The rise of Sufi music in India, and especially the Bollywood film industry is something that should be noted. RahatFateh Ali Khan, the eminent singer-composer says, “One thing is certain if something is gaining popularity that means there is a market and audience for it. New things will come but pure Sufi music will stay as it has for centuries.” When we talk about Sufi music, it is not something that came out of the blue, it is a form of spiritual music that has been in the subcontinent for years, acknowledged by real artists, artists who dared to experiment with their musicality. Now with the help of talented composers and music directors, this music genre is gaining massive popularity in mainstream Hindi movies and the music industry.
So what makes Sufi music so popular and loved across the various languages and music lovers? The answer lies in the intensity of the music type. According to researchers and music experts, Sufi music presents an ecstatic and transcendental state for the listeners, which is an entire experience in itself. At the same time, the style addresses emotions like the pure love for the divine, the anxiety of being separated from the supreme reality, and the curiosity to be close and really know about the creator of the universe, which is quite uncommon in other musical genres.
What is Sufi music?
Sufi music is a type of music that refers to the devotional music of the Sufis, people from the school of practice, focusing on the spiritual search for God while abandoning materialism. The music started from the inspiration of Sufi poets like Amir Khusrow, Rumi, Hafiz, Khwaja Ghulam Farid, and Bulleh Shah. The music is central to the Sema ceremony of Islam culture, the whirling dervishes. Qawwali is the best-known form of Sufi music, and the love and devotional songs are performed as ghazals and Kafi.
If you, like many others in India and the subcontinent, enjoy Sufi music, then here are the best 6 songs from the genre that will give you the ultimate Sufi experience.
1. Duma Dum Mast Qalandar –
This beautiful composition is considered a Sufi anthem for real music lovers. This is the ultimate spiritual Sufi song that often finds its place amid the convergence of both spiritual music lovers and party-holics. Its rich history which dates back to the 13th century was written by the original and eminent Sufi poet Amir Khusrow. Khusrow crafted the beautiful poem to honor Lal ShahbazQalandar, the most admired Sufi saint. The astonishing lyrics were penned by Amir Khusrow as a prayer and later modified by Bulleh Shah in the eighteenth century. It was Bulleh Shah who woven the poem into the music of Qawwali. Over the years ‘Duma Dum Mast Qalandar’ has been subjected to several renditions, reviving the craze for the hypnotic composition from time to time.
One of the most popular renditions of the track is the melody composed by Pakistani music composer Master Ashiq Hussain. The song is called ‘Lal Meri Pat’ and was originally composed for the 1956 Pakistani film “Jabroo”, sung by Inayat Hussain Bhatti, Fazal Hussain, and A.R. Bismil. However, the most popular rendition was ‘Dama Dam Mast Qalandar’ from the 1969 Pakistani film “Dillan DeySoudey”. This included the original composition of Ashiq Hussain and was sung by Noor Jehan. Legendary Pakistani musicians NusratFateh Ali Khan and M. Arshad composed a new rendition of the track, inspired by “Dam Mast Qalandar”, with a completely different melody and arrangement. Khan later sang this song and used it in the Pakistani film “Boxer” which was popularized as ‘Dam Mast Qalandar’ or ‘Mast Mast’.
2. Khwaja Mere Khwaja
Another Sufi rendition that will fill your hearts with love for the divine and give you that ultimate feeling of being blended with the demiurge, is ‘Khwaja Mere Khwaja’ from the Film Jodhaa Akbar. The film came in 2008 and was directed by AshutoshGowariker which focused on the political marriage between Mughal Emperor Jalaluddin Akbar and Jodhaa, daughter of Raja Bharmal. In the beautifully designed set, the song comes in to present one of the most beautiful moments the Hindi Film industry ever witnessed. Written by Kashif, the song was composed, and sung by the illustrious musician, A.R. Rahman. The composer and singer later confirmed that the song was not made for any film in particular, certainly not for Jodhaa Akbar. Rather he composed it for himself to listen to. Interestingly, this song is one of the most splendid Sufi compositions that Bollywood has.
