#qaul

Qaul of the Soul: Gurmej Raja and Shaukat Ali

Qaul is an Arabic word used to describe ‘an utterance’ and most often refers to the utterance of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The term ‘qawwali‘ is derived from the word ‘qual’ and refers to the genre of Sufi devotional music. Though qaul and qawwali are often used in conjunction with each other there is a difference between the two. Today, when referring to spiritual music, qual refers to the…

There is really nothing to I can say about this recording that is more important than what Rahat himself says by way of introduction. “We are here to honour Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan by singing some of his beloved compositions, as well as some untold stories. Thank you so much for coming.”

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

This is one of two tribute albums by the great man’s nephew and protégé which I…

Celebrations of a Milestone: Qawwali

The first instalment of South Asian music as part of the celebration of 100 posts on the Harmonium Music Blog (and 700+ at the Washerman’s Dog) is a collection of qawwali. This genre of spiritual music needs no further elucidation for followers of this blog; but for new comers who wonder what this weird sounding word means, click here.

I must thank the young qawwali connoisseur Musab Bin Noorof…