RMIM Archive Article "392".

From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian
#
# RMIM Archives..
# Subject: Qawaali  part 3
#
# Posted by: Satish Subramanian
# Source: Teginder Singh Dhanoa's paper in UC Davis 
# Author: Teginder Singh Dhanoa ez054777@ucdavis.edu
#


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       Qawwali - Devotional Songs of the Sufi Mystics
		      (Structure)

			  by
		 Teginder Singh Dhanoa
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Qawwali has a very set procedure of delivery.  It is set  in
the  North Indian semi-classical(19) singing style but has a
touch of  folk  music  in  it.   Being  semi-classical,  the
singing  of  Qawwali  relies  upon  sophisticated Raags(20),
combined with exultant spontaneity.

Each  Qawwali  performance  begins   with   a   Naghma   (an
instrumental  prelude).  The main objective of the Naghma is
to focus the listeners' attention to the music.

The  Naghma  is  followed  by  the  Alaap,   which   is   an
introductory  verse  sung  solo  with  only one accompanying
instrument.  The purpose of the Alaap is  to  introduce  the
topic  of  the Qawwali to the present listeners.(21) Judging
from the audience's response to the Alaap,  the  Qawwal  has
two  options.  If  the response is favorable, the Qawwal can
continue with the Qawwali he(22) started.  If  the  response
to  the Alaap is not favorable, the Qawwal can start singing
another Alaap on a different topic to see if it fares better
with the devotees.

Each Qawwali, like the North Indian singing style, is  based
on  a  Raag.   Also  known as Raga or Ragan, the Raag is "an
immensely intricate system of scales and associated  melodic
patterns.   There  are some 200 main Raags, each of which is
defined by its unique combination of scale-pattern, dominant
notes,   specific   rules  to  be  obeyed  in  ascending  or
descending  and  certain  melodic  phrases  associated  with
it."(23)

The Raag is a specific  melody  but  improvisation  is  also
accepted  as  long  as  it  falls within the "rules" of each
Raag.  Raags have many origins, but most  are  derived  from
folk tunes and ballads.  Certain individuals, such as Hazrat
Amir Khusrou, have been acknowledged for  creating  specific
Raags.   There  are  thousands  of  Raags  in existence, but
vocalists often sing  only  a  handful  that  they  have  an
affinity for.

The Raag sets the melody for a Qawwali, while the rhythm  is
derived from specific Taals.  Taals are "specific structures
expressed through cycles, which can be clapped out by  hand.
A  Taal  is  made up of a number of beats (Matras), and each
beat is defined by  a  combination  of  rhythm  pattern  and
timbre."(24)  Just  as  there  are  thousands  of  Raags  in
existence there are also thousands of Taals, but only a  few
are commonly used.


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			 END NOTES
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(19)
"The degree of musical purity is  assigned  according  to  a
scale which has music at one extreme and words at the other.
As words become more audible and thus  the  meaning  of  the
lyrics  more important, so the form is considered to be less
musically pure."World Music : The Rough  Guide.   Ed.  Simon
Broughton,   Mark  Ellingham,  David  Muddyman  and  Richard
Trillo.  London : Rough Guides Ltd., 1994.  Pg. 210.

(20)
For a definition of Raags please see the next  paragraph  or
the sheet entitled "Raags" in the handout section.

(21)
Alaap in the Qawwali context differs from that of  Classical
music  in  the  sense  that an Alaap in classical music is a
slow introduction used to introduce the notes of a Raag  one
by one.

(22)
Note that Qawwali singers are always male.

(23)
World Music, Pg. 212.

(24)
Ibid.
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From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian