Dwijo Goswami | Sufi Qawwalis of Ajmer | EXPOSURE/Aftermath Workshop in Ajmer

EXPOSURE/Aftermath Workshop in Ajmer

The Sufi Qawwals of Ajmer

Qawwali music is considered by many to be a means of coming closer to God. Sung in the shrines and tombs of saints around the country, qawwali music acts as a portal for the devout to immerse themselves in a spiritual state of mind. Qawwals, the singers of qawwali music, are in their own way intensely self aware of this connection that they forge between the mind and the spirit for the religious. So while the repetitious form and often obtuse lyrical content of qawwalis might make the music appear difficult and esoteric in the distance, as one enters the shrines where this music is played, one realizes what an immersive experience this music is intended to create. For devoted listeners, qawwals act as pillars to the archways that lead to the Almighty.

Ajmer in every sense serves as the home and heart of qawwali music in India. It is in this city that the sufi saint Moinuddin Chisti, known for bringing music to the followers of Islam in India, settled and spread his message of tolerance and plurality. Ajmer’s historical relationship with sufi music was cemented with the building of Moinuddin Chisti’s dargah (tomb) at the centre of the city. Today qawwali music can be heard at this shrine all hours of the day, pausing only for the five sessions of namaz. As the history and reputation of the Dargah Sharif (Moinuddin’s Tomb) attracts different musical families from across the country, different styles and perspectives are brought to the birthplace of sufi music in India. While these styles merge and help further enrich the traditions of qawwali music, they are all held together and retain the essence of the qawwali through their spirituality. The qawwals of Ajmer, irrespective of their style or attitude towards sufi music, display their veneration for the Garib Nawaz with every note they sing (Garib Nawaz is another name for Moinuddin Chisti, which means Saint of the Poor).

Consider the case of Asrar Hussain, the voice of the 10th generation of Ajmer’s oldest qawwali family. While conversing with him, nothing about his ragged voice seemed to suggest to me that I was talking to the most widely recognized qawwal of the city of Ajmer. He clearly doesn’t take much care of his throat. The first time I met him at his house, he was calmly sitting in a corner spaced out smoking a cigarette. Over the course of my visit he interspersed his hot cups of tea with glasses of frigid water. Yet this is a man whom I have seen night after night capture audiences with a greater intensity than other qawwal who sits before or after. He tells me rather matter of factly that he has little or no knowledge of ragas (Indian melodic scales, considered to be the very foundation of Indian classical music). Like everyone in his family, he started sitting with the family during their sessions at the Dargah as soon as his voice had the strength to squeak, and would come back home and practice what he heard by himself on the harmonium. He never received any formal instruction.

Asrar Hussain strongly believes that his voice derives all its strength for singing from the blessings of the Garib Nawaz. While showing me pictures of himself singing in front of everyone from Abdul Kalam (former Indian President) to A R Rehman (an Oscar winning Indian composer) to Abida Parveen (a famous Pakistani qawwali singer) he tells me he is never intimidated of singing on stage with famous people because his voice is empowered by the blessings of Moinuddin Chisti. “When you have the Garib Nawaz, what more could you need?” he says. Nonetheless, he does imply at times that his success and recognition as the main qawwal of Ajmer has more to do with what he represents, rather than who he is. Almost everyone famous who visits Ajmer calls upon the oldest qawwali family of the city. And of course the Hussain family, who were the anointed qawwalis of the Dargah even before the time of Akbar, enjoy the prime time night slot. “No one has the right to remove us,” tells me the second son Akhtar, “All the other qawwalis can be removed by the authorities. But not us.” Everynight right when the floodlights of the pavilion and the bulb lights of the shops come on, the family settles down before the shrine of Moinuddin Chisti. They never miss a performance. Akhtar believes their family is obliged and at the same time driven to sing qawwali every evening, “If someone in the family dies, we’ll put aside the dead body, go out in the evening to sing qawwali and then return to deal with business.”

Children are often brought by qawwali families to sing at the Dargah long before their voices break, and are often relegated to whichever instrument they display a penchant for. In every generation of qawwals in the Hussain family, the ones with the most natural talent for singing are purposefully promoted as the face of the group. In the 11th generation, out of the 5 brothers Amjad and Aslam Hussain are the chosen ones.  In Ajmer where the family is established and known, Akhtar takes care of the business side of the music, whereas outside the city Aslam and Amjad set up dates and concerts themselves. Tellingly, in the business card I received, while the only two sons mentioned after the father are Aslam and Amjad, the first contact number is Akhtar’s cell phone. Families earn through the notes passed on by appreciative audiences, and everyone of age gets a fare share, including growing teenagers. Income these days is good according to Akhtar. But he believes many qawwali families as old as theirs have failed to survive in the country by either disintegrating or turning to other more popular styles of singing. “The government doesn’t support families like ours through the hard times,” he says “But we continue singing pure qawwal as it’s been handed down to us generation to generation, regardless of what the audience demands.”
The family’s attitude towards preserving the purity of qawwalis, and passing on the music by natural selection isn’t shared by everyone. While some qawwals sometimes sing more popular styles, families like that of the qawwali brothers Zaki Ali and Zakir Ali strongly believe in the need to ground new musicians in Classical Hindustani music, which they believe is the base of all musical styles in India. The brothers are often found merging different styles with qawwali at the Dargah. Nonetheless, their faith in the Garib Nawaz is equally unshakeable. While the brothers are not quite as well known as the Hussain family, they believe whatever they have is again just due to the blessings of the Garib Nawaz.

In the house of the qawwal Qurban Hussain, this unshakeable faith in the Nawaz is even more pronounced. Every day when he finishes his session of singing, he bows before the shrine and recites the same prayer of thanks to Moinuddin Chisti. Sitting across me in his house, he tells me he has no memory of the words he repeats every evening in his prayer. Yet every time he finishes his last song the prayer simply returns to him, ready for recitation. Qurban Hussain is another musician who places a lot of importance to formal training. All his sons have apprenticed under renowned masters in India, picking up skills in everything from Indian classical vocals to western instruments like electric guitars and keyboards. While some of his sons have non-musical careers (his middle son for example, works in a bank), music simply seems to be a natural extension of the daily life of this family. This is most apparent in the daily rituals of his 4 year old grandson who comes back from school every evening to join his grandfather to sing at the shrine.

Qawwali music is not merely a style or genre that is simply picked up by versatile musicians, but a tradition that is passed on from generation to generation. Its philosophy is very much ingrained in its heritage. In Ajmer while perspectives and methods of passing the music on might differ from family to family, they all are tied together spiritually to remain true to the themes of Qawwali.  For India, the shrine of Moinuddin Chisti still serves as the centre for qawwali sung in its truest spirit. It is sung here with an honest love for the Creator, rather than its creators.