KARACHI: With a rich lineage, the Saami Brothers and their group of qawwals continue to perform event after event much to the delight of the Ahl-i- Zauq.

Hosted at the T2f this Sunday, the ambiance was one of religious devotion and euphoria. The adoration was evident. No feeling was muted. No praise left unsaid. A tribute to the Sufi saint Hazrat Amir Khusrau was the peg of the evening that brought together qawwali connoisseurs to pay tribute to an art form that has endured over hundreds of years.

Also read: Death of traditional qawwali?

Trained in qawwali and classical music by Munshi Raziuddin Khan, renowned qawwal and classical musician, as well as by their father, Ustad Naseeruddin Saami, the Saami Brothers introduced varying interpretations of the qawwali tradition to the audience.

The reverence this form of artistic expression commands cannot be undermined, and with the aim to introduce the purana andaaz of the dargahi qawwali, the Saami Brothers revisited their links to the Qawwal Bachon Ka Gharana of Delhi, a gharana believed to be about 705 years old.

The mehfil began in veneration of the Divine, with a hamd that focused on the magnanimity of God: “Har cheez Musabbab-i-asbab se maango/ minnat se khushamad se aadab se maango / kyun ghair ke aagey haath phaylaate ho?/ bande ho agar Rab ke ... toh Rab se mango.”

The authenticity of the art form of the dargahi qawwali was strictly adhered to; first and foremost with the absence of microphones for the qawwals, due to which an authentic feel of a dargah was induced. The harmonium and the tabla, along with the vocals allowed a blend of various genres of eastern classical music and qawwali. This did not allow the attention of the audience to waiver.

Mann Kunto Maula, a crowd favourite and necessary performance by most qawwals, was given an added twist by the Saami Brothers as its variances in usage over the years was introduced to the audience. Its distinct “hum tum tana nana re tana nana re/ tin tum tana nana re tana nana re” said to create a trance, has, according to the brothers, been adapted very many times, specifically over the past 150 years. The troupe then went on to introduce the variances in its usage and how it was sung very differently from the way it is today.

It is important to understand the distinct sensibilities of the Saami Brothers. Strict adherents to the classical tradition of qawalli, they strive to maintain their distinct identity through a purist ideology; the roots and the originals have been perfected and so they bring as few changes to them, instead allowing modern audiences a sampling of the traditional qawallis. Another example of their strict outlook is the introduction of the text of Naad-i-Ali, a prayer that was present in riwayati qawalli and had lost favour in the more recent interpretations. However, it is finding its way back and was a feature at the event too.

A sampling of the different languages the troupe is fluent in — Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi and Persian among others — exhibited the pluralism and diversity of the evening. This was with regards to the language of expression but more importantly highlighted a message of tolerance and acceptance, a much needed reminder after a harrowing attack on the Christian community in Lahore earlier in the day.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2015

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