Riyaaz Qawwali

Qawwali is the improvisational vocal tradition of Sufism, a mystical, meditative form of Islam. Originating seven centuries ago, it consists of sung poetry with verses that explore the meaning of divine love. Vocals start slow, singing of love, devotion, and gratitude. As the music builds through repetition, singers engage in call and response, and the beat of clapping and the tabla hand drum grow quicker. At its height, the music moves audiences and performers together into ecstatic trance. Based in Texas, the members of Riyaaz Qawwali, all of South Asian heritage, share this meditative, transfixing, and joyous music with audiences across the country.

Qawwali has roots in 13th-century Sufi devotional music and sacred poetry—“qual” means “utterance of the prophet.” Sufism,or tasawwuf as it is known in Arabic, is generally understood by scholars and Sufisto be the inner, esoteric, or mystical dimension of Islam. Put simply, Sufi practice requires repeatedly surrendering to the divine. Today qawwali is performed across South Asia in Urdu, Punkabi, Brajbhasha, and Persian, and singers draw from a repertoire of poetry expressing faith in its deepest form: through feelings of gratitude, longing, devotion, and love. Performers, traditionally male, sit cross-legged, centered around a lead vocalist who moves the group through the song, which builds in intensity to transport audiences, singers, and musicians toward ecstatic communion with the divine.

Riyaaz Qawwali is dedicated to sharing the beauty and power of qawwali with audiences of all backgrounds. When members performed together for the first time, for the Pakistani Students Association at their alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin over 15 years ago; they brought students, professors, and parents to their feet. At the very beginning, they discovered the potential for qawwali to “transcend boundaries” and “dispel misconceptions,” in the words of Sonny, the group’s lead singer and artistic director. When they perform, their pleasure in the music is irresistible. The members of Riyaaz Qawwali represent the diversity and complexity of contemporary South Asia: they herald from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, and come from different spiritual backgrounds. They also emphasize their identities as Americans in addition to their South Asian heritage—in the interest of freeing qawwali from its South Asian ethnic and religious categorizations, the group goes by their first names only.

In their quest to “bring qawwali to new ears,” Riyaaz Qawwali makes the most of their diverse heritages, and performs Sikh, Sufi, Hindu—even Christian and Buddhist verses using the traditional mix of vocals, harmonium, and percussion. Through sharing their interpretations of this age-old music with American audiences, including recent collaborations ranging from jazz ensembles and composing music for Disney Junior, the group seeks to promote the understanding of Islam in the U.S. and promote peace across South Asia. In this sense, they bring qawwali full circle to its ancient roots—as NPR’s Weekend Edition stated, “they hope that joy transcends religion.”