Troubadours of Allah: Sufi Music Indus Vly/ Var - Troubadours Of Allah: Sufi Music Indus Vly / Var

As multifaceted as popular Sufism is, so varied too are the musical styles of the Indus Valley, which have been largely unknown until now. The spectrum reaches from ecstatic "qawwali" compositions by way of mystically inspired love poetry and popular melodies to the Shaman-influenced trance music of the Baluchis and the songs of the dervishes and fakirs. It is not simply music in the narrow sense that defines the life of the dervishes, their whole existence is a tapestry of sound that is woven from diverse musical threads. Their music reflects a love of God and the joy of existence. More than anywhere else in the Islamic world, in the Indus valley where music has played an important role in spreading a sensual and tolerant faith and has influenced the life of a population inspired by the Sufis. In the Punjab, the main musical form is the "kafi", of which there is a rural folk and an urban classical variety. In Sindh we find a large number of different forms. The "ways" preserved at the shrine of Shah Latif in their original form follow the metrical rules of the Sindhi language. Most of the poets of the Indus valley, who wanted to reach the masses, used the colloquial languages of the people, whereas "qawwali", on the other hand, made use of the general language Urdu. It is not only music in a narrower sense that defines the life of the dervishes: Their whole existence seems to be a kind of sound carpet woven from manifold acoustical threads. Let the triad of music, describing texts and pictures full of atmosphere bring you to a wonderful new world.