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There has always been something mystical almost addictive about this song and its lyrics …
Whenever you hear it , no matter which singer renders it , whether it was Nusrat Fateh Ali or Abida Parveen or Noorjehan or even Komal Rizvi it always has the same effect…even though I don’t think most people understand the lyrics but it always creates an almost frenzied trance like state.
Is it in the words or the music itself ?
How words, which are not even understood properly by most , can have that affect on us ?
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**This song, one of the most famous qawwali, is written and sung in the honor of Sufi mystic saint ‘Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’ (Syed Usman Shah Marvandhi).
Every word of his name used in the qawwali has a meaning - he was known as Hazrat (holiness), Lal (he wore red robes, Shahbaz (Shah - King and Baz - Falcon, king of falcons and in Iranian mythology represents divine spirit), and finally Qalandar (a qalandari - a sufi saint, poet, mystic, noble man).
He settled in Serwan (Sindh, now in Pakistan) and tried bringing peace between Hindus and Muslims. Hindus regard him as divine reincarnate, avatar as well from what I’ve read . He was also fondly known as Jhulelal.
Sufiyana kalaams sound equally powerful even without music. They're catchy/addictive because of the lyrics and composition/tune of the kalaam. I've heard kalaams and qawalis live, without music, and they still manage to touch your soul.
What attracts people is the music, i have seen people dancing madly on it without understanding a single word.
Beats are just perfect to get you involved in it. My dad tells me that when i used to be two/three years old and whenever i heard drum beats (dhool ki thaap punjab wali), i always wanted to be on the floor and do bhangra :)