The Bigining

Qawwali is the traditional form of Islamic song found in India and Pakistan. The word qawwali is derived from the Arabic word Qaol which means "axiom" or "dictum". A Qawwal is one who sings qawwali , or the dictums of the prophets and praises of God. The Qawwali is closely linked to the spiritual and artistic life of northern India and Pakistan.& this site is for permorting this Sprit.

SPIRITUAL ASPECT OF QAWWALI:.
The qawwali is inextricably linked to the Sufi tradition; Sufism is a mystical school of Islamic thought which strives to attain truth and divine love by direct personal experience. In Arabic, this mysticism is known as tasawwuf . The difference between Sufism and mainstream Islam is simple. All Muslims believe that man is on a path to God (tariqah) . However where the mainstream Muslim believes that it is only possible to reach God after death at the final judgement, the Sufi believes that it is possible to reach God during ones life. To this end there are a number of different techniques and methods.

The Koran instructs man to remember God. This remembrance, known as dhikr, may be either silent of vocal. The qawwali may be viewed as an extension of the vocal form of this remembrance. The use of music as a spiritual force was discussed in great length by al-Gazali(1085-1111).

By the end of the 11th century there arose the tradition of the sama . The sama was often a spiritual concert, which included a vocalist, and instrumentalists. These samas took place under the direction of a spiritually respected man (shaikh) .

There is a very specific psychological process which a qawwali follows. One starts with the singing of the song. In this psychological state the song is received in a manner that is not unlike standard forms of musical expression. The words are sung, quite repeatedly with variations intended to bring out deeper means of the lyrics. After awhile there is a repetition to the extent that the words cease to have a meaning; It is the goal here to lead the listener and performer alike into a trance (hal) . In the ideal situation the participant is moved to a state of spiritual enlightenment (fana) .

PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS:.
The performance of a qawwali is typically a group situation. This is different from a classical performance which revolves around one person. Within this group situation there is one main vocalist or qawwal , and a group of supporting vocalist. The audience too is considered a participant in this event The musical accompaniment is varied; harmonium , tabla , dholak , sarangi , saringda , and rabab , are common instruments.

Furthermore, a simple clapping of the hands is a ubiquitous rhythmic support. There are several tals in common use in the qawali . The most common is the fast dadra tal of 6 beats or the fast kaherava of four or eight beats. Unlike the more cerebral, classical forms these tals are played in such a way that they produce a driving hypnotic beat. Although the qawwali is not a classical form of singing, it does have some common elements. One finds fast taans , meend gamaks and the other forms of ornamentation which are typical of Hindustani performances. The structure of the qawwali is also similar to the classical forms.

It typically starts with the alap . This portion has no rhythm and is intended to create the right environment. One then moves into the main portion of the performance; this is usually in a medium tempo. The pace slowly increases until a state of extreme excitement is produced. It is very common for audience members, moved by their state of ecstasy to give money to the performers. This is known as vel . The performance continues without stopping. The most common rags used in qawwalis today are bilawal , khammaj , kafi , and kalyan . However one often finds rags which are more in common with the modal forms of Persia or Afghanistan.