Asif Ali Khan Ensemble

PROGRAM: ASIF ALI KHAN ENSEMBLE

T uesday, April 1, 2014 / 7:30 pm / Bing Concert Hall

ASIF ALI KHAN ENSEMBLE

ARTISTS PROGRAM Asif Ali Khan, Lead Vocals The program will be announced from the stage. Raza Hussain, Harmonium and Solo Vocals Sarfraz Hussain, Harmonium and There will be an opening-act performance by Stanford Talisman. Solo Vocals Ali Khawar, Tabla and Chorus Imtiaz Hussain Shibli, Chorus Waheed Mumtaz Hussain, Chorus Shah Nawaz Hussain, Chorus Manzoor Hussain Shibli, Chorus Umar Draz Hussain, Chorus

Asif Ali Khan’s tour was made possible in part by a grant from the Asian Cultural Council.

PROGRAM SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Please be considerate of others and turn off all phones, pagers, and watch alarms, and unwrap all lozenges prior to the performance. Photography and recording of any kind are not permitted. Thank you.

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Program Notes a residency at the University of an end in itself, implying that the state It is the courage of each, it is the power Washington in 1992 that qawwali began of ecstasy is a manifestation of God. of flight, to be heard again in the United States outside the South Asian community. In Because the art of qawwali, as with Some fly and remain in the garden, 1993, a 13-city tour of North America most of the great Asian musical and some go beyond the stars. organized by the World Music Institute literary traditions, is transmitted cemented Nusrat’s reputation in the orally, the mystical verse associated —Amir Khusrau, 13th century United States and helped to build with qawwali is best appreciated by a far wider interest in qawwali. listening. The vehicle of music is used Qawwali is an art that is transmitted to bring one closer to the experience orally. The texts of tonight’s songs Qawwali literally means “utterance” of the inner truth. The qawwal will are drawn from ancient Persian Sufi in Urdu. The word stems from the dwell on certain words, often repeating poetry as well as more recent Punjabi Arabic qua’ol, meaning an axiom or them, taking the audience into the literature. They are sung in Urdu, dictum relating to religious subjects, discovery of hitherto obscure meanings. Punjabi, and Farsi. Since songs for the recitation of which helps to purify Thus, mundane objects are imbued a qawwali performance are chosen both thought and deed. Associated in with deeper meaning—a spinning according to the mood of the artists particular with the Sufi Chisti order, wheel becomes the wheel of life. and their assessment of the audience, it has its origins in the medieval Repeating a sentence or phrase until all there is no set program. Traditionally, mystical practice of sama’ (“listening” meaning is exhausted and it becomes a performance will begin with a hamd or “audition” in Arabic). Sama’ like meaningless is a means to bring the (in praise of God) and continue with a zikr, the ceremony of remembrance audience closer to ma’rifat, “inner na’t-i-sharif (in praise of Mohammed). in which the names of God are truth.” Thus, as with the Buddhist Then it features verses dedicated to repetitively invoked, is an essential repetition of a mantra, semantic reality various Sufi saints. After that, the vehicle for revelation and union is negated and a new truth emerges artist’s choice of verses is governed with the divine. Both sama’ and zikr that transcends linguistic barriers. by his assessment of the audience, may also be seen as instrumental in and he takes particular note of the advancing the great classical music Regular participants in qawwali preferences of any spiritual leader or traditions of the Muslim world—the sessions often use the concept of flight important person in attendance. Turko-Arabic maqam and the Persian or travel to describe their experience. dastgah—which, in turn, influenced This is a phenomenon well known to Americans were first introduced to the the North Indian raga tradition. Thus, shamans and practitioners of religious ecstatic singing of South Asia known as while music as a secular pursuit has ceremonies involving trance-like states. qawwali in 1975 when the Asia Society largely been condemned by orthodox This sensation of flight brought about organized the first tour of the United Islam, for most Sufis it has traditionally through rhythmic music and chant is States by the famed Sabri Brothers of been a fundamental prerequisite. known as hal. The manifestation of Pakistan. A subsequent tour in 1978, this ecstatic state can range from a culminating in a sold-out concert at By the end of the 11th century, sama’ simple swaying of the head or body to Carnegie Hall, was greeted with wild was a spiritual concert that included violent convulsions. At such times, as enthusiasm by devotees and initiates sung poetry by a soloist or chorus when a member of a congregation at alike. The tour is commemorated by a with instrumental interludes. The a gospel revival meeting is “possessed recording on the Nonesuch Explorer concert took place under the direction by the Holy Spirit,” friends will shield Series that almost exceeded the limit of a sheikh or pir (religious leader). a participant from harm until he is of a long-playing vinyl recording of The faithful participated by listening eased back into a state of “normalcy.” the time at 52 minutes and 24 seconds. in a state of inner contemplation, The great masters of qawwali are While the Sabri Brothers and other which might lead to a state of trance. able to move entire audiences to a qawwali ensembles visited the United The main argument among Sufis has hal even if they do not understand States from time to time, it was not centered around the use of music to a single word of the language. until Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was invited achieve a state of ecstasy; while some to perform at the Brooklyn Academy see music as a means to get closer to Qawwali texts are taken mostly from the of Music in 1989 and then to complete the divine, others see musical trance as great medieval Persian mystical poets,

