers from the shackles
of superstition and orthodox ways of life. This spontaneous
acceptance of Sufi thought and philosophy influenced Sufi songs with an essence
of the regional culture in Bengal. The
spiritualism in Qawwali songs took birth in the 800 BC at Persia (present day Iran
and Afghanistan).
In 1100 BC the practitioners of this spiritualism travelled to Asia, Turkey and Uzbekistan. The singing
tradition that Amir Khusro, (the poet of Chisti order
of Sufi school) founded by blending Farsi and Indian musical
traditions is called Qawwali. These songs made their way to
northern India
through Punjab and Sind regions of Pakistan. After that it came
to Bangladesh and Kashmir
from North and West Pakistan. In Bengal the Sufi thought and philosophy was sustained and
nurtured by its inherent belief in universal
love. The Baul tradition of Bengal
developed in close association with the Islamic Sufism
and Baisnab Sahajiya tradition. According to many the
singing tradition of the Sufis has deeply influenced other singing
styles of Bengal and its adjoining
areas.
The songs
introduced by the Sufi saints in Bengal
flourished in the fertility of the region’s rich musical
traditions. The Best example of it can be the songs practiced at
the Majhbhandari Sarif of Chattagram and its adjoining
Ashrams. The songs have close associations
with Qawwali tradition. But these songs are not exactly
Islamic Qawwali but are heavily influenced by Bengal’s cultural essence. These
songs eventually entered West Bengal through
various Majar and Dargas. Though not in as many numbers,
the Fakirs of West Bengal also practice Bangla Qawwali in their
own way. Many such singers are present at
Nadia, Murshidabad, Bardhamaan, and South 24 Parganas. From
the arid desert regions to the luscious greens of Bengal
these songs have changed their forms which is another area of research and
study.
Structure
of Qaawali
Oli means
someone close to God. And Qwal means words dedicated to
God. Qawwal is a person who sings a Qawwali. In
essence Qawwali is the song of saints. It is a pure spiritual music.
It is the main stream Sufi music. Places where Muslim settlements have lived
historically including Punjab and Sind of Pakistan, And the Northern region of India,
have traditions of Qawwali. It is also present in North and West Pakistan, Bangladesh
and Kashmir.
Hindusthani Classical
music especially Khayal has significant influence to Qawwali.
Amir Khusru the celebrated Sufi poet and lyricist wrote poems and
songs in Hindi, Farsi and Braja language. From human emotions
like love and spirituality to seasons and festivals, Khusru
penned poems on varied subjects. Another notable Sufi poet
is Jalaluddin Rumi (1207 – 17 December 1273). He was a
13th-century Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi
mystic. Rumi's influence transcends national borders and ethnic
divisions: Iranians, Tajiks, Turkish, Greeks, Pashtuns, other Central
Asian Muslims, and the Muslims of South Asia have greatly appreciated his
spiritual legacy for the past seven centuries. Rumi has
been described as the "most popular poet" and the "best
selling poet" in the United
States. Rumi's works are written
mostly in Persian, but occasionally he also used Greek, Arabic, and Turkish in
his verse. Years after his death he still continues to be
regarded as a great poet in Europe, Asia and America.
Qawwali programmes in
India and Pakistan are called Mehfil-
e- Sama. Qawwalis are mostly written in Urdu and Punjabi.
Besides they are also written in many vernacular
languages. Bangla Qawwali is one such tradition.
The main tone
of Qawwali is always spiritual. However the lyrics put
emphasis on secularism and
mysticism. Hamd, Nat, Mankuabat,
Marcia, Gazal, Kafi and Monajaat are some of the
classifications of Qawwali. Earlier Qawwali was performed at a
special room reserved for it at the Dargas,
where Qawwals sang Qawwali all night. Today a particular
place is designated for Qawwali performances. Initially there used to
be three musical instruments - Sitar, Harmonium and Tabla.
The team was usually of 6-7 members. One main singer was accompanied by two or
three side singers. Today the teams are of 8-9 members including the main and
side singers, percussionists and a group of chorus. The chorus repeats the
leitmotif. Team members sit in rows and two teams perform in
a Qawwali programme forming two columns. Before Harmonium came
in vogue, Saringi was used. Today at some of
the programmes banjo and keyboard are also used. A specialty
of Qawwali is the hand claps by team members that compliment the
percussion instruments.