3. Saansonki Mala
A beautiful Sufi rendition that is penned down by the most dedicated devotee of Lord Krishna, Meera Bai is ‘Sansonki Mala pe Simrun Mai Pee Ka Naam’. It is one of many bhajans that Meera Bai wrote for Lord Krishna in the sixteenth century. The lyrics of this bhajan are extremely powerful and perfectly convey the all-consuming love that a devotee has for her lord, whom she considers as her ‘Priyatam’ or lover. Now the song is one of the most popular songs that is performed at Hindu devotional gatherings. The song showcases how powerful the love of a devotee can be so that it can transcend the devotee to the higher dimensions of spirituality. Later Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan re-wrote this as a song and performed during the time of his first visit to India in 1979.
In 1996, the song was recomposed for the film “Jeet” by Nadeem-Shravan. The film had Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, and Sunny Deol. ‘Saansonki Mala’ was again used in the 1997 Hindi film “Koyla”, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit. It was recomposed by Rajesh Roshan and was sung by Kavita Krishnamurthy. The last rendition we heard was in 2011, for the film “Trishna” where Michael Winterbottom used the original composition.
4. Piya Haji Ali
A clue that hints toward a great Sufi song is that it must be soaked in devotion and ‘Piya Haji Ali’ is the kind of song that if you listen just for once, it will be very hard to forget. Used in the movie “Fiza” in 2000, the masterful composition is done by none other than A.R Rahman and penned by Shoukat Ali. “Kiske Dil Me Kya Chupa Hai, Sab Tumhe Malum Hai”, the lyrics are soulfully dedicated to Pir Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, the eminent saint from the nineteenth century.
This beautiful Sufi rendition is written from the irrespective of realizing the divine’s unbiased and pure love. Singing or even listening to the track in a quiet place can be a soul-bearing and powerful experience for anyone. If you are in search of a deep sense of relaxation and the feeling of uniting with the celestial being, then ‘Piya Haji Ali’ is most definitely your song.
5. ‘Chap Tilak Sab’
‘Chap Tilak Sab’ is another Sufi rendition that dates back to the fourteenth century. Penned by the renowned Amir Khusro, the mystical and melodious lyrics of the track made it one of the most popular and well-loved songs in the world of modern Qawwali and Sufi music lovers. The poetry is the ideal blend of true Islamic and Indian cultures and is written in the Western Indian language, BrajBhasha. This poem is known as Khusro’s most popular Kalam, a penned version of the imagination of his devotion toward the omnipresent and how it binds them together. The poem is also an epic example of the Middle Eastern art form entangling with Indic philology.
‘Chaaptilak sab cheeni’ revolves around the theme of the power of just a mere glance from the divine. The composition has later been sung by various legendary singers like Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mehnaz Begum, Naheed Akhtar, Abida Parveen, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Kailash Kher, Kavita Seth, and many more.
6. ‘Bhar Do Jholi’
Another popular and heartening Sufi rendition of the modern world is ‘’Bhar Do Jholi’ which was popularized by the late Sabri Brothers. The song was penned by the eminent Urdu poet Purnam Allahabadi in praise of Allah. The lyrics are about the supreme divine who is also a provider of spiritual bliss along with materialistic needs. In the 1970s, the Sabri Brothers released their greatest hit qawwalis including ‘Bhar Do Jholi’. The song ‘Bhar Do Jholi Meri Ya Muhammad’ was later heard in the film “Bin BadalBarsat”, released in 1975.
The most modern rendition of the song was heard in the 2015 movie “Bajrangi Bhaijan”. Starring Salman Khan, Kabir Khan, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the movie had the song in the voice of Adnan Sami which received much love and appreciation from the Sufi lovers all across.
Other than these 6 tracks, some of the other most famous Sufi songs are ‘Mera Piya Ghar Aaya’, ‘Halka Halka Surroor’, ‘Eri Sakhi Mohe Piya GharAaye’, etc. Sufism can be seen in nuance in various Indian music, art, and literature forms. The ideology of Sufi music voices for peace, love, and harmony, moreover, the idea that the love that we receive from the omnipresent is equal for everyone. Practicing Sufi music or just listening to it gives audiences the feeling of undergoing a spiritual journey.
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