We were delighted to take our international project PunjabTronix to India in early March for major performances in Punjab. This is where the project was originally developed as a collaboration between artists from India and the UK.
Following successful tours in the UK and USA (including SXSW Music Festival), we presented the project to Indian audiences, with performances in the cities of Ludhiana and Patiala in the Punjab region. Visit the tour event page for more details.
The response from audiences was absolutely phenomenal as you can see in the video clips below.
Here’s a clip of the group performing Jind Mahi:
A short clip of Desi Rock:
We hope to take the project back to India. Watch this space for future PunjabTronix announcements.
Our mission is to extend the boundaries of South Asian music and introduce artists to a wider audience.
On our latest tour with Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwals, we were delighted to secure high profile media coverage for the Sufi maestros. Read on to find out more and to listen again!
BBC RADIO 4 – Loose Ends
The Qawwals began the tour with a visit to the BBC’s Broadcasting House in London. They performed a live performance on BBC Radio 4’s flagship arts and culture programme Loose Ends, hosted by Clive Anderson.
They performed the poignant Qawwali, Biba Sada Dil Mor De. Listen here.
Following their live performance on Loose Ends, Rizwan-Muazzam did an interview for Waqas Saeed’s BBC Asian Network show, chatting about Qawwali music and the upcoming tour.
BBC RADIO 6 Music – Cerys Matthews
Rizwan, Muazzam and our Director Jaswinder Singh joined Cerys in the BBC 6 Music studio on 17th March to pre-record an extensive interview about Sufi music, Rizwan-Muazzam and the tour. Cerys’ then discussed the tour on her 24th March show, with the full interview due to be broadcast on Sunday 7th April – you can listen again here.
Cerys’ show is hugely popular with music lovers throughout the UK and it was a wonderful opportunity to introduce Sufi music and Rizwan-Muazzam to a wider audience.
Rizwan and Muazzam with Radio 6’s Cerys Matthews:
BBC RADIO LEEDS
Our Director and tour producer, Jaswinder Singh, had a great chat on air with BBC Radio Leeds’ Rav Basra. Listen to Jaswinder describing Qawwali music and introducing Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwals here.
iWeekend – five best this weekend
We were delighted to see the iWeekend national paper pick Rizwan-Muazzam in their ‘five best this weekend’ culture feature.
Eastern Eye – double page feature
Ahead of the UK tour, Eastern Eye entertainment editor Asjad Nazir interviewed Rizwan and Muazzam for a double page spread feature, and included the tour in his ‘top picks’ throughout the tour. It was great to receive support from Britain’s number 1 Asian weekly newspaper.
Songlines Magazine
Songlines featured the tour in its April 2019 edition, saying “rare tour from Pakistani legends”.
This is a just a selection of the media coverage received for this tour. Rizwan and Muazzam also did interviews with many local and specialist asian press before and throughout the tour.
Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwals toured the UK from 16 -31 March 2019, produced and managed by Asian Arts Agency.
We are delighted to be presenting slide guitar maestro Debashish Bhattacharya at Shambala Festival 2019 as part of his UK tour.
Shambala Festival is a wonderful, award-winning independent festival that takes place from 22 – 25 August in the heart of the Northamptonshire countryside.
Debashish will be accompanied by his trio partners at Shambala Festival, daughter and talented vocalist Anandi Bhattacharya and renowned tabla player Tanmoy Bose.
A Critically Acclaimed Musician
Debashish Bhattacharya is critically acclaimed with accolades including two Grammy nominations (2002, 2009) Songlines (2016) and BBC Award (2007).
However, not just musically talented but with a pioneering spirit, Debashish invented his own hollow neck slide-guitars (the 24-string chaturangui, the 14-string gandharvi and the anandi, a 4-string lap steel ukulele).
He has won the hearts of audiences worldwide.
Startling and Soaring
A rising star with mesmerising vocal talent, the Guardian described Anandi’s vocals as “startling” and “soaring”. Her new album “Joys Abound” pays homage to Classical Indian Tradition. Her singing was also described as permeating “a sense of freedom”.
Anandi is popularly known as “the voice of modern India”.
