Aseel Aftab

A MUSICAL JOURNEY THROUGH QAWWALI’S HISTORY

Qawwali is a form of classical music originating from the Asian sub-continent, tracing back to the 13th century BC. It is a performance of Sufi Muslim poetry and is believed to connect the listeners to God. A typical qawwali performance consists of lead singers, a chorus, a harmonium player, and a percussionist. Amir Khusrao is considered the inventor of Qawwali and the instruments used to perform it. The most authentic qawwals reside in the 'Qawwal Gali' in Karachi, where five streets are named after five distinguished qawwals. The qawwal families are descendants of the 12 original qawwals trained by Amir Khusrao and reside in close proximity to pass down the art to the next generation. The most notable qawwal is Ustad Munshi Raziuddin, who was an accomplished classical musician and exponent of the qawwali art form.