Chand Nizami talks to Iknoor Kaur about keeping tradition of qawwali alive and Rahman's contribution in making the genre popular
No Bollywood film of the 70s was complete without a qawwali. The sufi tradition of singing continued to impress the music aficionados and the filmmakers alike. Kun Faya from Rockstar can be quoted as the recent example. There have been only a few names to contribute to the popularity of the genre. Nizami Bandhu surely tops the list.
The duo performed at Zeeba last night. They belong to a 650-year-old lineage and at 52, the younger one, Chand Nizami, says that he is doing his best to keep alive the tradition of qawwals. “Qawwali gives a beautiful message that there is no religion that can make us better or worse. I will not say anything about any other kind of music, they are not bad, but the charm that traditional music has is something you will not experience otherwise,” he said.
Chand is open to adaptations and believes that AR Rahman has given qawwali a new face. “If I perform, 400 people listen to me, but Rahman gave qawwali an international platform where millions of people become a part of the music. I am taking forward my family’s legacy but his contribution to the genre is selfless,” he commented.
The musician revealed that originally sitar and tabla were used for qawwali. “Not many believe this to be true. But at present, apart from the two instruments, many others are added to the list,” he informed.Nizami Bandhu have been a part of concerts across the globe but their fans know that they can easily be spotted at the Nizamuddin Dargah.
“When we perform at the darbar, the intensity of the performance is so much that we often get tears in our eyes. At concerts we perform for money, here we perform because of our own connect with the music and its divinity. It’s difficult to find the true essence of qawwali on stage,” he said and added that qawwali has such an influence on the audience that it can make them swing on the notes. We now hear of women qawwals in India but Chand says that “their music is not true qawwali. They only do it for money. Only a few women sing qawwali from heart.”
Chand feels that for qawwali to get recognition today, a lot needs to be done. He commented, “We should get awards for qawwalis. When Sachin came and showed exceptional talent in cricket, he was awarded. We have spent our lives trying to popularise qawwali, it is time we should get our due. It gives us something to look forward to. Unless we don’t get recognition, our children will not take our legacy forward.”
In 2012, the Nizami Bandhu performed at the Moroccan Sufi Festival and was highly applauded for the same.