Women have been
historically barred from Music in Islam. Tradition demands that women cannot
sing in front of men. They used to sit at a secluded place to see a
musical programme. However, the situation has changed now with the change
in mindset. Popularity of singers like Abeeda Parvin is a
testimony to this, though she improvises her singing which often transgresses
from tradition. There is no chorus or hand clap in her performances. However,
the field of Qawwali is still dominated by male singers.
A Qawwali song is usually of 15-30 minutes. The
longest Qawwali till now is of 115 minutes. Some
of Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn’s Qawwalis are of more than
with one hour duration. The songs begin in a somber and slow manner and
gradually raise their tempo. Towards the climax the combined experience of
singing, hand clapping and the musical accompaniment takes the audience to a
state of trance. The singers play the main Raga of the song through long notes.
The lead singers often add lines to the main lyrics and then the side singers
repeat them. Following the initial singing comes
the Aalap part, when other than the lead singer
other team members join the singing. Initially the lead singers
used to take break after the Aalap part.
However, Nusratfateh Ali has popularized the coming back of the lead
singer into singing after the Aalap. The songs depend on the emotion and
enthusiasm of the singers. The singers focus on the ascending and descending tone of
their voice. Often they incorporate personal improvisation to showcase
their mastery over the genre. The songs are sung in a high note. The songs
often end suddenly without preparing the audience for a possible denouement.
Other than the Madaria Sufi
all other Sufi followers consider Qawwali songs as their way of
worship. The Madaria Sufis sing songs during harvest, a collection of
which has been published by Bangla Academy of Dhaka. Most exploration
in Qawwali has been done by the Sufis of Chisti order. They
consider it to be their personal property. Most of the Qawwals worldwide
are followers of Chisti order. The Indian and Bengali influences into
the genre also happened under the guidance of Sufi practitioners belonging
to Chisti order. The opponents of Chisti order have
attacked the followers of Chisti order by
launching assault on Qawwali. The Sufi saints
of Chisti orders though close to the rulers have never taken any
favor from them. In Bengal too there was no
exception to this.
The Sufi poets
of Chisti order including Nizamuddin Aulia replied to
the attacks through their songs. The songs written by these poets begin with a
symphony of all the music accompaniments that announce the arrival
of Moinuddin Chisti. Sufis believe that their saints are beyond any
time and space and are present at different layers of our Mother Nature. The
tribute to Moinuddin Chisti is followed by paying tributes to
other saints. ‘Rong’ and ‘Badhoa’ are two different traditions of singing Qawwali songs.
Among the early Qawwals the most celebrated are
Aziz Miyan, Badar Ali Khan,
Aka Badar Miandad, Bahauddin Kutubuddin, Fateh Ali
Khan, Mubarak Ali
Khan, Munshi Rajiuddin, Nusrat Fateh Ali
Khan, Sabri Brithers et al. Among today’s
popular Qawwals are Faiz Ali Faiaz, Farid Faiaz, Rezwan Muyajum Qawwali, Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali
Khan, Wahid Navid Chisti and Warsi Brothers.
Qaawali songs
have Sufi thoughts ingrained in them. The Qaawals sing their
songs to reach to the divine entity through it.
The journey
from Darga to Cinema
In
India Qawwali has been popularized through
films. Sufiana Kalam has been an integral part of Hindi films
for quite some time. Keeping the main structure intact, improvisations have
been made according to the need of the film and sometimes the
religious and spiritual got replaced by the romantic and humorous.
Directors and music composers have used the rhythm and joviality of
the Qawwali which have always resulted in a hit song.
The conservatives
might be of opinion that this has negative implications
on Qawwali but one cannot deny that these improvisations have given
birth to some of the all time Bollywood hits. The phenomena of
using Qawwali as film songs stared sometime in the middle of last
century. In 50s, 60s and 70s most of the Hindi films used to have at least
one Qawwali item. Sometimes the main song was kept unchanged in terms
of lyric and tune but improvisations were made in the music arrangement.
The layman who had otherwise no exposure to Qawwali got introduced to
it through Bollywood.
The golden age
of Qawwali as Hindi film songs was till 80s, now Pakistani and
Iranian Sufi music have taken the place. The audience has changed
so has their choice. Now they prefer techno Qawwali with
fast beats and modern music instruments.
Post 70s a new
phenomenon can also be traced where the main Qawwali got inspired by
the filmy Qawwali. The length of the songs got cut short by the
singers of Darga, the presentation and music arrangement was also changed.
