1. How do you want to introduce your audience to the subject?

I would like an immediate introduction to qawwali music, possibly the usual introduction of a form of the music itself playing as it begins for around 15-20 seconds. I would also like to recite a Rumi poem right after as a sonically creative way to bring in the aesthetic paper itself.

2. What instructions are required?

I’m not sure if there will be any specific ‘instructions’ I will follow per se. I will try to separate the audio paper into a concise beginning, middle and end.

Beginning: A short intro into qawwali and its roots (1 mins)

from the evolutions of the ghazal, qawaalis sufi traditions

migration and mix of turkish ney and of persian ghazal, and sufi poetry to the indian subcontinent

amir khusro creating an amalgamation of indigenous musical traditions with the sufi traditions of poetry in the 20th century. Brung together different factions and religious through the music, building communities together.

Middle: The popularisation of qawwali (3 mins)

End: How it affects the perceptions of the genre and an outro (3 mins)

3. Identify what your goals are for the audio paper in terms of the information you want to share:

My goals for the audio paper are to unearth and inform my audience of the practice of qawwali as a form of music, as well as its commercialisation and popularisation into popular domains and how that has changed or formed the way it sounds today compared to its original roots.

4. What approaches to the ways of listening can be incorporated to support your goals and the representation of the subject of your audio paper?

I would like the audio paper to be formal but as interesting as it is informative. The use of panning and stereo listening could come in handy to further enhance the representation of the genre of music I am trying to present.

Possibly include interviews from family and friends.

One of the first ideas that came to mind for my audio scripts was something to do with Qawali. I remember having conversations about Qawali music briefly with my family – they talked about it with such passion, it piqued my interest. I loved the rhythm and raw authentic energy – but never really connected to it, mainly because the lyrics were difficult for me to understand.

Fast forward a few months, and I started getting really into Turkish Ney music from the whirling dervish videos on youtube – I began to lookup more forms of Islamic music after a few aural culture lessons and once again stumbled upon Qawali – this time a video in Morroco with the group Fana-Fil-Allah.

I think as someone who is both a part of the culture that produces Qawali as well as someone who is also very detached from, It will be very interesting to see what direction I take in terms of expository or performative reflection. I will also need to consider how my own cultural biases will come into play when talking about music and culture as a whole. In this way, I believe I can be ethnographically accurate, as well as informative.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p005xhxj

“As part of the India and Pakistan ’07 season, Jameela Siddiqi visits the shrine of Pakpattan to hear music from Sufi fakir Sain Zahoor, and joins Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali at their family shrine in a tribute to their uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who died ten years ago this month.”

A podcast exploring Sufi Dargahs in Pakistan – places in which Qawalli music thrives and lives. The poetry of Balleh Shah is sung in Punjabi as crowds gather to watch, much like the previous video by Fana-Fil-Allah in Morrocco. These really authentic and raw performances are usually my favourite – no microphones, no commercial cameras – usually only the ones from the audience, and no commodification, just a very real exploration of culture, idea and display of passionate affection which seems to be the driving force in Qawwalis genuine feel.

The recordings underneath the presenting voice of the podcast also seem really well mixed, not interfering with the voice of the presenter. It also feels very atmospheric, the places in which the presenter chooses to talk are places very specifically as the instrumentation and music comes in and out. I really like how the presenter takes a performative stance and begins to interview and actual performer who explains what the music means to them. I do think the translation for the audience may be necessary, but at the same time feel as if it takes away from what he is saying.

https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/sufi-qawwali-performance-nusrat-fateh-ali-khan

A link to something I found on the British Library website – around the same time Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was gaining global success and popularity. As mentioned below it was the first-ever performance to a non-south Asian performance – the catalyst performance for what was to come. I find it really interesting that despite it being an unfamiliar crowd you can still hear the authenticity in the Qawali.

” Live recording of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, one of the key figures in the performance of qawwali – a form of Sufi devotional music that emerged in the 13th century in parts of North India and in Pakistan. The recording was made at the WOMAD Festival in Mersea Island in Essex in 1985.

What is the recording of?

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is considered a master of the qawwali genre, with an extremely broad vocal range and stamina that could sustain him in performance for hours on end. The songs typically start with a devotional poem, with the lead singer plus one or two side singers weaving around each other with melodies on a single rāga (melodic mode). This moves into more of a chant with all the singers joining in and building to an ecstatic climax backed by the harmonium and tabla drums. Each song can be anything from fifteen minutes to over two hours long. This extract is from a much longer performance of a song called Allah Ho Allah Ho.

Why is it so important?

This was Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s first performance to non-Asian concertgoers. It was hugely influential in introducing Sufism to a global audience.“

Working towards my audio project, I began add In the musical excerpts, choosing to pick the clip of Fanna-Fil-Allah, as I felt it was one of the most “authentic” forms of Qawwali I noticed upon my research. After the introduction, where I talk about the origins of Qawali, I include the coke studios Qawali performance to create a dynamic between the two – one was performed without microphones and on the streets of Morroco, and the other – a performance in a studio, with microphones, synthesisers and guitars.

Although subtle, I think it creates the dynamic comparison that I am looking for, one sounds cleaner and professional whilst the other sounds very raw. It gives the audience the opportunity to listen to the two ends of the Qawwali spectrum in quick succession as I begin to talk about the popularity of Qawwali.

