A blog by Omar Haq

Omar Haq with Rizwan and Muazzam

Our latest UK tour with Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwals in March 2019 was a particularly special experience for life-long fan of Qawwali music, Omar Haq.

We caught up with Omar to find out about his experience of the tour and the profound impact it had on him.

Tell us about your experience with Rizwan & Muazzam Qawwals during their recent UK tour?

On this 2019 tour I was delighted to attend concerts in four locations across the UK, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham. Prior to this on the previous tour in 2017 I attended the concert at the Assembly Rooms in Leeds.

During the previous tour in 2017 I was privileged to have had the opportunity, after contacting Asian Arts Agency, to have my picture taken with both Ustad Rizwan and Muazzam Ali Khan.

I was delighted to get this chance as I had been fortunate enough to get a picture with their late uncle Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and their late father Ustad Mujahid Mubarak Ali Khan as a young child, which I also showed the brothers who were happy that I shared these memories.

From this point on my relationship began to develop further with the brothers, along with their group, on a more personal level through social media via Facebook. I would comment on posts on a daily basis and from these detailed comments they quickly realised that I am passionate about their music and family linage, and that I was not your run of the mill fan.

Obviously, I was overjoyed when Asian Arts Agency announced the news of a second UK tour in 2019 and I began to make plans in earnest not only to attend the concerts all the way from Edinburgh in Scotland, but also to reach out to Rizwan and Muazzam to spend time with them before and after the performances, with their express permission.

“The whole tour has been the greatest experience of my life, to say that I will never forget it is no understatement. The crowd’s reaction at each location on the tour says it all, there really is nothing like the hypnotic pure sound of traditional Qawwali to raise the roof.”

Omar Haq watching Rizwan-Muazzam's UK tour

What did it mean to you?

I have been a fan of their late uncle and fathers Qawwali style, known as Punjab A’nng, since I was three years old. Naturally, since their elders untimely passing in the late 90’s my attention turned towards the next generation of the family line, which as nephews of the great Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, are Rizwan and Muazzam.

“Having introduced myself to them formally on the 2017 tour and build a relationship with them over the past two years, the 2019 tour was the most wonderful experience I have ever had as I was able to spend time with the group before, during and after performances and they very quickly made me feel like family”.

For me personally the sound checks, which I got to experience at the four venues I attended, were a highlight. This is simply because they allowed me to see the inner workings of how they communicate with each other on stage and the little nuances they put together on the spot.

I also had the privilege to have some truly deep learning through conversations with both the brothers as they began to open up as they felt my passion and the depth of my knowledge. The fact that they opened up like this is incredible, as they would only give this level of detail to their foremost talented students who are expected to remain silent on the teachings.

We also had time to have a laugh and a joke.

“All in all the experience was beyond my wildest dreams”.

They say never meet your heroes! Well, I have and luckily for me both the brothers and the band are worthy of that expression.

Omar Haq with Rizwan & Muazzam at Manchester's Royal Northern College of Music

What have you taken away from the concerts and the experience?

I have taken away great memories and sacred inner knowledge that was divulged to me when they saw the depth of my knowledge and appreciation of the art form.

I have also taken away a new-found confidence in my knowledge and the fact that people appreciate my level of obsession for Qawwali, which knows no bounds.

Finally, I have also taken away some brilliant memories and long-term friendships with people I met on the tour.

How did the performances and experience impact on your general health and wellbeing?

As a person with a lifelong disability, Cerebral Palsy, I find that Qawwali itself has the power to make me feel better whenever I listen to it. It is always with me in some form or another wherever I go. It is music that I listen to in any mood but I have to give it my full attention, for me it is not music that you listen to without this.

The music is so all encompassing that it takes me over to the point where nothing else matters.

What are your plans next and for the future with regard to Qawwali and following the experiences of the tour?

Following the success of the 2017 tour on the back of meeting the brothers I felt that there was a need for me to transmit their uncle’s legacy to a new generation who were familiar with his voice but not with his background.

Therefore, to mark Nusrat’s twenty-year death anniversary I decided to develop, produce and present a series of video blogs, via Facebook live, to first of all honour his memory and legacy and to introduce a whole new generation to his music, background and musical journey.

This turned out to be a tremendously worthwhile and successful adventure an I got great feedback as the vlogs were shared on a number of social media pages.

Following Rizwan and Muazzam’s 2019 tour I have recently been asked to present a two-hour weekly show on an upcoming radio station based in Scotland known as Sunoh Scotland, the first national Asian radio station throughout Scotland’s central belt.

I have been doing this for some weeks and feel privileged that I am getting to share my passion with others and spread the message of Nusrat’s work and Qawwali in general to as wide an audience as possible.

“Quite simply this would not have been possible without that very first email I sent to yourselves at Asian Arts Agency back in 2017 asking if it would be possible to meet Rizwan and Muazzam. This one moment has enabled me to take my passion and knowledge and share it with others. Who knows where this may lead to in future.”

Omar Haq meeting Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwals backstage at the concert in Manchester.

To find out more about our work and impact, take a look around our website and the What We Do section, watch highlights from our events on YouTube and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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