Women started to sing Qawwali from this time.
Bollywood has
grabbed all the folk, classical and religious songs and changed them according
to the need of the film, but Qawwali has succeeded to maintain its
distinctiveness in terms of rhythm and tune.
The Indian songs
have started influencing the songs from its introduction to the country.
In Pakistan
the new generation knows only about this techno Qawwali or
the Hindi filmy songs in the tune of Sufi. May be someday there will
be a debate on the authenticity of the prevalent forms
of Qawwali and Sufi music.
Sufi is the music
of the marginalized, for Qawwali it is even more relevant.
Be it in the village or town the Qawwali always finds its audience
among the people from lower strata of the society. In this music one gets rhythm and
tempo blended with spirituality. Qawwali is the music for
collective, and not for the individuals. The modern instruments have
made it even more popular, Hindi film has inspired and newly structured the 700
years old music tradition; there is no space for denying the fact.
Songs
of Gorbhanga
The folk singers
of Gorbhanga in Nadia have safeguarded the tradition
of Bangla Qawwali in its original form. The new
generation is also learning and practicing the tradition. Some
of them like Babu Fakir, Akkas Fakir, Arman Fakir, Khaibar Fakir, Khejmat Fakir
have attained world fame. Most of the time they are busy performing in
different festivals held across the world. Golam Fakir is the most
prominent face of this area.
The artists are
getting recognition from the people living around the village; new generation
is showing interest in learning and they are getting invitation for performing
in much higher number than the previous years. They are now certain about the
future of their tradition. Rehearsals are regularly held at the resource
centre at Gorbhanga, Qawwali trainings
are imparted in groups. New teams are ready to perform
in different festivals.
Baul Fakiri music
has always been an integral part of living for the artists of Gorbhanga but
they were mostly poor and uneducated. With their success and recognition as
artists, the children of the village are now going to the schools. Today Golam has
computer in his house; previously he used to carry dead bodies to the
local morgue. The time has changed. Now there are more than
hundred Baul and Fakirs practicing the tradition. The village has
become a land
of Sufiana where
people are singing at the resource centre or at the Akhra (A space for
group practise). The village is now frequented by the exponents
of Baul philosophy, college students interested
in Baul practice and others from the urban areas. People from other
countries also come to the village to know about this unique philosophy and
culture of the marginalized.
Arman Fakis says
their ancestors have come from Afghanistan
so there are Afghan influences in their language and culture. Their forefathers
used to practice the philosophy and the music, philosophy was of more
importance then. 35 out of 100 fakirs are directly associated with music, rest
are mainly practitioner of Baul philosophy. They do not perform in public.
Many of them have participated in the initiative undertaken
by banglanatak dot com in association with European Union.
There are 5 Self help group in Gorbhanga itself comprising 50
artists. Before the banglanatak dot com’s initiative it was not known
that the songs of Gorbhanga are Qawwali though the similarity was
evident. Arman Fakir learnt this music
from Kustia’s Gani Pagol and brought the music
in Gorbhanga. This music has similarities as well as differences with
the Qawwali performed in Dargas across the country. These
are also used as film songs which have a detrimental effect on the form; the
Fakirs of Gorbhanga are trying to safeguard it in its original
form.
The monthly income
of the Fakirs has now increased from 500 to 6 thousand, leading artists are
earning up to 18 thousand per month. They are now recognized artists with fame
and reputation. They believe that the art form will survive even without their
effort but the initiative has certainly helped to widen the reach to a larger
audience. They also believe distortions will not woo away listeners from their penchant
for the original songs. The Fakirs of Bengal have always practiced family
life, they very much occupied with family bonding while remaining indifferent
about property and money. Most of them are engaged in agriculture for
livelihood while many of them spend most of their time performing outside the
village. Apart from the resource centre there are 4 other Ashrams too where
the Fakirs practice their music in complete devotion.
There are not much
difference between Bangla Qawwali and Qawwalis in Urdu,
Hindi, and Arabian, except for the language and presentation. All are about
Sufi philosophy or paeans of the Gurus or Pirs. Arman Fakir
describes the difference between Qawwali and Fakiri music as Fakiri music
being about Fakiri Philosophy propagating the thought that God resides amongst
us and we humans should search our soul for finding Him
within while Qawwali is praise of Oli /Allah.
Jalangi’s Chhote Golam is
a prominent singer of Bengal having a unique
style and presentation. He says the style differs from one place to another.
