4.0 out of 5 stars
Sufi Fusion, December 21, 2011
The performance of Sufi ghazals, romantic poetic songs with religious meaning, is often joyous and ecstatically passionate--and strongly rhythmic and danceable--rather than slow and meditative, as in ragas. When considering contemporary audiences, why should not these traditional melodies be arranged for modern, even Western instruments? Thus, a sort of fusion has been established these days, and among its practitioners is Shafqat Ali Khan, son of Salamat Ali Khan. While he performs with traditional instruments in a subsequent album [Sufi Songs from India & Pakistan], these recordings include a saxophone played by George Brooks, and electric guitars and synthesizers, played by Douglas McKeehan, along with Shafqat's zither. Shafquat sings in Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, and Farsi. One track especially caught my attention: Journey to Marwa, which for 10 minutes is his interpretation of Rag Marwa but with a modern, highly unusual, yet attractive electronic percussion in additional to electronic drones. As a student of the Sham Chaurasi school, Shafqat owes much to dhrupad but has much vocal ornamentation. Lyrics of the ghazals are included in the insert. Of interest, is that Shafqat has three brothers and a sister, all musicians. His brother Sukhawat Ali Khan also explores Sufi fusion styles.
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