There is no doubt that “Teri Soorat / Main Sharaabi” is Aziz Mian’s signature piece and one of the masterpieces of qawwali. It centers around two works: the Urdu ghazal “Teri Soorat Nigaahon Men” by Tabhish Kanpuri which transitions into the takraar (refrain/chorus) “Main Sharaabi” which was penned by Aziz Mian himself.
Tag: farsi
Taajdaar-e Haram: Praying for Grace
“Taajdaar-e Haram” is a devotional qawwali famously performed by the late Sabri Brothers, Ghulam Farid Sabri (1930-1994) and Maqbool Ahmed Sabri (1945-2011), from Pakistan. Their live rendition of this hymn is rich and complex, containing excerpts from poems written by diverse authors in different languages and time periods.
Balaghal ‘Ula Bikamaalihi: In Praise of the Prophet
“Balagh-al-’Ula Bi-Kamaalihi” is a popular qawwali most famously performed by the late Sabri Brothers, Ghulam Farid Sabri (1930-1994) and Maqbool Ahmed Sabri (1945-2011), from Pakistan. It is a multilingual na’at (a praise of the prophet Muhammad) that amalgamates poetry from across time periods and geographies, with at least four authors.
Zihaal-e Miskeen: A Bilingual Masterpiece
Attributed to the legendary Ameer Khusrau, “Zi-haal-e Miskeen” is a romantic ghazal that alternates between Farsi (Persian) and Braj Bhasha, a dialect of Hindi. Although its true authorship is unclear due to a lack of historical records, it is one of Khusrau’s most well-known poems, particularly because of its unique bilingual structure.