If Sufi music is famous for anything, it is the strong ability to hold a listener to reality despite its romantic and mystical lyrics and ‘Sufiana – Songs of Sindh’, a Sufi concert that was held recently at Art Complex, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, proved just that.
Presented by the Sindhi Culture Foundation and Embassy Group, the evening was a musical sojourn and celebrated the rich Sindhi culture, through a tribute to the legendary Shah Abdul Latif’s compiled verses or ‘Risalo’. The sons of Sindh, the Manganiyar singers comprising Fakira Khan and Jakab Khan, with Kalah Khan on ‘Kamaiche’, Barkhat Khan on the ‘Khartaal’ and Roshan Khan on the ‘Dholak’, lifted the spirits of Bengalureans, with their melodious and controlled yet weighty strains.
They started with a traditional, welcome song, ‘Kesariya Balam’ in raag ‘Maand’ which immediately got the audience singing to the tune. It was the first note of ‘Kesariya Balam’ that did it all. As Fakira Khan started the ‘alaap’, his grainy, rustic tone immediately hit the right chord and the rest of the song flowed through effortlessly, fertile and pure.
It was followed by a few ‘bhajans’ by Kabir Das and some melodies, all the way from Punjab to Persia, but the highlight of the evening was ‘Dama Dum Mast Kalandar’, a popular and up-beat track which got the audience to tap their feet with the artistes and savour the electrifying spirit. As the artiste’s notes spiralled into thin air at the open-air venue and the promising instrumentals soared the City’s spirits, the ‘Kalbelia’ dancers in their shimmering ‘ghagras’ also livened up the atmosphere.
Fakira Khan said that he found Bengalureans artistically inclined — be it in Carnatic music, ‘Bharatanatyam’ or folklores.
Although he finds youngsters leaning towards film music today, he believes that youngsters can understand and become aware of Sufi music if a few Sufi songs are presented during ‘filmi’ concerts.
The concert finished with a conversation with the artistes and a sampling of Sindhi
cuisine.