Stands Out Prominently
Tanmoy Bose is a percussionist, musical producer, film actor and composer. He has collaborated with Pandit Ravi Shankar, Anoushka Shankar and Amjad Ali Khan.
In 2002, Bose created the musical group “The Taal Tantra Experience”. His accolades include UNICEF, Music World Kolkatta, Centre for Indian Studies USA.
In the words of Ravi Shankar: In the world of Tabla players of his generation, Tanmoy bose stands out prominently… I especially appreciate the romanticism and the sense of proportion in his playing.”
Tickets
Shambala is selling out fast! However, don’t panic! We are touring Debashish and his trio around the UK this summer, including performances in Stroud, London, Nottingham, York and many other cities still to be announced.
The ancient art of Qawwali is centuries old. Although Qawwali is becoming an increasingly popular genre in World Music, there are some beautiful Qawwalis which are not as exposed. Songs of love, both requited and unrequited, Qawwali has been a special form of music for expressing a mystical emotion. We searched out 5 not so well known Qawwalis for you to get to know.
Kanhaiya Yaad Hai
This Qawwali sings of the intense separation from the Beloved, Krishna. The lover asks, “Tell me Krishna, do you remember me at all?” The mood of intense love and separation is an important part of the Bhakti (devotional) tradition. This devotional song was written by Nawab Sadiq Jang Hilm of Hyderabad.
Kaisa Naach Nachaaya Dhola
Sung by acclaimed Qawwals Fariduddin Ayaz & Abu Mohammed, this Qawwali describes the marvels of God walking on Earth in human form. The theme of the individual being dependent on God’s will and the exploration of leela, or divine play, are the theme of this Qawwali.
Ae Ri Sakhiri Morey Khwaja Ghar Aaye
Fariduddin Ayaz, Abu Mohammed and party perform “Ae Ri Sakhiri Morey”. This Qawwali is a composition by Amir Khusro, the founder of Qawwali. Khusro sings in praise of his beloved master in the mood of devotion and longing.
Aziz Mian is a Qawwali icon. He was the only prominent Qawal to write his own lyrics. His raspy voice made him a distinctive Qawal. In this qawwali, “Teri Soorat Nigahon Mein”, the lover expresses utmost loyalty to the Beloved: I died, but my eyes refused to close. That was the height of waiting.
Sohne Mukhre Da Lain De Nazara
The fifth Qawwali chosen is by the iconic and arguably most well known Qawwal, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. In the Qawwali, Sohne Mukhre De Lain De Nazara, the lover asks the Beloved, what will it cost to catch a glance of your beautiful face?
Experience the magic of Qawwali
We are looking forward to presenting the torchbearers of the Qawwali tradition, Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwals in concert this March. The nephews of the great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan will be performing in 8 different cities across the UK.
We hope you can join us and experience the magic of Qawwali, live in the UK!
Asian Arts Agency is one of ten companies that has been selected from across the UK’s music industry to host an apprentice as part of the BRITs Apprentice Scheme 2019. The scheme is run by DiVA and music industry trade body The BPI.
We are delighted to offer this exciting opportunity to a young person in the South West region to come and work with us and develop their career in the UK music industry.
The BRITs Apprentice Scheme 2019 will give ten young people from England and Ireland a unique, high quality, paid opportunity to work at a top independent record label or music company. The Apprenticeship will enable them to learn about the recorded music industry, receive practical ‘hands-on’ experience, develop relevant skills and make key contacts.
We are offering the opportunity to work with us as a Junior Content Producer, working on a range of projects, producing new digital content and developing digital marketing skills.
Jaswinder Singh, Asian Arts Agency Director, said: “We are delighted to be working with DiVA and the BPI for the BRITs Apprenticeship Scheme. We thrive to offer equal opportunities and a collaborative learning environment for everyone.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for an apprentice to work with us on some really exciting national and international music projects, producing new digital content and developing their digital marketing skills. We look forward to working with someone who is driven, is passionate about South Asian music, and wants to build a career in the music industry.”
The deadline for applications is 10 February 2019.
To find out more details and how to apply, visit the DiVA website.
