CHENNAI : Yet again, qawwali renditions, completely engrossed all at a concert by the Warsi Brothers from Uttar Pradesh at the Central Lecture Theatre at IIT Madras on Monday. The show was organised by Society for Promotion of Indian Music and Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY). Unlike the other qawwali concerts, which include songs from Bollywood having a tinge of sufi and qawwali traits, this concert stood out for its simplicity, conventional style and the traditional aspect of the genre.
The main singer, along with six supporting vocalists started off with Allah Hoo, which was quite different from the populous track, but had the authenticity of an old school of qawwali. The subtle and sober overpowering of emotions through songs gave the audience a real taste of the traditional style. There was plenty of give and take with the music, as the singer intermittently delivered wits of poetic brilliance through shayaris, which are couplets about love and other themes. This in turn lead to a two-way interaction between the singer and the cheery audience. It was completely a different experience because of the fact that most of the songs were not dedicated solely to the almighty, but instead paved way to be an ode to the youthful love, which suited the atmosphere of the theatre, as most in the audience were college students. Most of the shayaris were pun intended which also added an element of humour to the performance.
Next was Mose Naina Milake, followed by other beautiful songs. One would leave the place amazed about the magnificence of the musical variety and culture that we have in the country, of which people are accommodative, despite the various cultural diversities they have.