Amir Khusrau hazir hain

A special concert brings to life rare works by the 13th century Sufi poet, who was also a linguist, musician, and warrior. Khusrau's legacy is said to live on in popular musical forms to this day

A special concert brings to life rare works by the 13th century Sufi poet, who was also a linguist, musician, and warrior. Khusrau's legacy is said to live on in popular musical forms to this day

Centuries have passed, but Hazrat Amir Khusrau's influence on popular culture has not faded.
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Not just his Qawwalis but even his Lok and Sawan Geet have been transformed into pop or Bollywood music numbers over the years. Ever so often a few lines of Khusrau's poetry enrich a mundane filmi song.

The Works Of Hazrat Amir Khusrau, organised by Banyan Tree Events, is an attempt to bring back forgotten forms of poetry created by the great Sufi poet and perhaps remind the novice of the master's immense contribution to poetry in the sub-continent.

The Sabri Brothers are Maqbool Ahmed Sabri and Mehmood Ghaznavi Sabri. The brothers learnt music from their father, Ustad Inayat Sen Sabri, who trained them in Qawwali and North Indian classical music.u00a0 Several of their qawwalis have featured in films, including the 1982 film Sahaaray.

"Few people are aware of the extent of Khusrau's body of work. He created 14 styles of written verse, some of which are in mass memory.

We're hoping to expose people to a wider variety of his works through the concert," says Nandini Mahesh from Banyan Tree.

Nandini's research into Khusrau's works for a two-CD compilation, considered a 'Bible on Khusrau' among artistes, led to the idea of organising a concert last year.

The concert's success gave organisers the confidence to stage another one this year with new artistes and different forms of musical expression.
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u00a0In its second edition, the Hazrat Amir Khusrau concert will feature the Sabri Brothers, Ustad Yakub Hussain Khan, Afroz Bano and Pandit Vithal Rao.

Expect to be treated to a "dhamaakedar" performance by the Sabri Brothers, and Pandit Rao, renowned for his impressive command over Urdu.

"Afroze Bano will sing Sawan Geet, which is part of the folk genre across UP. These songs are so popular that people have forgotten that they were originally Amir Khusrau compositions," says Nandini.

Ustad Khan's performance will, literally, teleport you to the thirteenth century, promises Nandini. "He is one of those learned, classical performers, who has read up on Amir Khusrau out of sheer love for the Sufi poet.
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During his performance, he related anecdotes from Khusrau's life, as if he were there to witness them himself 700 years ago," says Nandini.

The Legend Of Khusrau

Ab'ul Hasan Yamin al-Din Khusrau, better known as Amir Khusrau, was a prolific Sufi poet. He was patronised by the Delhi sultanate, under several generations of rulers. Khusrau was a disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi, and is often credited with introducing Persian and Arabic elements to Hindustani classical music.
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A couplet by Khusrau, translated from Farsi: If I cannot see her, at least I can think of her, and so be happy; To light the beggar's hut no candle is better than moonlight.

On Tomorrow, 7 pm
AT Nehru Centre Auditorium, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli.
Call 24964676
tickets Donor passes are priced at Rs 500, Rs 400, Rs 300, and Rs 200.
Available at Rhythm House, Nehru Centre, Landmark in Infinity Mall, Andheri (West).