Opera lover? Fan of Pavarotti’s high notes? Or perhaps Maria Callas’ high notes and dramatic interpretation? Then Qawwali is the art form to explore in 2019.
Origins & Similarity
With roots deep in 13th century India, breathtaking vocal versatility and emotive tone, Qawwali carries centuries deep tradition. Traditionally performed in Sufi shrines, the lyrics of Qawwali carry strong tones of love and devotion. Often, there is ambiguity on whether the Beloved is of human or divine origins.
Opera holds its origins in 17th century Italy and interestingly, the themes were based on mythological stories. The first opera to be performed was Orfeo by Monteverdi in Italy 1607. Three hundred years later, the opera was performed in London at Scala Theatre.
Act 1 of Orfeo, above.
Often parallels were drawn in opera between the mythical heroes and present day rulers – similar to the ambiguous divine tone of Qawwali lyrics.
Phenomenal Vocal Versatility
A versatile vocal range is key in opera and Qawwali. Pavarotti is certainly one of the most important figures in classical music. His vocal range is dizzying!
A key figure putting Qawwali on the world music map is Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Possessing a 6 octave range, he could perform at high levels of intensity for several hours.
Alike to western classical music, a Qawwali singer learns how to use their voice from an early age and the musical training takes years of dedicated hard work. Trained from a young age, Nusrat was born into a family of singers and musicians, hailing from Afghanistan and migrating to India in the 11th century.
Some in the west may feel that the classical element in music is becoming lost and ignored by contemporary generations. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan certainly felt concern. He remarked to the Herald: “To my understanding, people run away from the name of classical songs.” Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a strong advocate and believed in “the revival of pure classical singing” (Herald).
He received training in classical singing himself and his belief in classical music has ensured that Qawwali, an ancient art form, will not be lost in time.
Watch Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan perform a dramatic and melancholic ode to love
Dramatic Performances
Dramatic performances are an important part of opera. Maria Callas is a name in the opera world which epitomises dramatic interpretation and many critics praised her for dramatic performances. The name La Divina was hailed upon her partly due to her gift for dramatic interpretation.
Watch Maria Callas perform Bizet’s Carmen Habanera, Hamberg 1962
And dramatic performances are present in Qawwali too. With lyrics in poetic Urdu, Farsi or Punjabi, one need not understand linguistically as it’s the heart strings they tug at.
Qawwali performances are hypnotic and moving. The rhythmic clapping and pulsing music builds to a mesmerising crescendo, with vocal repetition and vocal intensity often inducing a state of ecstasy amongst performers and audiences alike.
Torchbearers of an ancient tradition
Brothers Rizwan and Muazzam are nephews of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and were tutored by him before his passing in 1997. Having been trained up in the tradition, Rizwan and Muazzam are torchbearers of this ancient classical art form, and have dedicated their lives to studying, performing and sharing Qawwali music with the world. Lead singer Muazzam Ali Khan’s vocal range and dexterity is also astounding – and he has certainly inherited the family’s incredible vocal talent.
Watch Rizwan Muazzam perform Qawwali, Halka Suroor
Don’t miss the chance to hear Qawwali performed by Rizwan-Muazzam.
We hope to see you at one of their concerts in March!
Quick-off-the-mark culture fans can save money with thousands of discounted tickets and offers in the Bristol and Bath 24-hour culture flash sale from 10am on Thursday 17 January.
25% OFF – RIZWAN-MUAZZAM CONCERT AT ST GEORGE’S BRISTOL
We are pleased to be taking part in the Culture Flash Sale – if you want to grab a bargain, we are offering 25% off tickets to our concert with Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwals at St George’s Bristol on 28 March 2019.
This discount is only available for 24-hours, so don’t forget to book (from Thursday 17th January, 10am).
WHAT’S ON OFFER ACROSS BRISTOL & BATH
From music, theatre, art and museum exhibitions to family events and theatre classes, there are deals galore. Take a punt on something new, grab a bargain and kick off your year with a barrow-load of amazing culture.
Why not explore some events in Bath? Our friends at Bath Box Office are offering some great savings. Or in Bristol, our friends at St George’s Bristol are offering discounts to a huge variety of concerts, in addition to our Rizwan-Muazzam concert.