I then moved towards talking about Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan as he played a vital role in bringing Qawwali to the West. Nusrat almost blurs the lines between commercial Qawwali and the authentic Qawwali played at Durgahs. I think this was because he did both – he played at large venues but also made frequent trips to the villages and Durghas. I think this connection and dichotomy between the westerns world and his home reflects my listening experience as someone living in the west but with parents of South Asian origin.

I think this is truly reflected when I got my brother to interview my dad with questions I had beforehand in a very expository mode – cutting out the questions I had (Why do you like Qawwali? What does Qawwali mean to you) and It brung out a very conversational tone – compared to me he really understands the nuances, the beauty and the wisdom behind Qawwali in every way.

” Commercialisation of culture can entice consumers to consume products from various cultures in a consumer-driven economy. This is also a diplomatic strategy which is used by countries. For instance, Thailand’s gastro-diplomacy, focuses on commercializing Thai culture through Thai food.“

Eudaimonia. (2020). Is the commercialisation of culture necessarily a bad thing? [online] Available at: https://ejceudaimonia.com/2020/10/28/is-the-commercialisation-of-culture-necessarily-a-bad-thing/#:~:text=Commercialisation%20of%20culture%20can%20entice,Thai%20culture%20through%20Thai%20food. [Accessed 6 Dec. 2021].

‌I think the perspective of using culture within a consumer-driven economy is really interesting. It goes against the points I would make for the commercialisation of Qawwali but also feeds into the diluted narrative of the convolution of true Sufi culture to appease global audiences. It’s painful to think of Qawalli as a “diplomatic tool” – a way in which South Asia can be seen as ‘secular enough’ to conform to western ideologies of what they believe is freedom. From my analysis, it drives the art form itself into nothing more than another commodity to fit a narrative upheld by colonial idealists.

After finding out about the mistranslations of Rumi by Coleman Barks through the @persianpoetics Instagram account, I began to think about the way in which culture was watered down for western audiences. I also remember having conversations with family about the way in which the commercialisation of Qawwali within the film industry had diluted the original meanings.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khans collaboration with Peter Gabriel, a famous “world music” producer whose efforts to showcase non-Western music profited record companies immensely. Together, they produced the neo-qawwali track “Mustt Mustt,” which was praised by music critic Ron Givens of Entertainment Weekly for sounding “relaxed and more secular” than traditional qawwali. The song proved to be so popular that it featured in a Coca Cola commercial during the 1990s.

Personally, I don’t see Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan the catalyst for the commercialisation – examining the issue – Peter Gabriels self-proclamation of being a “world music” artist seems to do more damage to Qawwali than anything Nusrat ever could. On top of that Ron Givens “praise” of this newer, more “secular’ form of `Qawwali plays into the idea that Qawwali is too otherworldly for western audiences. I think this is an angle I could explore through the audio paper.

After searching around I found this really interesting clip of the group Fanna-Fil-Lah performing in the streets of Morroco. Aside from the colourful, earthy visuals, the entire video feels so genuine and real, with people all around, giving change and really feeling the music.

They’re clapping along, and are circled around the performers who are on the ground – the way Qawwali is traditionally performed. Along with the performance, the clapping itself becomes a part of the performance, leading to a sense of deep sense commune.

I found it incredibly interesting the way in which the performance just fit into the Morrocan crowd as well as the way in which Qawali seems to just be enjoyed and appreciated by individuals outside of the South Asian subcontinent – especially such an indigenously traditional and specific form of music.

After finishing all the instrumentation and editing all the recordings, I began to arrange the piece into the way I wanted it. I managed the introduction with the stereo channels playing first, introducing the calmer tones first to highlight them at the beginning. By doing so, It would make the transition into the fuller more effective.

I also realised I wasn’t allowed to use certain channels so I re-edited it back to the original 6 channel formation, using 4 are the back and a stereo formation and the front. I used the fluttering sound with GRM effects on it to transition to the second part that introduces the rear audio. To create a conversation between the two i then transition back to the front with high pitched synthesis, before then transitioning back to the rear audio and eventually the outro. I used automation and fades to create smooth transitions between each part.

I felt like this composition was the best way to creatively express the binary nature of the two sonic atmosphere leaving space to display each part and create conversation and sonic exchange. I feel like I have used different new techniques to express this such as using GRM as well thinking about the space and spatialisation in new ways.

After working on the stereo (front section), I began working on the rear channels. I used the recording of the trimmers I had, applied ring-shifter and distortion, duplicated and reversed one and separated them into separate channels behind me, like a stereo formation but behind me. I also added a deep low bass to the bigger speakers at the back, that played all the way through, and slowly got louder as the piece progressed.

I arranged it so the calming front stereo audio would play first and slowly dim as the rear audio became larger and more present. using the themes used in horror films to create dynamic sounds and presence from behind was the driving force behind the construction and arrangement.

I used a muffled kick to sound like banging and sent it to a wide speaker to create the feeling of wanting to turn your head. This combined with the deep basses and distorted sound created a stark comparison to the light and airy mood of the stereo composition, which I was going for.

I used the flapping to transition smoothly between the front audio and the rear audio – for some reason, it felt really unusual using a stereo sound to help transition the piece to a wider atmosphere, however it created the “conversational” element that I was looking for. I also used the recordings I collected of my card scraping across the brass metallic part of the piano to create the horror film influence.