Tag: india

Teri Soorat + Main Sharaabi: The Divine Intoxication

AI-generated art depicting a man lost in divine intoxication

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.

Ehl-e Dair-o Haram: Life Remains Incomplete

AI-generated art depicting a man meditating amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life

“Ehl-e Dair-o Haram” is a melancholic ghazal written by Fana Nizami Kanpuri (1922-1988) that has been performed by several notable artists, though the poem is relatively underrated.

Sab Maaya Hai: It’s All an Illusion

AI-generated art depicting a hermit sitting outside his hut

“Sab Maaya Hai” is an Urdu nazm written by the Pakistani poet Ibn-e-Insha (1927-1978). In it, the poet describes his disillusionment from the world, declaring love and loyalty to be false pretenses.

Ya Husain: The Tragedy of Karbala

"The Sky Fell Down" by Iranian artist Hassan Roholamin

Purnam Allahabadi (1948-1997), a notable Pakistani poet, penned a salaam in honor of the sacrifice of Husayn that opens with the line “Salaami Karbala Men Kya”. This poem was sung beautifully by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1948-1997) as a qawwali titled “Ya Husain”.

Taajdaar-e Haram: Praying for Grace

AI-generated art depicting Muslim pilgrims arriving in Arabia via sea

“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.

Kisi Din: The Beloved in Nature

AI-generated art of a woman's thick tresses blowing in the wind

“Kisi Din” is an Urdu ghazal penned by the Pakistani poet Amjad Islam Amjad (1944-2023). It was set to music and reimagined as more of a pop song by the Indian singer and musician Adnan Sami (1971-present). Sami featured it as the title track of his album Kisi Din, released in 2007.

Bhar Do Jholi: A Beggar’s Supplication

AI-generated art depicting an old man sitting outside al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah

“Bhar Do Jholi” 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 was written by Purnam Allahabadi (1940-2009), a prolific Urdu poet whose real name was Mohammed Musa. “Bhar Do Jholi” appears in his book Phool Dekhe Na Gaye (I Could Not Look at Flowers), which was published in the 1960s or 1970s.