An Exciting Year For Asian Arts Agency – 2018 highlights
As the year draws to a close, we present some of our 2018 highlights.
Our concerts this year included slide guitar maestro Debashish Bhattacharya, Bollywood Queen Harshdeep Kaur, Sufi Sisters Hashmat Sultana and Brooklyn’s finest Dhol n’ Bass band, Red Baraat. We also toured our new commission PunjabTronix internationally.
We championed the creative case for diversity with our diverse programming reaching more venues and communities around the UK. Through our digital work we reached over 1 million people online!
We would like to thank each one of our audiences, artists and partners for the support and wish you all the best for 2019.
We have put together some 2018 highlights for you to enjoy.
SXSW Music Festival and USA Tour
In March, PunjabTronix, our new international commission, was invited to showcase at the prestigious SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas. We also took the project to Boston, New York City and the world renowned Kennedy Center, Washington DC.
Watch PunjabTronix perform at The Kennedy Center:
CONCERTS WITH HARSHDEEP KAUR
We produced Bollywood and Sufi singer Harshdeep Kaur’s debut solo UK concerts, at London’s Barbican Centre and Town Hall Birmingham. The concerts received standing ovations and high profile media coverage, including BBC Radio 4’s Front Row.
We brought the rising stars of Punjabi music, Hashmat Sultana, over to the UK this summer, for UK audiences to experience their talent, with two performances at WOMAD Festival. Both shows attracted big crowds and the long queues at the CD signing tents suggest Hashmat Sultana have now got many fans in the UK too.
Watch Hashmat Sultana perform on the WOMAD stage:
EDUCATIONAL WORK IN BRISTOL
This autumn we worked with 60 young people in Bristol, supporting music and dance workshops, which led to performances at Rhythm Utsav 2018. The student performances featured before and after a wonderful new creative collaboration between Roopa Panesar (sitar), Jesse Bannister (saxophone), Kousic Sen (tabla) and R N Prakash (Carnatic Percussionist).
Watch Masters of percussion Kousic Sen (tabla) and RN Prakash (Ghatam) demonstrate their skill at Rhythm Utsav 2018:
LOOKING AHEAD | ANNOUNCED SO FAR IN 2019
New York, globalFEST showcase – January 2019
We are presenting the Hindustani slide guitarist Debashish Bhattacharya at New York’s prestigious industry showcase, globalFEST, on 6th January, with plans to tour the guitar maestro in the UK in 2019.
RIZWAN-MUAZZAM UK TOUR
We have now announced full tour dates for our March 2019 UK tour with Pakistan’s Qawwali maestros Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali.
STAY UP-TO-DATE
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We have now announced full tour dates for Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali’s UK tour. Looking forward to Summer 2022, in the second of our blogs about Qawwali, we bring you our Qawwali classics top 5 by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Nephews of legendary Qawwal Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rizwan-Muazzam are carrying the bright family legacy of Qawwali and alongside other Qawwali songs, will likely perform some of these Qawwali classics top 5 in March.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, also known as the King of Qawwali, is considered to be the most important Qawwal in history. He is an icon who put Qawwali on the World Music map and many consider to be one of the greatest singers of all time.
Qawwali, a sacred art form, takes the listener on a journey through its profound lyrics and hypnotic rhythm. Some Qawwalis become classics that are impossible to listen to just once.
This selection is an example of such.
Check out our Top 5 Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Qawwali Classics
Yaadan Vichre Sajan Diyan Aayan
This performance of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was recorded in 1985, Harrow, UK. The breathtaking vocals clearly move the audience, who are first generation Indians in the UK. Valuable video, as clearly reflected is the close bond music provides to “home”.
PS. The child on stage is the now superstar Rahat Fateh Ali Khan!
“I Pine For My Beloved
My Eyes Are Pouring Rain.
People Remember God
I Can Only Remember You.
I Pine For You, I Pine For You.”
Akhiyan Udeek Dian
This performance was recorded at Birmingham Town Hall, UK, 1993. The lyrics to the popular qawwali were written by Khawaja Pervez, prominent Pakistani film composer-lyricist. NFAK composed the music himself for this Qawwali.
