Spreading message of peace through Sufi music

As one enters KM Music Conservatory, or KMMC, in the neighbourhood of Arumbakkam, the room where the institute’s band, Sufi Ensemble, practises can be termed a zone of bliss. The sounds that come out of it are sure to put anyone’s worries to rest. Despite the words sung being in Urdu or Persian, the music is the kind that instills faith in humanity. “The sound of Sufi music in itself is so peaceful that I wanted to learn more of it when I first heard it after joining this institution. As soon as we step inside this space, we forget all our troubles and become immersed in Sufi music. Most of us were drawn towards this band after hearing AR Rahman sir’s Sufi songs in Bollywood films,” recalls musician Pranjal Thakore, a singer in the band.

The Mozart of Madras, who founded the music institution KMMC in 2008, has been bringing to light several songs from the Sufi genre through mainstream cinema, like the qawwalis Khwaja Mere Khwaja in the film Jodhaa Akbar and Kun Faya Kun in Rockstar. The aim of his Sufi Ensemble is to take the message of “peace and oneness” world over. The band’s dozen-odd musicians, including the Oscar winning musician himself, have been performing at venues like the United Nations Headquarters in New York and various fund-raiser concerts in countries like Canada, the United Arab Emirates, among others.

“In the current day, Sufi music is not in the mainstream. What we hear most often is hip-hop, rap, etc. Even though a few Sufi songs are heard in Hindi films, the origin of these songs isn’t known to many people. Sufi music is spiritual, and provides a lot of peace within. There is a big need for this music to be heard commonly in the mainstream, more than DJ or techno music,” asserts Amrit Pal Singh, also part of the band. Some of the band’s other members have been Faiz Afreedi, Srinivas, Salmaan Usmani, Aakash Singh, Sugandh, Chintan Trivedi, Yadu Krishnan, Rahul Prakash, Ishan Rojindar, Spandan Bhattacharya, Suryansh Jain, Yash Pathak, Parag Chabra, Abinav Sridharan, Shaubhagya Mohapatra and Rajesh Dhavale.

“We are all from different parts of the country, learning different musical instruments and pursuing different styles of music at KMMC. But, the passion for Sufi music is what brings us all together. When we sing together, the vibe that is created is beyond words. The compositions we perform aren’t commonly heard, and it gives us pride in introducing them to the world,” the musicians say. Trained by Ustaad Munna Shaukat Ali in qawwalis (a form of Sufi music), the band performs occasionally in Chennai too. “Even though Sufi music isn’t that popular in Chennai, we sing at few concerts so people know more about the genre,” they add.

“In the compositions we sing of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ji and Munna Shaukat Ali sir, the words contain a message behind them. The songs speak of oneness and peace, transcending all religions. The music says that even though we humans follow different gods, we all are one,” stresses Pranjal. Besides being overwhelmed that they get to practise with a world-renowned musician like Rahman, the band members say it is their responsibility to take forward Sufi songs that were sung by legends.