LAHORE: Despite spending 20 long years on the path of spirituality, singing Qawwalis, Tahir Faridi Qawwal considers himself just a fakir when it comes to mysticism, saying ‘I am just stumbling in the dark’.

He was talking to Dawn at the National College of Arts where his group, Fanna Fi-Allah, performed on Thursday during their ongoing tour of Pakistan. The event was held by the Department of Film and TV, in collaboration with the US Consulate.

To the question of his command on Punjabi and Urdu languages, Tahir Faridi says he is still in the process of learning. “I can speak a little bit of Punjabi but I can sing it well,” he says.

When asked why despite being a westerner, he did not experiment with western musical instruments like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan did or had some fusion, Faridi says in most of Qawwalis that Nusrat sang, he used traditional instruments. Faridi says he himself did not feel any need to include any western instruments in his Qawwalis where harmonium and tabla are used. “The main thing is music which matters.”

Faridi, a Canada-born who converted to Islam, considers Hafiz Miandad Khan as his mentor and ideal in Qawwali singing. He has been collaborating with singers from Pakistan, including Sher Ali Khan and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and learning from them.

He says most of his audience in the US and Canada and the rest of the world are westerners who are not of South Asian origin. “They look for spiritual inspiration which they lack in the West. They want something more of substance than just music.”

He says there was not much respect for spirituality in the US, but now the younger generation is looking for new direction and they see it in music.

“This is our 13th year of tours to Pakistan and this year’s tour has been sponsored by the US Embassy,” Faridi says.

Explaining the name of his group, Fanna Fi-Allah, he says the intention behind the name and their singing to create connection between people and God through power of music.

Talking about his inspiration for Qawwali he says, “For me it has been a step-by-step journey since the age of 18 when I was first attracted to Khayal music and in qawwali I found the perfect marriage of Khayal singing and other South Asian music. It gives a message of spiritualism and has all I was looking for.”

Regarding the bad news mostly reaching out to the world about Pakistan, Tahir Faridi says his experience of Pakistan has been positive and that he has not been exposed to whatever bad things, if any, are happening as he does not keep updated with news.

“There is bloodshed all over the world and people are killing each other on streets I don’t know why but I trust in God,” he says.

Aminah Chishti, the tabla player of the group, says she learnt the art from Ustad Dildar Hussain who performed with Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for 30 years.

“When I went to Ustad Dildar Hussain and requested him to teach me tabla, he asked why you want to learn it, I said my heart is into it. At this, he said, ‘I cannot break your heart,” Aminah says while remembering one of her first meetings with her Ustad.

She says that during her early years in the US, she was always doing the things usually associated with men like playing soccer etc. “Pakistani society is so good and it has specific roles for men and women and so much love. It showed me how to be a woman.” She says the audience at the NCA was the best they had on the tour so far.

Earlier, Fanna Fi-Allah performed in the packed auditorium of the NCA. They started with a Naat and then sang Data Kay Ghulamo Ko in connection with the Urs of Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh and Man Atkiya Beparwah Day Naal. They concluded their performance with Dama Dam Mast Qalandar and Dhamal which ended with tabla performance by Israr Hussain, son of Ustad Dildar Hussain.

The rest of the group members were Lali Qalander, Salim Chishti and Ali Shan. Pakistani Qawwals who accompanied them were Ustad Abrar Hussain (another son of Ustad Dildar Hussain) and Israr Hussain.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2014