“Come Back O Lover
My Eyes Long For You.
My Heart Calls Out To You.
Since You Have Become Upset With Me
Even The Crows Have Forgotten How To Caw.”
Chap Tilak | A 14th century poem composed by Sufi Mystic, Amir Khusro
Sufi mystic Amir khusro composed Chap Tilak in the 14th century in honour of his Spiritual mentor, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. The poem emphasises love as beyond religion and cultural identity. Also expressed in the poem is the complete surrender in devotional love.
“My Belonging And Religion
Have Been Taken Away –
By Just One Glance Of Yours.
My fair and delicate wrists
With Green Bangles,
Are Held By Your Glance.”
Jay Tu Akhiyan
A passionate Qawwali, the lyrics reflect heartbreak. The musical composition makes the intensity peak. Definitely a sad love song.
This Qawaali has recently been revived in both the Qawwali and Bollywood world. However, watching the King of Qawwali perform this gem is something truly special. What a surprise that this Qawwali did not become as well known as it is now.
“O envy of the moon,
When our eyes first met – I was overjoyed.
The lightning struck and destroyed me.
The fire you ignited left me ecstatic”
This post would be incomplete if we did not include Mast Qalandar. Watch Rizwan-Muazzam perform the evergreen classic at our previous UK Tour. Just a small taster of what to experience live!
RIZWAN-MUAZZAM perform Mast Qalandar
“The darkness inside me may it disappear, O Teacher
I have pinned my hopes on you, O Teacher
Listen to my plea today, O Teacher!”
Tickets for Rizwan Muazzam UK Tour 2019
Experience Qawwali in the UK with the torchbearers of the tradition, Rizwan-Muazzam.
They say music has no language. And such is the magic of Qawwali. The unique essence of Qawwali can be felt by listeners both familiar and new.
A short introduction to Qawwali
Ahead of our upcoming UK Tour with the torchbearers of Qawwali,Pakistan’s RIZWAN-MUAZZAM, we explore the fascinating roots of the sacred tradition.
The beginnings of Qawwali
Qawwali began to emerge in 8th century Persia. However, Qawwali as we know today began to take shape in 13th century India. Credit is attributed to Sufi mystic saint, Amir Khusro, who is known as the “Father of Qawwali”.
Above: Amir Khusro. Image Credit: FamousPeople
What is Qawwali?
A fountain of inspiration for generations, Qawwali is more than music. It explores themes of love, devotion and feelings of separation from the beloved. Sometimes there is ambivalence towards whether the beloved is of human or divine nature.
The centuries old tradition of Qawwali is now shared beyond. Qawwali has in recent years been performed on prominent festival stages like WOMAD. RIZWAN-MUAZZAM performed Qawwali at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia. The intensity and poetic nature of the art form makes Qawwali a favourite choice in the Bollywood industry, the world’s largest film industry.
Famous Qawwals
A Qawwali singer is known as a Qawwal.
Famous Qawwals include Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Sabri Brothers and Aziz Mian Qawwal.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is highly revered as the King of Qawwali. He is widely considered to be the most important Qawwal in history. A key person who put Qawwali on the World Music map, Nusrat fateh Ali Khan had many honorary titles bestowed upon him and is an important icon worldwide.
RIZWAN-MUAZZAM, being the nephews of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, are carrying forward the ancestral legacy of Qawwali.
An Evolving Tradition
Qawwali was sung ordinarily only by men. However, women now sing Qawwali too and are recognised. Women Qawwals include Abida Parveen, Nooran Sisters and Sanam Marvi.
Abida Parveen is dubbed as the Queen of Sufi. The many accolades to her name include a life time achievement award presented by BBC Asian Network in 2016.
Above: Abida Parveen performing on Coke Studio
Live Qawwali
It is said that Qawwali has to be experienced to be believed. Expect to be taken on a musical journey through the hypnotic rhythm and entrancing vocals.
Above: Rizwan-Muazzam perform “Halka Suroor” at St George’s Bristol from our 2017 Tour
Tickets for Rizwan Muazzam UK Tour 2019
Experience Qawwali in the UK with the torchbearers of the tradition, Rizwan-Muazzam.