The music, instruments, and style of the Baul Fakiri music practiced in Kushthia, Jashor,
and Nadia differ from those in Dhaka, Manikgunje, Sylhet.
Qawwali of Kolkata
The ambience of
the area surrounding Tipu Sultan’s mosque, at Anwar Shah Road crossing changes as night
darkens. Music resonates in the air, as a number
of Qawwali patrons flock to the place to get a taste of it. Pagla Baba’s Mazar,
Isha Ali Jalani’s Mazar and its neighbouring areas are the
melting pot for the fanciers of Qawwali. Kachi Qawwal informs
that, Qawwali sessions are a must on Thursdays and
during Urs held at the Mazars. He laments the dearth
of Qawwali sessions, as the market for the same is on the wane. Kachi’s major
income is through his Qawwali performances
at Latubaba and Paglababa’s Mazar, which amounts to nearly
8000 rupees. Kachi Qawwal bewails that, today’s audience
prefer Qawwal in the guise of Hindi film songs. He
presents Qawwali in Bengali, Hindi and Urdu and the version varies
according to the demand of a particular area.
Due to its
narrative nature, the importance of the Qawwali lyricists is
increasing by the day, so much so that, mug shots of the song writers are often
seen on the CD covers. Though the Qwwali lyricists are not of the
same stature as the Baul-Fakiri padakartas, their pride is
worth noting. In fact, the Qawwals depend on them to a great extent.
A large chunk of
the Qawwals of Kolkata is ‘Paschima Mussalman’. The
forefathers of Kachi and Khokan Qawwals were from Iran and Multan
respectively, both of which were the epicenters of Sufi ideology. Khokan is
a staunch believer in the traditional form of Qawwali and his
renditions reflect the same. He believes that modernization of Qawwali has
given way to obscenity, which he detests strongly. Khokan opines
that, a large number of audiences comprise the aged and young singers
are not joining in as many numbers. The Qawwali season in Kolkata
stretches from the month of December to April. The Qawwals like Kachi, Khikan, Salim,
Kader Pervez, Chote Babu Qawwal and Mehtab, have demanding schedules during
this period. They travel with their troupes to the Mazars of various districts.
In stark contrast
to earlier trends, today one can hear women performing Qawwali; but till
date they do not perform at the Dargahs. Female artists like,
Miss Panna, Rehana and Pratibha Singh, perform at club
soirees. They sing praises of Pir-Murshids in semblance of
modern popular hit songs. The only hope of the
Kolkata Qawwals is the performances at the Dargahs and
the clubs. Although the popularity of the Sufi songs is ever increasing, courtesy, Hindi film
songs, it has given rise to a new genre of pseudo Sufi singers.
The true patrons of Qawwali avoid these singers.
To be precise,
Kolkata is the birthplace of the recoding system and cinema.
The interweaving of Qawwali with Kolkata, through the
medium of cinema is an old one. Famous singer of undivided India, Noorjehan sang Qawwali in
numerous Hindi and Urdu films. Our very own, Manna Dey, had
learnt Qawwali from his uncle, the great
singer, Krishnachandra Dey. Some of the brightest stars of
Kolkata Qawwali circle were Gobardhan Chakraborty, Manulal Mishra (Haurey)
and Pannalal Bose. Any mention of Qawwali would be incomplete
without referring Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. As a prisoner, he was
deported to Kolkata (Metiabruz), but it could not suppress his love
for music and dance. His Kolkata Durbar was visited by the luminaries of the
music world like, Aghornath Chakraborty, Shyamal Goswami, Raichand Boral,
to name a few. Famous Qawwals also performed at his court. The
essence of Bengal’s as well as, India’s
cultural heritage can be found in Kolkata. It is evident from the fact
that Qawwali co-existed with Bengal’s
very own Kavi –Gaan, Jhumur, Tarja, Akhrai and
Half –Akhrai.
Sufi Theory
700 years after
the birth of Christ when Islam was dominating the world many of its followers
became sybarites. However, many others did not tread that path and lived a
tolerant and frugal life dedicated to the worship of the almighty. Sufism had
its advent in this belief of reaching the God through faith, belief,
giving and sharing. Sufi is an Arabian word. Swafa in
Arabic means ‘purity’. ‘Suf’ on the other hand means silk, connoting to
Saints wearing silk clad robes. In the early years of Islam these saints
were seen at the adjoining areas of the mosque of Medina. They were
called Alam-e-Sufi.
