One of the funny and fun things about music
is the unexpected connections that pop up sometimes, between the most
improbable pieces.
I have been listening to a record of qawwali by Yusuf Azad Qawwal
recently and enjoying his popular take on this imposing and grand tradition
of holy music. Indian cinema has long employed a light-hearted form of qawwali in films for decades, often to
introduce a bit of humor or levity into a particular scene. Records of filmi qawwali are
available from time to time, but is more a novelty than a serious genre. For true followers of qawwali it is a travesty.
Yusuf
Azad Qawwal’s music seems to lie in a particular
valley that is neither seriously religious nor completely frivolous. And that
unusual location is the first unexpected connection that popped up. Azad’s
music is delivered with an attitude similar to that of a rock ‘n roller:
unorthodox, uncompromising and sometimes downright bizarre. He is clearly
having fun on every track but equally sings from his heart, whether it is about
his love of the Prophet, the war of the sexes, the mortality of man or the
(rail) road to heaven.
Which leads to weird and slightly hilarious connection number
two. His qawwali Jannat ki Rail Hai
(The Railway to Heaven) has to be unique in the annals of the genre. Its
subject matter and the concept is entirely foreign to South Asian musical
idiom. The idea of heaven as a
destination and the railway as a means of transportation to that destination is
not something familiar to any form of South
Asian music. It is, on the other
hand an image/theme that is built into the DNA of American bluegrass, gospel
and country music. The number of songs
that refer to trains to heaven are almost too many to count. Just off the top
of my head, Life’s Railway to Heaven
(Patsy Cline), People Get Ready (Curtis
Mayfield), Gospel Train (Sister Rosetta Tharpe) come to
mind. So the question is: where the hell
did Yusuf Azad get the idea of a
train to heaven? If you listen to some of lyrics on Jannat ki Rail Hai they speak of the sorts of passengers and
‘sinners’ who are allowed to ride this train. Almost exactly like the
above-referred and dozens of other country/bluegrass songs. Is Azad
a secret bluegrass fan?
That idea may seem laughable. But then listen to Aadmi Musafir Hai (Man is a Traveller)
which immediately brings to mind songs like Poor
Wayfaring Stranger. The lyrics remind the listener (obviously Hindu
listeners are especially targeted) that ‘he comes with nothing and will leave
with nothing’ and then goes on to gruesomely draw a picture of a dead man
yelling out from the burning cremation pyre!
For those who know the Bible or the hell-fire ballads of the Louvin Brothers, such imagery is commonplace. Did Yusuf
Azad spend time in Kentucky or the dark hollows of West Virginia one
wonders?
Weird! Bizarre! Fantastic! Wonderful thought.
The centerpiece of this record and what initially drew me in, is the
opening track, a muqabila or contest
with Rashida Khatoon a female qawwal! Called, Hadtal Karenge Dilwale (Lovers are Going to Strike) this is a 12
minute battle of the sexes. First the men vent their frustration that the women
folk are spending way too much on ‘lipstick, makeup and powder’ to which the
women respond, ‘if you strike you’re not getting any love from us.’ The men
retaliate again but eventually both sides agree they need each other and they
need to compromise and the strike is called off!
Absolute fun. When I first heard it and every time I do now, I think
of my dear friend Stanley down in Kerala who sounds exactly like Yusuf Azad when he sings in English!
Another unexpected and welcome connection!
Track Listing:
01 Hadtal Karenge Dilwale
02 Admi
Musafir Hai
03 Hai
Lab Par Pyare Nabi Ka Naam
04 Jannat
Ki Rel Hai
05
Hajio Salam Lete Jana
Listen here.
3 comments:
Thanks once again for this treasure, looking forward to listening to it. My favorite muqabala (men vs women) qawwali happens to be a filmi qawwali from Katilon Ke Kaatil - Main Woh Chanda Nahin performed by Hemlata & Anwar, lip synched and acted out by Dharmendra & Zeenat Aman.
you are welcome. I smiled when I think of Dharmendra and Zeenat doing qawwali...but the on the other hand, why not?!
Waaaah! "Ashiqon ki Union"!
Fantastic!
Best wishes for your curling up... looking forward to new delights.
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