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Spirited away
Karachi’s Royal Rodale complex held a night of sufi music last week in the form of qawwali by none other than the grand master, Amjad Farid Sabri. With the fragrance of roses perfuming the air and a farshi nashist lined with gao-takiyas, and chairs to cater to the elderly, the decor set the mood for the evening.
Surprisingly, the programme started earlier than the scheduled time, probably because the crowd came in much earlier than it usually does. Without any starry tantrums, Amjad Sabri was all set to deliver to the audience what he holds as legacy: the talent from his father Haji Ghulam Farid Sabri and uncle Haji Maqbool Sabri.
Amjad started off with Maula Ali Ali, entrancing the audience with its spiritual aura as the walls resonated with the chanting of the qawwali. Later, thanking the overwhelming response of the audience, Sabri said: “Appreciation works as fuel for an artiste. Especially when we perform in India and get unlimited requests for Maula Ali Ali and others. It gives us a high.”
There on, he churned out na’ats one after another, with Madinay Chalo registering a huge round of applause. As more people poured inside the premises late into the night, it seemed that the air-conditioning could not keep pace with the heightened energy levels within the hall.
Hazrat Amir Khusrau is an all-time favourite of Amjad and Khwaja Ki Diwani was an inevitable rendition. Nevertheless, it being Ramadan, once Sabri switched to performing ghazals, the crowd’s support faltered. It was evident that since the ambiance was one of spirituality, he would have to follow course. The sufiana kalam reached its apex with the ever famous Tajdar-i-Haram, the audience’s fervour never missing a single beat.
The grand finale was a request for a special solo rendition of a ‘dua’, ‘Karam Mangta Hoon’. Sabri qawwal truly delivered a performance par excellence, proving that he has the ‘dard’ in his voice to render any recitation — be it qawwali, ghazal or ‘dua’ — with the depth and meaning that it truly deserves
Before long, the hands of the clock showed 2am, indicating the qawwals take a break. Hardly anyone from the audience wished to move out of the hall, but eventually did so reluctantly. After a 15-minute interval, Sabri delivered a powerful rendition of Koi Hadh Hai Unn Kay Urooj Ki — a number he always gets most requests for — followed by another popular composition, Uttho Shairoon.
With every passing moment, the atmosphere turned even more mesmerising as the sound of the tabla and the harmonium integrated wonderfully with Sabri’s power house vocals. There were numerous requests made in the form of slips of paper from all sides. At last, he had to surrender to accommodate a few, presenting Khwaja Ki Diwani — accompanied with plenty of swooning heads from the audience — and followed by Bhar De Jholi Meri Ya Mohammad and Amir Khusrau’s Chaap Tilak Sab Cheen Li.
The grand finale was a request for a special solo rendition of a dua, Karam Mangta Hoon. Sabri Qawwal truly delivered a performance par excellence that night, proving that he has the dard in his voice to render any form of recitation — be it qawwali, ghazal or dua — with the depth and meaning that it truly deserves.
The spirited evening could have lasted much longer for many, but had to come to an end an hour before sehri, with the air still resonating with sufi music late into the morning. The event was organised in collaboration with the National Aids Control Programme, Ministry of Heath, Government of Pakistan and Midas Advertising.
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