The Sufis were
always very tolerant and for them Jihad means fighting against ill thoughts and
desires. The Sufi saints follow a path of sheer dedication and
spiritualism which is often expressed through frenzied and
overwhelming raptures. Sufi philosophy is pluralistic and believes in
a personal affinity with God. Sufism espouses a well-founded and
thoroughgoing interpretation of Islam, which focuses on love, tolerance,
worship of God, community development, and personal development through
self-discipline and responsibility. A Sufi’s way of life is to love and be of
service to people, deserting the ego or false self so that one can reach
maturity and perfection, and finally reach Allah, the True, the Real. The
role of Guru is very significant in Sufism who plays the role of
leading one to the divine power. Where knowledge is the essence of one’s
life in Islam, in Sufism the place has been given to realization
and heartfelt emotions. They consider the deep rooted feelings
to be the dwelling of the almighty. This philosophy is reflected in
the lines of many Bangla Qaawali. A number of mystics in the
early generations had concentrated their efforts upon tawakkul, absolute
trust in God, which became a central concept of Sufism. The final stage
is Arabic ‘Fanā,’ which is the complete denial of self and the realization of
God that is one of the steps taken by the Muslim Sufi (mystic) toward the
achievement of union with God.
Dance plays an
important role in the quest of a Sufi practitioner. Here we can find a
parallel with the Kirtaniyas of Bengal who also have dance as an
integral part of their religious practice. The Order of the Whirling
Dervishes is one branch of the vast Sufi tradition of Islam. Sufi whirling
is a form which originated among Sufis, and which is still practiced by the
Sufi Dervishes. It is a customary dance performed within the Sema, or
worship ceremony, through which dervishes aim to reach the source of all
perfection. This is sought through abandoning one's nafs, egos or personal
desires, by listening to the music, focusing on God, and spinning one's body in
repetitive circles. The Dervishes wear a white robe and
red Fez
hat. In Sufi philosophy the divine entity is often
considered a lover.
Sufism has many
similarities with Baisnab, Sakta and Saibo School of
beliefs. Sufism has ecstasy as a state of connection with Allah. Sufis
practice rituals (Dhikr, Sema) using body movement and music to achieve
the state of trance. In the trance-like state the normal
consciousness is lost in ecstatic contemplation of the Divine Being. These
experiences authenticate the developing discovery of the ultimate light and
truth. Trance also finds mention in Baisnab religious
practice.
The practice of
Sufi religious order involves three stages starting with uttering the prayer,
and moves on to be calm and at peace by dissolving all inner turmoil,
and in the final stage the devotee and the divine
becomes one. Material love does not find any place in Sufi belief. It
speaks of ‘Agape’ rather than ‘Eros’. According to many the
advent of ‘Sufism’ can be traced before
the Advent of Islam. The Sufi saint
named Ubais-Al-Farid belongs to a period that dates before the birth
of Mohammed. So Sufism can be classified as Sufi of early period and Sufi
of later years. Belief in God is the first step. Once the belief in God is
attained then comes losing oneself in God. If one is able to do it, one has
attained a power which is beyond human comprehension. The process of attaining
this is called Fana by the Sufis. Fana results in what may
be called a resurrection in God. And the idea of resurrection explains the next
stage, which is Baqa, meaning, 'Thou Art', and this means rising towards
All-might. The divine spirit is to be recognized in that rising towards
All-might. In the 11th century a distinguished Sufi mystic was
Baba Tahir who is called Hamdai. ‘Hamdan’ refers to a
space where everything is knowledge.
Interestingly the
dictum of Omar Khayyam (professors of Nishapur University and later Bagdad University)
in which he said to keep the inner thoughts and quest hidden from the outer
world finds mention in the songs of Bauls of Bengal.
Sadi Siraji the
famous Sufi Mystic spoke of universal love and invited all to join in the
celebration of universal brotherhood. Rumi was born to native
Persian-speaking parents originally from the Balkh
city of Khorasan, in present-day Afghanistan. Asia Minor was then known as Rum and there
are a number of historical personages born in or associated with this area
who are known as Rumi. The group of dancing Dervishes which was
developed by Rumi was known as ‘Chelabi’. In his famous book
named, Mansabi-e-Manabi, Rumi has said that he does not belong
to his body or to his ephemeral life; coming from the divine
source he has no religion, no death or rebirth. He also says that he has
not originated from any human body,
neither has he come from the Garden of Eden or from the
filth of the Earth. His home is every where and this entire world is his
dwelling.