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such as Amir Khusrau, Jalal’uddin Rumi, African American church, in recent from his father. In 1999, he was named and Hafez, as well as Indian saints, such years qawwali-style music, albeit Best Young Pakistani Qawwali by Lok as Nizamuddin Auliya (14th century), with different lyrics, can be heard in Versa, the National Institute of Folk and popular Punjabi poets, such as Bollywood movies, in disco music, or as and Traditional Heritage in Islamabad. Bulleh Shah (18th century). While most background music for television shows. Over the past decade, he has embarked qawwals are in Urdu or Punjabi, there on numerous concert tours in Europe, are others in Persian and regional South —Notes by Robert H. Browning Asia, Australia, and the Middle East Asian languages. Rarely is a complete while continuing to offer his singing at poem recited; rather the singer will religious shrines throughout Pakistan. join segments or verses from different ASIF ALI KHAN His ensemble appeared at the 2012 poems or add lines from another text Asif Ali Khan was born in 1973, the Olympics in London and in 2013 to emphasize a point. Each qawwali youngest son of Manzoor Hussain, performed at World of Music Arts and song has, at its core, a principal poem, a well-known singer from a famous Dance festivals in London and Moscow. often a ghazal. The poem is usually Pakistani musical family. He traces preceded by two introductory parts: an his musical ancestry back more than Since the death of the world-famous instrumental prelude (naghma) played 350 years. His great-grandfather Mian Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in 1997, there on the harmonium and an introductory Maula Baksh, who was one of the most have been many contenders to inherit verse sung solo in a recitative style famous classical singers of the Indian his place as “emperor of qawwali.” (ruba’I oor doha). This introduction subcontinent, founded his qawwali There is no doubt now that Asif has serves to indicate the topic of the group more than 80 years ago. After emerged as the one of the genre’s main poem and to get the audience’s partition in 1947, Asif’s grandfather reigning princes. While remaining response. If it is favorable, the qawwal Santoo Khan moved the family to true to the Punjabi tradition that was continues with the main poem in the Pakistan, settling in Lahore. Here the Nusrat’s hallmark, he has developed same mode; if not, he will chant another group, known at this time as Santoo a style and presence all his own. verse, introducing a different poem. Khan Qawwal, became extremely popular both for its wide repertoire of Asif’s tour has been organized by Robert The poetry is often allegorical and classical, spiritual (Sufi), and popular Browning Associates. Robert Browning charged with symbolism. Much of it songs as well as for its superb command was the cofounder of the Alternative has a seemingly erotic or romantic of the Urdu, Persian, and Punjabi Museum and the World Music Institute nature but is not intended to be taken languages. The group was one of the in New York. Under his direction, these literally. Yet the profane world is never first to record qawwali music and was two organizations presented more than denied, for what is human is divine and regularly heard on Radio Pakistan. 1,800 concerts and organized U.S. tours what is divine is human. The frequently by some of the most influential artists used term beloved refers to divine love Santoo died in the late 1980s, from Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, (for God or his Prophet, Mohammed). whereupon his son Manzoor took including Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Terms such as face and tresses signify over the leadership. By this time, all Masters of Persian Music, and the Gypsy the spiritual qualities of the master. seven of Manzoor’s sons, including Caravan. For more information, see Building a house signifies the pursuit Asif, were performing with the group. www.robertbrowningassociates.com. of material well-being. Much use is From his early days as a teenager, Asif made of the terms wine and tavern: was praised for his outstanding vocal wine refers to the love of God, which qualities. In the early 1990s, his father intoxicates the initiate, and tavern refers introduced him to the legendary Nusrat to the spiritual master or sheikh, whose Fateh Ali Khan, who was acknowledged heart is the repository of God’s love. as Pakistan’s greatest qawwali singer of the 20th century. Asif’s impeccable The analogy of qawwali to African diction, brilliant inventiveness, and American gospel is valid in more ways sincerity inured him to the master. He than one, for out of both idioms, a became Nusrat’s premier student in secular form has evolved. Just as soul 1995 and within a short while took music grew out of the music of the over the vocal leadership for the group

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