It’s time to soak in the mystic aura of some soulful Sufi music as the iconic Nizami Bandhus are all set to liven up the mehfils (gathering) and take their mureeds (admirers) on a ruhaani (divine) journey. The iconic Nizami Bandhu, a revered name in the world of Sufi music, are setting about on a musical odyssey across the country, covering cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Dehradun, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Jaipur.
Armed with a 700-year-old legacy, the name of Nizami Bandhus is etched in the annals of Sufi sangeet (Sufi music). They hail from the legendary Sikandra Gharana that has churned out some of the finest gems of Qawwali singers, and the baton is now being carried forward by the gifted trio, Ustad Chand Nizami and his nephews Shadab Faridi Nizami and Sohrab Faridi Nizami. The Qawwali singers have also graced the silver screen with their rendition of the soulful number Kun Faya Kun in Imtiaz Ali and AR Rahman’s Rockstar, as well as reams of other Qawwali pieces, including Aaj Rang Hain from Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Khudaya from the recent Sarfira.
Elaborating on what one can expect from the show, Ustad Chand Nizami, who is headlining the group, tells us, "The Indian audience understands poetry and music and holds their artistes in high esteem. During this tour, we will be playing our classics and some farmayishen from the audience. Wherever we go, we hope we get a good response from the listeners.”
Ask him about the response for Sufi kalaams in the southern part of India, and he says, "Music transcends the boundaries of language and geography. But we do try to sing in simple Urdu or Hindi when we are in the south. One of the remarkable music directors who has made some of the most memorable Sufi kalaams hails from Chennai. Yes, we are talking about AR Rahman Saab! He has played a crucial role in our film journey.”
When quizzed about the evolution of Sufi music over the years, he says, "In the days of yore, Qawwali used to be sung predominantly in Persian or Arabic. Though our prophet didn’t come to India, his message was brought here by Hazrat Khawaja Mu'in al-Din Chishti. With time, music too has undergone a sea change. Instruments also underwent transition—tabla, drum, and harmonium, to name a few. What we heard 500 years ago cannot be created today. The bandish (the summary of a raga) and the rhythm of the theka are different. People also look forward to something new. So, you have to move on with the times.”
Chand Nizami says that the songs they perform at these concerts also change according to the audience's taste. “Our performances differ according to the audience. If the audience is diverse, we sing songs about the mazhab (religion) and how God is one. On other occasions, for instance, at a wedding, we sing shers in the praise of the groom or bride.“
Nizami Bandhu became a household name after their appearance in Kun Faya Kun in AR Rahman's Rockstar. Did they expect the song to become such a huge hit among the audience? “No at all! In fact, before Rockstar, we had worked on a film called Yahaan, which starred Jimmy Sheirgill in the lead. We sang the Qawwali, Ajmer Wala Khwaja. However, it was Kun Faya Kun that became our identity after we made our maiden appearance on the silver screen. The song begins with the lines Ya Nizamuddin Auliya in Rahman Saab's voice. It set the tone for the song. After the song, we met Rahman Saab many times. His Sufi songs are a class apart.”
Their latest outing is the Qawwali from Akshay Kumar's Sarfira. “The qawwali, Khudaya, was shot in Mumbai. Most of the songs that we featured are all set against the backdrop of a dargah. This time around, we didn't sing in a dargah. It was a great experience working with Akshay Kumar.”
The Sufi group aims to take Qawwali to reaffirm the virtues of love, tolerance, and faith taught by their forefathers.