Bangla Qaawali and its Obscured Tracks
In spite of having
age old rich tradition, pool of talented artists and large audience
base Bangla Qawwali had lost its glory over time. It is important to
identify the reasons behind this for reviving the art form. Sufism and its
practitioners were attacked by the fundamentalists, time and again throughout
history. Although there are few exceptions where the music lover Kings
supported and patronized the Sufi culture, but that doesn’t represent the
whole. Even today they cannot practice it freely in many places of Bengal, including fringes of Kolkata.
Lack of proper
artists and institutional patronage, ignorance and apathy towards learning he
forms among the new generation are some of the reasons behind the crisis which
being faced by this art form. However, the art form is still popular and alive
among the poor and marginalized people. Sufis are liberal and anti
establishment, so they are hated by the conservatives of different religions.
The institutional religions have adopted from Sufi culture but never gave any
recognition. The conservative rulers have always been skeptic about Sufi thoughts
and tried to suppress it with all their power. On the face of this tyranny and
repression Sufism got restricted into a small section of people.
As the Sufis
propagate their philosophy through music, fundamentalists attack their music.
The Sufi practitioners even get physically assaulted by them or are socially
ostracized. The Bauls of Bengal differ in their
philosophy from both the orthodox Sufis and the followers of
Islam. This has resulted in opposition from both quarters and many
have expressed reservations about their singing, calling it of
lower quality. The Qawwali songs in Bengal have
undergone serious changes due to geographical and cultural influences.
Imbibing local elements into them they have gained their individual
identities at different regions of East and West Bengal.
Hazeat Kebla Kaba was
a true sage and spent his life in the pursuit of the divine. He was extremely
learned but dedicated in life in religious studies. He founded
the Maijbhandar Sarif which became famous in his life time and
people from far and wide visited the place to seek his blessings. He lived
his life for others, providing solace, and spiritual paths to those
in distress and trouble. He died on 23rd January 1906 and
every year to commemorate his death anniversary there is a huge assembly of his
followers at Maijbhandar Sarif and also at the
adjoining Dargas. The songs that are traditionally practiced at these
areas are called Maijhbhandarir Gaan, which is very close
to the Qawwali tradition.
The lack of
appreciation of the path followed by the Sufis of Bengal from the
Islamic orthodox followers and also the Sufis affected the popularity
of the genre of Bangla Qaawali. However, in recent years the
Fakirs of Bengal have taken initiatives to revive the form and have presented
it with success to both national and international audience. Celebrated
musicians too have recognized the potential of this genre of music. The
Pakistan Government on the other hand in their efforts to please the
Arab World and to compete with the Mumbai music industry is
supporting Qawwali Songs and in doing so accepting changes
that clash with the authenticity of the form in terms of its
philosophy.
In Bangla Qawwali we
find coexistence of various religious orders and in this it gets
akin to the Sufi philosophy which too talks of tolerance. Belonging to the
uneducated and marginalized communities the singers of Bangla Qaawali do
not get the proper recognition they deserve.
Qawwali as a
genre has never got proper patronage. Most of the Muslim rulers were orthodox
and suppressed the practice of this tradition. Only a few of them were
egalitarian enough to appreciate the singing tradition. This happened in Bengal too. The increasing popularity of
the Majars and Dargas where the downtrodden people, mostly
victims of orthodox religious rules thronged for getting solace enraged
the Islamic fundamentalists who were historically close to the State
machinery. To stop this they attacked the Sufi practitioners who
indulged more in dancing and singing rather than following the religious
rites. They banned music to control this increasing popularity of
Sufism. Many of the Sufi saints were forced to partially follow the
dictums imposed by Islamic fundamentalists.
The Bengali
fakirs put greater importance to ‘Guru’ and ‘Pirs’ in
their practice of Sufism. In the world Sufi culture Guru plays the role of an
adviser but in Bangla Qawwali tradition he is seen as a
God. The Bangla Qaawali singers also
sing Baul songs which have close resemblance with each
other. The lyricists of Bangla Qawwali have often mixed the
different Sufi orders in their songs which will be opposed by the orthodox
believers of Sufism. At times they have changed the character of the songs
but the original essence didn’t get lost. The inherent lexicon of the
songs if studied carefully will help one identify the songs as Qaawali.
