The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is bordered to the north by China, west by Afghanistan and Iran, east by India, and south by the Arabian Sea.
Qawwali Music
Qawwali is a musical tradition that dates back to the late 13th century. It is characteristically associated with Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam propagated throughout the Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa through various “brotherhoods.”
Qawwali means “utterance” in Urdu and is stemmed from the Arabic word qaul (saying). Qawwaly was likely introduced to the Mughal (or Moghul) court of India by the Persian mystic, poet, musician, and philosopher Amir Khusrau. The genre is fundamentally a form of sung poetry. The qawwal stimulates a state of transcendence in his audience, drawing on verses that contemplate the meaning of Divine love through allegory, or are devoted to the sayings of the Prophet (Mohammed) or a particular Sufi saint.
Qawwali was made famous in the West by the late Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The performances by qawwli ensembles feature lively rhythmic handclapping and drumming, jubilant melodies, inspirational poetry and powerful vocals.
Pakistani Musicians
Abida Parveen
Farid Ayaz Qawwal
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Riffat Sultana
Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali
Salamat Ali Khan
Shafqat Ali Khan
Sukhawat Ali Khan
