Khan Rocks the Pyramid

(as published in Pakistan Link, Los Angeles, 9-19-95)
by Fazeel Aziz Chauhan


Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan should be in the next Memorex commercial. In one of their old TV ads, a woman is shown singing in a high pitch and she causes a glass to break with her powerful voice. But in the new commercial, Khan saheb should be shown causing an avalanche on K-2.
After watching Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's concert in L.A. on Saturday, I wonder if there is a better male vocalist in the world. Is there another example like the great Khan, whose family's musical legacy is hundreds of years old? He took the stage of the Pyramid Arena at Cal State Long Beach in front of a restless audience. They had been anxiously waiting for this concert since the date was announced about three months ago.

Several people bought their tickets in advance from TicketMaster and experienced very long delays at the Will Call window. Some were angry but strangely, this anger was only surface level and very temporary. There was a special feeling in the air. Under similar circumstances, at any other concert, tempers would have been flaring and cursing and fighting would have occurred. But these people who had come to hear Khan were different. They were quiet and mellow. They complained mostly because they were anxious to get inside and dive into the magical ambience Khan had created under the Pyramid. Inside and out, there was a general warm feeling of peace and joy.

According to Khan, Qawali started about eight hundred years ago in the area which is now Afghanistan. A Qawal is a man singing a Qawl. A Qawl is a saying. I suppose it's literally similar to the word Rap. The great difference is that in Rap music, someone is usually making a social or political statement and usually the feeling is harsh. On the other hand, Qawals go to the furthest depths of the soul and sing about Islamic spirituality, creating a state of delicious ecstasy.

The lyrics being sung are usually hundreds of years old and were written by various spiritual leaders. Many of these pious men were Sufi and are also referred to as "Pir" and "Faqeer". They are great men who make incredible sacrifices to reach enlightenment through meditation, Zikr and other means. The spiritual poets often write about their intoxication in the love for Allah and his Prophet Mohammed. The powerful words were obtained as precious gifts after paying the great price of annihilating the self. These spiritual leaders distributed these gifts among their followers. When Qawals sing these words, the music literally transforms the audience into a trance. Since its inception, this enlightening music has helped expose people to the message of Islam.

Some Muslims feel strongly against the involvement of Islam with music, dance and Sufism. However, one might say that the Azan, recitations of Quran and Naat are also forms of music. The Whirling Dervishes of Turkey use dance as a tool in their quest for enlightenment. Chanting and Zikr have a rhythmic element and are also used as tools to meditate, concentrate, contemplate and to detach from the self. Any tool can be misused so we should not throw away the baby with the bath-water. Indeed Allama Iqbal practiced Sufism too.

It was very moving to see thousands of people gathered under the Pyramid to hear the message to their soul. There is a theory among the practitioners of Transcendental Meditation that if 1 percent of the people of a city gather together and meditate for an hour, they can cause a positive change in the entire population of the city. There was something definitely magical that happened at the Pyramid on Saturday and many of us could not put the feelings into words.

The thirsty ears and hungry eyes awaited the great Khan for hours. When he arrived, a crowd of reporters swarmed him on the way backstage. He took the stage with eight of his "Humnawa". They included four background singers, three other alternating singers, two harmonium player and Dildar Hussain with his heart pounding tabla beats.

The musicians sat down on the ground in the form of a crescent, facing the audience, and Khan began with the famous "Allahu". The crowd immediately responded with loud approvals of joy. Allahu is a common mantra used in the practice of Zikr. Thus five thousand people began a collective meditation of 75 minutes. The audience clapped along with the musicians and responded to the entrancing verses with roars of pleasure.

Lots of people shouted their requests during the brief pauses. Khan responded with the next Qawali "Iss Karam Ka Karun Shukr Kaisay Ada". It means: How do I give thanks for this blessing? The next Qawali lit the Pyramid on fire. "Ali Da Malang" caused people to get up and start dancing. Lights were turned on so that everybody could see this great moment of celebration. People started showering Khan with money when he sang "Mera Piya Ghar Aya". There were scores of non-Desi people in the audience and they could not understand why people were throwing money at Khan. But we all understood something that was much more deeper. This was one of the rarest occasions in life when people of all colors, religions, cultures, countries, classes and races were brought together in a peaceful celebration of the human spirit. The vibes of truth were in the air.

"Mast Nazron Say Allah Bacha-ay" caused more people to dance. In Pakistan, people are freely allowed to dance to Qawali and it can put them in a state of trance or "Mast". Unfortunately, people dancing near the stage were told to stop by two large wrestlers. Khan continued with some moving verses that caused the crowd to go wild. Soon it was intermission and people rushed to grab the Desi food. There were a lot of smiles under the pyramid. The concert had brought many young people. For example, there were a lot of Desi young women who appeared very westernized. They are usually not seen at Desi shows because they probably relate more to western music. They were the proof that Khan can bring together all kinds of people. Especially those of us who migrated here at a young age or were born here and have trouble formulating our identities. Khan provides a deeper meaning, especially for those who experience conflicts of belongingness.

Another 75 minute long meditation started after the intermission. Khan sang two short versions of "Sanson Ki Mala Pay Simroon May Pi Ka Naam" and "Mitr Pyaray Noo Haal Mureedan Da Kehna". The latter is a very beautiful piece about followers or "Mureeds" of a spiritual teacher or "Pir". Khan sang powerful sequences of scale tones, waving his hands and arms in circular motions, pointing up, going back and forth, from very low to very high pitches, arriving at a big crescendo that caused loud responses from the listeners. The listeners appeared more like seekers and Khan handed out cup-fulls of intoxicating melodies and enlightening lyrics for their souls.

Some people shouted to request "Gorakh Dhanda" and Khan's keen ear again somehow picked it up out of the joyful noise. When he sang "Jhoolay Jhoolay Laal Dam Must Qalandar", several people went out of control. Many of them danced in their seats and in the aisles. The dancing continued for the rest of the evening. Khan spoke only two sentences during the whole show. And then came time to say goodbye. People gave a long standing ovation and expressed how happy they were. What great gifts Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan gave to the people that night! He gave them love, peace and joy. And most importantly, he fed their spiritually starving souls. There is no bigger service to mankind than that