ISLAMABAD, Feb 28 Bulleh Shah's poetry proved to be the most popular item among 10 groups of Qawwals who performed at Pakistan National Council of the Arts' three-day festival arranged on the occasion of Eid Miladun Nabi.
The festival proved instant hit Friday night, keeping the audience in their seats till 3am on Saturday.
The crowd was in no mood to go home. They insisted that Anjum Sabri Qawwal repeat his late father's unforgettable Tajdar Haram and Bhar Do Jholi Meri Ya Muhammad.
These two Naats create imaginings of self, in reverence to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and combines mystical experience.
Mian Imran Aziz Qawwal, son of Rawalpindi icon late Aziz Mian, stole the show Saturday night.
He rendered the Naat, Maula, and also explored the meaning of Quranic surah - Qul Ho Vallah-o-Ahad. At this point, the compère announced that PNCA had the honour of grooming the late Aziz Mian.
Sunday evening was a special treat for the audience who listened to Sher Ali, Mehr Ali, two famous performers who are famous for their strong voices, lively percussion and explosive hand-clapping - not to mention the rendering of mystical poetry from the Sufi greats. We had another group, the Salamat Brothers, famous at Manchester, with Javed Salamat, putting on extraordinary clapping performance.
Indeed, Bulleh Shah proved to be the most popular with Qawwals, providing an experience of the esoteric side of religious experience, sending the listener in a sort of trance. Many people were shaking their heads and beating the rhythm with their hand.
