April 21, 2005, 12:55AM
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/ae/music/jump/3144905
iFest returns downtown with the sounds of India
By JOEY GUERRA
For the Chronicle
A different kind of crossover dream — one without guest rappers or drippy diva duets — marks the fiercely independent, vastly experimental sounds of Indian artist Vishal Vaid and Pakistani group Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali.
Both acts are grounded in centuries-old musical traditions and rituals handed down from parents and relatives. And both have taken those sacred elements and updated them for worldwide audiences with fresh lyrics and contemporary rhythms.
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Brothers Rizwan and Muazzam Ali Khan make up the group Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali. These nephews of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan come from a direct family line of Qawwali vocal music that spans five centuries.
Vaid and Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali perform during the Houston International Festival 2005, spotlighting India, which kicks off Saturday downtown.
Rizwan and Muazzam Ali Khan are nephews of the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, whose own brand of qawwali (or devotional) music made him an international icon. Before his death in 1997, Ali Khan took both young charges under his wing as official students.
Nusrat’s death created a big void, and his students faced the task of carrying on his legacy. “It is a very big responsibility on their shoulders,” says Rashid Ahmed Din, former manager to Ali Khan, calling from a tour stop in Michigan. He currently manages the Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali ensemble and performs with the group. (The brothers do not speak English.)
“There was only one Nusrat,” Ahmed Din says. “But to be closer to his work and try to maintain the level of work, these boys are working day and night.”
And like their esteemed uncle — who recorded with electronica guitarist Michael Brook as well as Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder — Rizwan and Muazzam work hard at incorporating modern elements into their music. The group has recorded four albums, including People’s Colony No. 1, a 2001 remix project with mix-masters Temple of Sound that utilized elements of dub and drum-n-bass.
Last year’s Day of Colours found Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali exploring new sounds on its own terms. The album is an effortless, adventurous journey through sound, infusing traditional qawwali music with a youthful urgency.
The album’s lyrics are sung in Persian, Urdu and Punjabi, and they feature a blend of modern writings and ancient poetry. Included are musings from 13th-century Persian poet Rumi and Sufi saints Baba Bulleh Shah and Khawaja Muhammad Devaan.
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According to the traditional rules of qawwali music, every song must be in praise of God. But the tunes work as expressions of both spiritual devotion and secular love, a key component in Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali’s quest for widespread appeal.
“We sort of gave all different takes when we did the recording,” Ahmed Din says. “We have to select contemporary songs and non-contemporary songs which can be appealing to everyone. Live, we do a mostly traditional performance. So when all those people go who haven’t heard of qawwali music, they get more attracted to the spiritual music as well.”
London-born, American-bred artist Vaid has also reinterpreted an ancient sound for modern ears, with often-dazzling results.
As a child, Vaid was trained in the tradition of North Indian classical music, with emphasis in ghazal, a style of vocal expression dating back to the 13th century. He gave his first concert when he was 3 years old and released a live collection of traditional ghazal recordings in 1996.
Like qawwali, ghazal also refers to a form of devotional poetry and its placement in music. But in Vaid’s world, ghazal is reborn with flourishes of American folk music, drum-n-bass and urban rhythms. He has collaborated with DJs Bill Laswell, Talvin Singh and, most notably, Indian electronica guru Karsh Kale.
According to Vaid, it all seems to be part of a natural progression.
"I was encouraged by my parents to reinterpret (ghazal) and, ‘Be true to yourself,’ " he says. "Listen to the sounds around you.
“A lot of first- and second-generation cultures that come to the west, they try to keep you boxed in without really letting you be true to yourself and see what’s around you,” Vaid adds. “I’m kind of blessed that I was really encouraged.”
The response to Vaid’s club-ready fusion has been inspiring. He has performed throughout the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia, in venues ranging from world-music festivals and concert halls to consulates and British Parliament.
Vaid is currently at work on a new album of modern-day ghazal music. He thinks the world-music audience — and the world in general — is ready to take the journey with him. Its just a matter of letting the music move you.
“Audiences are craving something real and something new,” Vaid says. “People are not hung up on necessarily understanding everything that they hear, and I kind of encourage that. Music is a universal language. You don’t have to necessarily catch the words to understand the sentiment behind it or get driven by the emotion behind what’s being said or performed or given.”
Houston International Festival 2005
Vishal Vaid: 2:15 p.m. Sunday, Budweiser Music Stage
Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali: 2:15 p.m. April 30, Budweiser Music Stage
Tickets: $10; at the gate, online at http://www.ifest.org or at Houston-area HEB stores.
Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, April 30-May 1
Parking: $5 in Theater District lots under festival site
Information: 713-654-8808; www.ifest.org