The Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) organised a qawwali night titled, ‘Mehfil-e-Samaa’, at the National Art Gallery auditorium on Monday. Spreading the message of love, hope and unity, renowned qawwali singer Fareed Ayaz Qawwal along his companions captivated the crowd with his enticing devotional renditions. The event was well attended by music lovers, both young and old, who were enthralled by the music.
Many foreigners, who attended, also showed keen interest in Sufi music. Fareed Ayaz Qawwal, who has been awarded the pride of performance, was accompanied by his fellow qawwals in his powerful rendition of Sufi poetry in Punjabi, Urdu, Arabic and Persian. Known for his resonating voice and unique style, Ayaz started with a Hamd, followed by the popular poetry of Amir Khusro, Baba Bulle Shah and Baba Fareed. Ayaz presented ‘Sare-bazar me raqsum’, ‘Chap talak sub cheen’, ‘Aaj rang hai’, ‘Jamal wo kay pary jis pe nazar’ among others.
Ayaz also presented spiritual poetry on the audience’s demand. Talking with Pakistan Today, PNCA Director General Tauqir Nasir said qawwali was a traditional form of music in which a qawwal closely linked his inspirations to his spirituality.
Nasir said: “Qawwali was linked to the Sufi traditions and the verses reflect a mystical school of Islamic thought, which strives to attain truth and divine love by direct personal experience.” “It follows a very specific psychological process in which the words are sung, quite repeatedly with variations intended to bring out deeper means of the lyrics,” he stated.
