I first heard qawwali music when I was 21. I remember exactly where I was, the time and what I was wearing. Such was the impact it had upon me.
Being uninitiated, I could not truly appreciate the intricacies of the Urdu poetry, the rhythmic nuances of the tabla nor the finesse with which the Qawwal (the lead singer of a Qawwali party) navigated the raag (Indian classical scale). Despite all of this (and my rather cliched antipathy to all things “mystical” ) I found myself having a profoundly spiritual experience.
My experience is not unique. For almost 800 years now, audiences across the world have been led to spiritual rapture by Qawwali performances.
Some of the most important of these have taken place in this city. In fact, to perform qawwali in Birmingham is equal parts daunting as it is exciting. This city and this venue have played host to some of the finest exponents of qawwali music not least the appropriately titled Shahen-Shah or “King of Kings” of qawwali himself, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
I hope we will add to that rich tapestry, albeit in our own way. Whilst these pieces seek to honour these historic artforms, we will be departing from tradition in many ways. Qawwali has historically been performed without much instrumentation.
I’m deeply honoured to have had these works performed by over 70 of the finest orchestral musicians in the world. Qawwali has also historically been a male arena. Today, however, we are led in song by the formidable voice of female qawwal, Abi Sampa.
Finally, I think it important to note that I have not crafted these pieces for the sake of experimentation itself. Rather, I truly believe that, despite their ostensible differences, Sufi and orchestral music make natural sonic companions. The operatic gravitas of the qawwali vocal style seems to me to be perfectly matched by the majesty and depth of the orchestral sonic palette. So rather than a one-off experiment or a fad, what we are creating is part of a new genre of classical music that honours our heritage whilst representing and celebrating just how wonderfully diverse our musical culture has become. I sincerely hope you feel the same way.
Rushil Ranjan, Composer and Arranger, The Orchestral Qawwali Project
A1. Allah Hoo
A2. Man Kunto
A3. Fareed
A4. Ganje Shakar
B1. Rang
B2. Mast Qalander
B3. Tu Hi Tu