Captions: 1) Rajasthani Sufi singer Mir Mukhtiyar Ali performing at Jaganmohan Palace in city on Nov. 25. 2) SVYM Founder Dr. R. Balasubramaniam inaugurating the 4th anniversary celebrations of Bhasange Balaga at Jaganmohan Palace on Sunday as Music critic S.R. Krishnamurthy, Sufi singer Mir Mukhtiyar Ali , Balaga President C.K. Sanjay Kumar and others look on.
By S.R. Krishna Murthy
Sufism is a mystical movement of Islam. The name derives from the woolen clothing (suf), worn by Sufis as a token of penitence. The community drifted from the main stream with different beliefs. Many conservative Muslims disagree with many popular Sufi practices, particularly saint worship, the visiting of tombs and incorporation some other non-Islamic customs. Consequently, in recent centuries, Sufism has been a target for Islamic reformist and modernist movements.
To some Sufism denotes humanitarianism, tolerance, harmony, love of mankind and the attempt to achieve spiritual fellowship. To a few, the Sufis are dreamers, rebels and meddlers who interfere with other religions.
Whatever it may be, whether Sufism has an acceptance by the conservationists or not, the music field has been enriched by the followers of Sufism. Right from Amir Khusro, who is the forefather of qawwali and tabla, to Rumi, Hafiz, Khwaja Gulam Farid to Mir Mukhtiyar Ali or Abbas Ali, they denote a different musical culture, through which they try to realise God.
The songs created by the Sufi singers are known as Sufiana. They use metaphors from day to day life, but an inner meaning will lead to a grater philosophy.
There are many exponents of Sufiana and Mir Mukhtiyar Ali, aged 40 (born in 1972), is one of the acclaimed present day singers. He performed at Jaganmohan Palace auditorium in city on Nov. 25, in a programme called Sufi Sambhrama, organised by Bhasange Balaga (Bhanuvara Sanje Geleyara Balaga Trust), one of the city’s cultural organisations striving to promote and provide platforms to the deserving. The event had been organised by the Balaga to celebrate its fourth anniversary.
Mukhtiyar Ali is from a small village called Pugal 86 kms from Bikaner of Rajasthan, just 40 kms from the Pakistan border. He is from the semi-nomadic Mirasi Community which hails from Thar desert. Mukhtiyar represents the 26th generation of this humble lineage which has successfully kept alive the oral tradition of Sufiana Kalam.
Mukhtiyar says that the 27th generation is also ready, as his 19-year-old son is an exponent of Sufi music. It is said that not to sing is almost equivalent to blasphemy in that community. In a lighter vein he says, nobody gives a girl in marriage to a young man whose family has no singers. The music is practiced by listening to elders. Only some times the elders may correct them, but regular tutelage is almost absent, he says. The Mirasi lineage has preserved the heritage of Sufiana Kalam through all these generations, witnessing war, drought, religious backlash and economic penury. Mukhtiyar laments that rarely there is time to experience what the traditional music truly offers, the instant gratification, as in every field, in the name of comfort.
The community traces its origin to Sufi saint Khwaja Ghulam Farid, whose Dargah is now in Pakistan. The musical repertoire of the Marfat community includes compositions of all those who defied the borders of caste, religion, gender and nationality such as Kabir, Meera Bai and Baba Bulle Shah. Once patronised by the Hindu kings who ruled the region, the community is now slowly opening up to other ways of keeping their art alive and spreading it.
“I am the first person from the community to travel this far. My father found it intimidating to travel even to Bikaner,” says Mukhtiyar and laughs. This is in fact his third visit to Mysore. He is humble enough to say that he has no formal training in music and does not understand the Raag or Taal. He has no formal education in a school too.
The jam-packed Jaganmohan Palace auditorium began vibrating with the booming voice Mukthiyar is bestowed with, when he began with what can be termed as Alap, with Hari Om, describing ‘Ram’ is in every Raag. He followed it up with Teri Man Kun Tum Moula, penned by Amir Khusro. How a Sufi music is to be understood and interpreted was explained by him in his next couple of numbers.
Kabira are compositions of Saint Kabir, in Sufi approach. His next was a Kabira Cheeni Cheeni, a very popular number, continuing with another Kabira, Balam Ayo Hamara Ghar, in which the devotee is the lover and the God a loved one, just like what we see in the compositions of Meera. Interestingly, the lover (God) responds to this plea, (Kalam was Khusru’s) — Tere Diwani, Khwaja Ki Diwani, where are you searching for me, I am with you all the time. In fact I am obsessed with you. Only you are looking elsewhere.
Yet another one which tells the story of Kurta, how it was a small seed, how it was sown, how it sprouted, how it blossomed, how it produced the cotton, how a thread was made and cloth from it, how the cloth was cut and stitched to become a Kurta. But even in this simple story, there is embedded philosophy. How a human has to undergo the various stages of rigorous evolu-tionary process to be useful to society, right from his birth, is metaphorically depicted. It was told by a Kurta. And to whom it tells the story? It was to Majnu, the eternal lover of Laila! Majnu comes to Laila’s house in search of her and finds nobody there. The Kurta speaks in a human voice and the astonished Majnu asks the Kurta ‘who are you?’ It is one of the most beautiful and popular songs composed by Madar Munir.
The concluding items were the popular numbers O Mera Sona Sajan of Khusru, Khwaja Mere Khwaja of Khwaja Garib Nawaz. A Sufi concert without the most popular Dhamaa Dham Mast Khalandar can never be complete. Many from the auditorium were seen dancing to the tune, with frenzy. The last but one song Sang Ik Pal Chain Na Aave, a Rajasthani folk song, in Sufi style, also got equal response from the audience. He concluded with Mera Piya Ghar Nahi Aya of Khusru, with thunderous claps from the listeners. Even after the concert concluded, the audience was not ready to go out.
Mukhtiyar has an amazing range in his voice and though he claims that he has no formal training in music, landing in the perfect Swara from anywhere is remarkable. In all, he won the hearts of connoisseurs of Mysore. He was accompanied by Fakruddin in co-singing and on harmonium, Dayam Ali Khan on sarangi, Ashok Kumar on tabla and Rakesh Kumar on dholak.
The songs though rhythmic, have many things to ponder over and not meant for an emotional dance. The deep message of wisdom, love, peace and dignity for all life inherent in the teachings of these Sufi mystics, will be lost if the Sufiana is equated to that category.
source: http://www.StarofMysore.com / Feature Articles / November 27th, 2012