Pakistan Embassy in Paris arranged a Qawwali Evening where guests were treated to a captivating performance of soulful Sufi poetry by renowned Pakistani QawwalBakhtyar Ali Santoo and team.
Ambassador AsimIftikhar Ahmad in his welcome address highlighted that Qawwali has been in practice since the 13th century and the credit to popularize it rests mostly with Hazrat Amir Khusrau. The Ambassador noted that there was a time when Qawwali was sung only at shrines of Sufi saints but now this form of music is appreciated widely including formal and informal occasions, movies and other events.
Giving an insight into how the transformation of Qawwali took shape from a ritual function to one of entertainment; from a traditional community event to an international commercial one – the Ambassador credited it to generation of famous Qawwals from Sabri brothers to Aziz Mian and most prominently the supremoNusratFateh Ali Khan. Pakistan has a diverse musical landscape. Qawwali is extremely popular throughout the country because of its soul-touching lyrics and rhythmic melodies, added the Ambassador. He said that when Qawwali is performed in a concert for international audiences who do not understand the lyrics, the driving rhythms become the focus of attention.
