Rizwan-Muazzam

The Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali group is a Qawwali group, headed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's nephews, Rizwan and Muazzam.[1] The sons of Mujahid Mubarak Ali Khan, they have been performing together as Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali since the 1990s. They played their first major concert in 1998 at the Womad Rivermead festival in Reading, England.[2]

The two lead singers come from a direct family line of Qawwali music that spans over five centuries. Their grandfather was an uncle of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and taught Nusrat the art of qawwali vocal music. They themselves studied under their father, who died in 1996, and were then tutored by Nusrat.[2]

Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali is made up of two lead singers (Rizwan and Muazzam), five secondary singers leading the choral response and vigorous hand claps two harmonium players and a tabla player. They perform in traditional Qawwali style - sitting on the ground rather than on seats - which they believe brings them closer to God.[2]

Discography

Day Of Colours is an album of traditional qawwali, recorded in four days in a tiny studio in Lahore, with songs in Persian, Urdu and Punjabi. "Light Of My Life/Sayyedo-Sarwer Muhammad" was written by the 13th century Persian poet and mystic, Rumi.[2]

References

  1. ↑ McConnachie, James (2000). World music: the rough guide, Volume 2. Rough Guides. p. 211. ISBN 978-1-85828-636-5.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Rizwan & Muazzam Mujahid Ali Khan-Qawwal", accessed 20 May 2011.

External links